up:: [[LYT Kit]]
tags:: #on/PKM 

# When Naming Notes, What UID should I use?
This is a complex topic. UIDs ("Unique IDs") are important because that's fundamentally how we can link notes to each other. 

When the Zettelkasten method went digital, the brilliant minds at zettelkasten.de recommended a time-stamped file name. It looked like this `201402141847`. 

Now that auto-updating links are becoming more of the norm, most of the benefit of time-stamping filenames is gone. It's still good to sort notes by creation date, and it will always be the most future proof. 

Long story short, I mostly use descriptive filenames, except for notes like daily notes, meetings, and workouts. Basically my soft rule is:

- If a note's main essence is an "idea", then use a descriptive filename
- If a note's essence is time-related, then prepend with a timestamp.

This note is not meant to be definitive. Go on the interwebs if you really desire going down the rabbit hole.

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Sometimes the best way of understanding something is hearing what people have to say about it. 

*I've heard UIDs are important...How Should I Handle UIDs?*

> I tried implementing UIDs at the beginning of file names, but don't like the random order of notes by date. I've recently started moving the UID to the end of the file name, so you still have the reference but it doesn't feel in the way. 
> 
> ---
> But I've still not found a particularly useful need for the UID because backlinks, tags and search seem to be all I need to find stuff - @Reggie

> I am removing all of mine as I am transferring my notes to from the old platform to his new one. @klass 