Five metadata fields for every archived output
Store every archived output with exactly five metadata fields: descriptive title containing search keywords, completion date, output type from your controlled vocabulary, project/context, and 2-5 searchable tags, establishing this as the minimum metadata standard before any file enters the archive.
When This Fires
- When archiving any completed output (Two-minute archiving ritual after every delivery archiving workflow)
- When setting up an archive system for the first time
- When existing archives are unsearchable because items lack consistent metadata
- Complements Two-minute archiving ritual after every delivery (two-minute archiving workflow) with the specific metadata standard
Common Failure Mode
Under-tagged archives: files stored with a filename and nothing else. "Report_final_v2.docx" tells you it's a report — but which report? For whom? About what? When? Future retrieval requires opening the file to find out, which defeats the purpose of an organized archive.
The Protocol
(1) Before any file enters the archive, populate five fields: Title: descriptive, containing keywords your future self would search for (Title reference items with the words your future self…). Date: completion date in YYYY-MM format (Name archived files as [YYYY-MM] [Type]…). Type: from your controlled vocabulary (article, report, presentation, proposal, etc.). Project: the project, client, or initiative this output served. Tags: 2-5 conceptual keywords that describe the content thematically. (2) Implement the fields in whatever format your archive supports: filename convention, file properties, database fields, or frontmatter. (3) The five-field standard is the minimum. Add more fields if your practice justifies it, but never accept fewer. (4) Periodically audit: search your archive for recently archived items. Can you find them in under 30 seconds using any of the five fields? If not, the metadata needs improvement.