skip to content

File Name Templates

File name templates are used to customize file and folder names generated by MessageSave. Templates allow you to do things like changing field order, customizing format for date and time, using various message values for subfolder naming, etc. Templates are configured on the Naming Tab of the Edit Profile window.

A template is composed of Fields and any additional characters you might want to have included in the file names.

Fields

Fields are placeholders which are replaced with values from the message been saved. For example, %M_SUBJ% is replaced with the message subject. %M_S_N% is replaced with the name of the message sender. The Add Field button is a simple way to add new fields to the template. Explore the drop-down menu under that button to learn about all possible Fields.

Field Modifiers

Field Truncation

You can specify a limit on the length of field value by adding a number in square brackets at the end of the Field. For example, %M_SUBJ[5]% would use the first 5 characters from the subject name.

Field Initials

To use only initials of a field, add [IW]. For example, %M_S_N[IW]% uses only initials of the sender name.

Select Word

To use only the first word of a field, add [W1]. To use the second word, use [W2], etc.

For example, %M_SUBJ[W1]% uses only the first word of the subject.

Remove Spaces

To remove spaces from a field, add [RS]. For example, %M_SUBJ[RS]% is the message subject without spaces. %M_SUBJ[RS_]% is the subject with spaces replaced by underscores. %M_S_N[RS]% is the sender name without spaces.

Additional characters

In addition to Fields, you can also include other characters. They are usually used for field separators. However, they are not limited to separators. Use them for anything else you would like to appear in the file name. For example, if the message subject is Meeting and the message sender name is John Smith, here are a few sample templates and resulting file names.

Template Resulting File Name
%M_SUBJ% - %M_S_N% Meeting - John Smith.msg
%M_S_N% - %M_SUBJ% John Smith - Meeting.msg
%M_S_N% - %M_SUBJ[4]% John Smith - Meet.msg
%M_SUBJ% - sent by %M_S_N% Meeting - sent by John Smith.msg

The extra characters you can use are not limited to separators. For example, you can use a template like subject %M_SUBJ% - sent by %M_S_N%. The resulting file name would be subject Meeting - sent by John Smith.msg.

Note

When creating a template, you may only use characters which are valid in Windows file names. The following characters are not allowed: / : ? * | > < "  !.

Creating subfolders

You can use templates to create subfolders too. Use one or more backslash to create subfolders. For example:

  • %F_P_R%\%M_SUBJ% - mirrors Outlook folder structure. (Same as “Use Outlook Folder Name” simple naming option).
  • %M_TR_yyyy%\%M_TR_MM%\Correspondence\%M_SUBJ% - creates Year\Month\Correspondence\ folder structure.

Custom Field

There is a special Field, %CF_V%. If you include that field into the template, MessageSave will prompt you for a value to replace this field with. This value can be used to include a reference to a project code, client name, matter number or anything else that makes sense to the way you organize messages

The label for the custom field prompt can be configured on the Custom Field Tab of the Advanced Options window.

Other examples?

File Naming Templates are very flexible, but them might be a bit intimidating when you are first starting to use them. Let us know know what other examples you would like to see on this page or if you find something here that needs clarification.