Start with the document’s own issue date (not the day I scanned it), then
the person, a short kebab-case title, and tags in parentheses. The last tag is
the language.
If a document has no clear date (a reference card, an ID with only an expiry),
use the issue/valid-from date; if there’s truly none, use 0000-00-00 so it
sorts to the top and I notice it.
Keep a translation beside its original, same name with a different (lang)
tag: …_(certificate)(de).pdf and …_(certificate)(cs).pdf.
Tags (the type is the important one)
certificate, contract, invoice, receipt, statement, letter,
report, policy, id, medical, tax. Plus a language tag: de, en,
cs.
Rules & exceptions
A document about two people (e.g. a joint account statement) goes to the
person who mainly deals with it; add the other as a note, don’t duplicate.
Kids’ school reports → <child>/school/, filename dated to the report’s
term end.
Insurance premium notices (the recurring “your premium is now X” letters)
→ <person>/health/notices/ so the important policy documents stay findable.
This convention is not sacred — when I correct dossier a few times the same
way, add the rule here.
# Filing convention — Family & household
This file is the single source of truth for how our documents are named and
where they go. dossier reads it and proposes a target; I review.
## Folders
- **One top-level folder per person**: `robin/`, `nora/`, `milo/`.
- **Shared household documents** go in `house/` (the flat, the car, utilities,
anything that isn't about one person).
- Inside each person, group by **life area**, creating the folder only when
there's something to put in it:
- `identity/` — passport, ID card, birth certificate, residence permit
- `health/` — insurance, doctor letters, vaccination record, prescriptions
- `school/` — reports, certificates, enrolment, tuition
- `finance/` — bank, tax, payslips, contracts
- `misc/` — anything that doesn't fit yet
## Filenames
Start with the document's **own issue date** (not the day I scanned it), then
the person, a short kebab-case title, and tags in parentheses. The last tag is
the language.
```
YYYY-MM-DD_[person]_short-title_(type)(lang).ext
2011-04-21_[nora]_birth-certificate_(certificate)(de).pdf
2025-05-20_[milo]_scrum-master_(certificate)(en).pdf
2024-11-03_[house]_apartment-lease_(contract)(de).pdf
```
- If a document has no clear date (a reference card, an ID with only an expiry),
use the issue/valid-from date; if there's truly none, use `0000-00-00` so it
sorts to the top and I notice it.
- Keep a **translation beside its original**, same name with a different `(lang)`
tag: `…_(certificate)(de).pdf` and `…_(certificate)(cs).pdf`.
## Tags (the type is the important one)
`certificate`, `contract`, `invoice`, `receipt`, `statement`, `letter`,
`report`, `policy`, `id`, `medical`, `tax`. Plus a language tag: `de`, `en`,
`cs`.
## Rules & exceptions
- **A document about two people** (e.g. a joint account statement) goes to the
person who mainly deals with it; add the other as a note, don't duplicate.
- **Kids' school reports** → `<child>/school/`, filename dated to the report's
term end.
- **Insurance premium notices** (the recurring "your premium is now X" letters)
→ `<person>/health/notices/` so the important policy documents stay findable.
- This convention is not sacred — when I correct dossier a few times the same
way, add the rule here.