Why the backlog does not shrink by itself
A collection like this has no natural occasion to be touched. There is no deadline, no cut-off date and no colleague asking about it — only the dull awareness that a policy is in there somewhere. At the same time the folder keeps growing, because new exports and archive copies arrive every year. Without a bounded procedure with a clear start and end, the task lands on the same list every quarter and is postponed every quarter. So the first step is not technical but a decision about scope: one folder, one afternoon.
First step: sort out before renaming
Before a single file gets a new name, reduce the pile. Sort the folder by file size and by date: duplicates from backup runs, newsletter PDFs, brochures and manuals are usually recognisable by size, or by the fact that twenty files share the same byte count. Whatever need not be retained for legal reasons and is practically never needed can go. Every file you delete here is one you do not have to analyse, do not have to check, and do not have to spend from your document allowance.
Second step: fix the naming pattern first
Settle the pattern before the first run, because switching halfway through produces exactly the inconsistency you set out to remove. What works well is the document date in ISO form at the start, then the sender, then the document type, optionally a document number: 2022-01-14_Telekom_Invoice_RE-8834. Decide deliberately whether the issue date or the service period goes first — with annual statements that makes an audible difference once you sort chronologically. In Filery you set pattern and date format in the configuration.
Third step: make a copy and run a test
Copy the folder before touching anything. That is the sensible precaution with any batch operation, whatever tool you use. Then deliberately do not test the thirty cleanest documents but a representative cross-section: a poor scan, a multi-page combined invoice, a contract with no date in the body text. Filery shows every suggestion next to the old name before renaming. Count how many you would have to rework — that tells you whether the pattern holds up or needs sharpening.
Fourth step: work through it in batches
After that, work folder by folder rather than tackling the whole collection at once. It keeps the review stretch manageable and you can stop at any point without leaving a half-processed state behind. Factor in the allowance: the Starter plan covers 50 documents per month, Business 500. A collection of 2,800 files therefore spreads across several months, or you use the Custom plan at 5 € per month with your own API keys and settle the analysis directly with the model provider.
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