Alphabetical Filing Rules – Step-by-Step Guide for Offices

An efficient alphabetical filing system is the backbone of organized document management. Whether you're filing client records, vendor information, or employee files, following consistent rules ensures fast, accurate retrieval when it matters most.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps of setting up and maintaining a reliable alphabetic filing system — and how to tailor it to your business needs.

? Six Core Steps in Alphabetical Filing

1. Inspecting: Review each document to identify its subject, importance, and relevance to your records.
2. Indexing: Determine the primary filing term (such as a name, company, or subject) under which the document should be stored.
3. Coding: Mark the document with the selected index term using labels, stickers, or tags.
4. Cross-Referencing: If a document could logically be filed in more than one place, create a cross-reference index or note.
5. Sorting: Alphabetize documents based on the indexed names or terms using standard rules (e.g., ignoring articles like “The” or “A”).
6. Storing: File documents in the correct physical location — folders, drawers, cabinets — using appropriate dividers and filing products.

Need reliable tools? Shop Filing Supplies like color-coded file folders, index dividers, and labels designed to support organized filing systems.

Customizing to Fit Your Business

Every organization has unique recordkeeping needs. Some departments may prioritize client name filing, while others file by project or product. There’s no universal rulebook — what matters is that your system reflects how your team searches for documents.

For example:

• Law firms often file by client last name.
• Medical offices may sort by patient name and year.
• Sales departments might organize by company or region.

Choose the approach that aligns with your workflow and document access patterns.

Filing Standards and Best Practices

ARMA International’s guidelines in “Establishing Alphabetic, Numeric, and Subject Filing Systems” are the industry gold standard. These rules help ensure consistency across organizations, making it easier to implement scalable, dependable filing practices.

Why Consistency Is Critical

Even the best filing system breaks down without consistent use. To keep your files accessible and accurate over time, every office should:

• Define: Set clear filing procedures by document type and department.
• Document: Write down the rules so they’re easy to follow and train.
• Approve: Make sure department leads agree to and understand the process.
• Enforce: Ensure everyone follows the rules — no shortcuts.

Without written rules, procedures can quickly drift due to staff turnover, memory gaps, or miscommunication.

⏱️ The Real Test of Your Filing System

How do you know if your system works? Try retrieving a random file — quickly and without asking anyone. If you can do it confidently, your filing rules are working. If not, it may be time to re-evaluate your structure.

Filing Tools That Support Your System

A good system needs good supplies. Explore:

• Top Tab & End Tab File Folders for every filing style
• Writable and Color-Coded Index Dividers
• Alphabetic, Numeric, and Year Labels to make retrieval faster