Can files be sorted by client if the client isn't in the filename?

Only if the client can be identified another way, such as the folder the file is already in. Otherwise put the file in Unsorted and place it by hand.

How should I handle two clients with the same surname?

Give each a unique folder name, such as full name or a client reference, and use that identifier in new filenames.

Should I organise client files by year?

Only if you regularly look things up by year and the year is known for each file. Otherwise a single folder per client with document-type subfolders is simpler.

How to organise files by client automatically

To organise files by client automatically, agree one folder per client with a unique name, make sure the client is identifiable from each filename or its current folder, then use a tool that previews every move before it happens. Anything that doesn't clearly identify a client should go to an Unsorted folder rather than be guessed.

Start with a client folder layout

Decide the layout before you automate anything. Two common options are shown below. The client names are fictional examples.

Layout A: client first

Clients/
  Bennett, Sarah/
    Correspondence/
    Invoices/
    Contracts/
  Harper Joinery Ltd/
    Correspondence/
    Invoices/
    Contracts/
Unsorted/

Example only. Use the same subfolders inside every client.

Layout B: client, then year

Clients/
  Harper Joinery Ltd/
    2025/
    2026/
    Unknown year/
Unsorted/

Example only. Use a year folder only when the year is actually known.

Layout A suits ongoing relationships where you look things up by document type. Layout B suits work that is reviewed or archived by year.

What a filename can tell you — and what it can't

An automatic sort can only use the information available. For a file-based tool that means the filename, the folder it sits in, the file type and basic metadata such as dates.

“Invoice_0412_HarperJoinery.pdf” clearly names a client and a document type.
“Bennett/contract-signed.pdf” takes its client from the parent folder.
“scan001.pdf” or “IMG_4821.jpg” say nothing about the client — these belong in Unsorted until someone checks them.
A file's modified date is when it was last saved, not necessarily the date of the work. Don't treat it as the invoice or meeting date.

Clients who share a surname

If you have two clients called Bennett, a surname alone is not enough to tell them apart, for people or for software. Give each client a unique folder name — for example “Bennett, Sarah” and “Bennett, Tom”, or add a client reference — and include that same identifier in new filenames. When an existing file only says “Bennett”, leave it in Unsorted and place it by hand.

Use dates only where they are known

Put a date in a folder or filename only when it comes from somewhere reliable, such as a date already written in the filename (2026-03-02) or one you know to be correct. If the date is uncertain, use an “Unknown year” folder rather than inventing one.

When a manual approach is enough

If you have a handful of clients and a few dozen files, creating the folders in File Explorer and dragging files across is quick and needs no software. Automation becomes worthwhile when there is a large backlog, when files arrive regularly, or when several people save into the same shared folder.

A sample Sortem instruction

Preview checklist before you approve

Spot-check a few files for each client and confirm they're in the right folder.
Look for new client folders you didn't expect — they often mean a misspelling or a duplicate client.
Check clients with similar or shared names went to the right person.
Open the Unsorted list and make sure nothing obvious was left out.
Confirm no dates were added that you can't verify.
Approve only when you're happy, and note that supported changes can be reversed with Undo.