A simple job numbering system for freelancers
We give every job a short code and put it at the front of the folder name, like ACME-014: the client's code and a running number. It's the one habit that's saved us the most time finding old work. Plenty of people use the year instead (26-014), which works well if most clients are one-offs. Either way, we pad the number with zeros, never reuse one, and use the same code on the invoice and the files.
Why we use a code
Clients rename things. "Summer campaign" becomes "Summer campaign v2 final" becomes "that thing in June". A short code stays the same, so you can find a job from any starting point: an old invoice, an email subject, a timesheet line, or a file someone sent back to you months later.
One code, written the same way everywhere, is the whole system.
Two formats that work
| Format | Example | Good | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year + running number | 26-014 or 2026-014 | Tells you the age of a job at a glance. Easy to start. Restarts at 001 each year, so numbers stay short. | Says nothing about the client. One client's jobs are scattered through the list. |
| Client code + running number | ACME-014 | One client's jobs sit together when sorted. You can tell who it is from the code alone. | You need a code for each new client, and each must be unique. |
We'd use the client code with repeat clients, and the year format when most work is one-off clients. Some people combine them, like ACME-26-014, to get both.
We keep the client part to 2 to 5 capital letters or digits, and leave full client names out of the code. They are long, they change when a client rebrands, and they are easy to mistype.
Pad the number with zeros
We write 014, not 14. Some programs sort names as plain text, and plain text puts 20 before 3. Microsoft's documentation shows both orderings: when digits are read as text, 20string comes before 2string and 3string; when digits are read as numbers, it is 2string, 3string, 20string. With zero-padding, both methods give the same order.
ACME-001 ACME-002 ACME-010 ACME-014
Three digits covers 999 jobs per client or per year. That is plenty for most freelancers.
How we set it up
- Pick one format from the table and write down how it looks.
- Start the folder name with the code, then a short description:
ACME-014 Summer campaign. A code at the start keeps jobs in order and makes them easy to type into a search box. - Reuse the code everywhere: the invoice number or reference, file names (
ACME-014_cut-v03.mov), email subjects and your timesheet. - Don't reuse or refill a number. If a job is cancelled, we leave the gap. A gap is harmless, a duplicate is not.
- Keep a simple log. A spreadsheet with code, client, job name, date and status is enough. Or skip it and let your folder list be the log: the highest number in the sorted list is the last one used.
For the same inside layout on every job, the folder maker helps. It lets you pick a starter folder tree (video job, design job, photo shoot), edit it, warns about names Windows refuses, and downloads a .zip of the empty folders. We name the top folder with the job code.
ACME-W014 on the Windows PC and ACME-M014 on the Mac. Neither machine can then hand out a number the other already used, even before your files sync. This is our approach, not a rule.Names Windows refuses
A code and a description are still a folder name, so Windows' rules apply: no < > : " / \ | ? *, no reserved names such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1 to COM9 or LPT1 to LPT9 (also with an extension, like CON.txt), and no trailing dot or space. As our own habit, we keep each name to 80 characters or fewer. A short client code rarely runs into any of these.
Questions
Should the client's full name be in the code?
We'd say no. We use 2 to 5 capital letters or digits. Full names are long, they change when a client rebrands, and they are easy to mistype. The folder name can still carry the full name after the code.
What if I cancel a job or skip a number?
We leave the gap and don't hand the number out again. Gaps cost nothing, but two jobs with the same code cause real confusion.
Do I need a spreadsheet?
Not strictly. If every job has a folder starting with its code, the sorted folder list already shows the last number used. A spreadsheet helps once you also want the client, date and status in one place.
I work on two computers. How do I avoid duplicate numbers?
We give each computer its own letter in the number, for example ACME-W014 on the Windows PC and ACME-M014 on the Mac. Then the two can never hand out the same code.