Create one inbox
Choose one place for incoming documents: a tray or To file folder. Then organise by immediately recognisable areas such as home, work and purchases. Do not create twenty empty subfolders in advance. Start with your ten documents; if two categories overlap, simplify their names.
File the ten documents and note those without an obvious category.
Name for retrieval, retain according to the rules
For digital copies, use a stable pattern: date, issuer, subject. Avoid names like scan-final-reallyfinal. Retention periods vary by document; Service Public explains categories and exceptions. Scanning does not automatically justify discarding an original. Keep filing separate from decisions to destroy documents.
Rename three copies and check one document’s retention rule before deciding what to do with it.
Test retrieval and plan a backup
Ask where you would look for an invoice without browsing every folder. Time the search and adjust if it takes over a minute. Plan a backup in a separate protected location; a synced folder can also sync deletions. Do not send private documents to an AI just to organise them. Finish by setting a short weekly review.
Find three documents without opening more than two folders. Adjust categories if needed.
Example name: “2026-09-15_Supplier_electricity-invoice.pdf”. A name helps retrieval; it replaces neither the original nor a backup. Avoid unnecessary sensitive identifiers.
The best filing system is one you can actually retrieve documents from.