Image file names before you upload them
I've watched people spend twenty minutes hunting through their CMS media library because they can't remember which 'screenshot.png' has the pricing table. The search is blank. The upload date is unhelpful. They're clicking thumbnails one by one.
This isn't a CMS problem. It's a file naming problem that happened before the upload.
Name files when you save them, not when you need them
Your camera creates IMG_2847.jpg. Your screenshot tool creates Screenshot 2024-01-15.png. These names tell you nothing about what's in the image. You might remember right now, but you won't in three weeks when you need to swap it out.
Rename the file before you upload it:
homepage-hero-lighthouse.jpgnotIMG_2847.jpgpricing-comparison-table.pngnotScreenshot 2024-01-15.pngteam-photo-jasper-headshot.jpgnotDSC_0934.jpg
The goal isn't poetry. It's recognition. You should be able to scan a list of filenames and know which image you need without opening anything.
What makes a useful image filename
Three things: where it goes, what it shows, and maybe a version or variant.
Where it goes grounds the file. homepage-, about-page-, blog-post- — this tells you the context. It groups related images when you sort alphabetically.
What it shows is the substance. hero-lighthouse, pricing-table, jasper-headshot. Be specific enough that you won't confuse it with another image in the same location.
Version or variant helps when you have multiples. hero-lighthouse-winter.jpg and hero-lighthouse-summer.jpg. Or logo-horizontal.svg and logo-stacked.svg.
Connect these parts with hyphens, not underscores or spaces. Hyphens are cleaner in URLs if your CMS exposes filenames in image paths.
This matters more than you think
You're not just naming one file. You're building a system you'll use hundreds of times. Every image you upload with a clear name is one you won't hunt for later.
Good filenames also improve your alt text workflow. When you see team-photo-jasper-headshot.jpg in your CMS, you immediately know what alt text to write. When you see IMG_2847.jpg, you have to open it first.
Some CMSs let you rename files after upload. Most don't, or they break existing references when you do. Don't rely on fixing it later. Name it correctly when you save it from your camera, screenshot tool, or export dialog.
The two-second rule
If someone else looked at your filename, would they know what the image contains in two seconds? Not approximately — actually know.
If the answer is no, the filename isn't done. You're not labeling files for your current self who just created them. You're labeling them for your future self who's in a hurry and can't remember.
This is the smallest structural decision you'll make, but it's also one of the most repeated. Get it right once, and it becomes automatic. Get it wrong, and you'll waste minutes every week searching your own media library.