Glossary
Plain-language definitions for terms used throughout our file organization guides.
Active FilesArchiveBackupBreadcrumbCloud StorageDuplicateExternal DriveFile ExtensionFile Naming ConventionFolder HierarchyLocal Storage (Browser)MetadataOCR (Optical Character Recognition)RetentionSyncTagVersion
- Active Files
- Files you are currently using, editing, or referencing on a regular basis. Active files typically live in your main working folders rather than in long-term storage, and are the files a good folder structure should make fastest to reach.
- Archive
- A separate area of storage for files you want to keep but no longer need regular access to, such as completed projects or past years of records. Archiving is about relocating finished material out of your active folders, not deleting it.
- Backup
- A separate copy of your files kept in a different location or on different media than the original, so that losing one copy does not mean losing the files entirely. A backup is only useful if it is kept up to date and stored somewhere independent of the original.
- A row of links near the top of a page (for example, Home / Guides / Article Title) that shows where the current page sits within a site's structure, similar to a folder path.
- Cloud Storage
- A storage service that keeps your files on remote servers accessed over the internet rather than only on your own device, often with the ability to sync the same files across multiple devices.
- Duplicate
- A file that is an exact or near-exact copy of another file already in your system, often created by re-saving, re-importing from a backup, or syncing the same item from multiple devices.
- External Drive
- A storage device, such as a hard drive or solid-state drive, that connects to a computer but is not built into it, often used for backups or for storing archived material separately from a computer's main drive.
- File Extension
- The short suffix at the end of a file name (such as .pdf, .jpg, or .docx) that indicates what type of file it is and which program can normally open it.
- File Naming Convention
- A consistent, repeatable pattern for naming files — covering things like word order, date format, and capitalization — so that files sort predictably and their names describe their contents without needing to be opened.
- Folder Hierarchy
- The nested structure of folders and subfolders that organizes your files, moving from broad categories at the top level down to more specific groupings underneath.
- Local Storage (Browser)
- A small amount of storage built into a web browser that lets a website remember information on that specific device and browser, without sending it to a server. Tools on this site that save your progress use this kind of storage rather than any central database.
- Metadata
- Information about a file that is not part of its main content, such as the date it was created, its file size, or its format. Metadata can sometimes help you sort or search files even when the file name alone is not descriptive.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
- A technology that recognizes printed or handwritten text within a scanned image or PDF and converts it into searchable, selectable text, which is why some scanned documents can be searched by keyword and others cannot.
- Retention
- How long a particular type of document is generally useful or expected to be kept. Retention guidance varies by document type, jurisdiction, and personal circumstances, and this site does not state specific legal retention periods — check an official source or a qualified professional for guidance that applies to your situation.
- Sync
- The process of automatically keeping the same files up to date across two or more devices or locations, so that a change made in one place appears in the others.
- Tag
- A descriptive label attached to a file that is not based on its location in a folder structure, allowing the same file to be found under multiple labels at once rather than a single folder path.
- Version
- A particular saved state of a file at a point in time, especially relevant for documents that are edited repeatedly. A clear versioning approach avoids ambiguous file names like 'final' or 'final2' by indicating which copy is current.