ISO 19650 Filename Format: A Plain English Guide to All 7 Fields

If you've been handed an ISO 19650 naming requirement and you're not sure where to start — you're not alone. Most people working in architecture, engineering, and construction weren't taught this at university. It gets dropped on you mid-project, usually with a two-page PDF from the main contractor and a deadline that's already close.

This guide explains every field in plain English, with real examples. No jargon, no assumptions.

ISO 19650 is the international standard for managing information on construction projects. A correctly named file tells anyone who picks it up: what project it belongs to, who made it, where in the building it relates to, what type of document it is, and what discipline produced it.

When filenames are inconsistent, things go wrong. The wrong revision gets issued. Documents get duplicated. CDE uploads get rejected. At that point, it's usually 4pm on a Friday.

Every ISO 19650 compliant filename follows this pattern:

PROJ-ORIG-ZONE-LVL-TYPE-ROLE-NUM.ext

For example:

PRJ-ACME-ZZ-01-DR-A-0001.pdf

Each field is separated by a hyphen. The whole filename must be uppercase. No spaces, no underscores, no special characters.

A short code that identifies the project. Usually defined by the client or main contractor in the BIM Execution Plan (BEP).

Format: 2–6 uppercase alphanumeric characters  ·  Examples: PRJ, PRJ123, HS2A

Identifies the organisation that created the document — usually your company's code, defined in the BEP.

Format: 2–6 uppercase alphanumeric characters  ·  Examples: ACME, RSH, WSP

Describes a spatial or functional area of the project.

Format: 2 uppercase alphanumeric characters  ·  Common values: ZZ whole project · B1 basement · RF roof

Identifies the floor or location within the building.

Common values: 00 ground · 01 first floor · B1 basement · ZZ whole building

Tells you what kind of document it is. Must come from the agreed code list.

Common codes: DR Drawing · SP Specification · CA Calculation · RP Report · MS Method Statement

Identifies the discipline responsible for the document.

Common codes: A Architecture · S Structural · M Mechanical · E Electrical · C Civil

A unique sequential number, 4 digits, zero-padded. 0001, 0042, 0100. Keep a register so you don't duplicate numbers.

PRJ-ACME-ZZ-01-DR-A-0001.pdf

PRJ   → Project code
ACME  → Originator (your firm)
ZZ    → Whole project / not zone-specific
01    → First floor
DR    → Drawing
A     → Architecture discipline
0001  → First drawing in this series

Lowercase letters. prj-acme-zz-01-dr-a-0001.pdf will fail on most CDEs.

Wrong number of fields. You need exactly 7.

Hyphens inside a field. Hyphens are separators only.

Spaces or special characters. Alphanumeric and hyphens only.