Define the canonical pattern
Write the approved token order before anyone creates platform-specific variants. A practical pattern might be:
channel_market_audience_offer_objective_date
Use only the tokens needed to identify and compare campaigns. Extra tokens make names harder to scan and create more opportunities for inconsistent abbreviations.
Record the rule for every token
For each token, document:
- the owner who approves new values
- whether the value is required or optional
- the allowed format and maximum length
- approved abbreviations
- examples that pass and fail
- the fallback when a value is unknown
Protect the delimiter
If an underscore separates tokens, underscores cannot also appear inside token values. The same rule applies to hyphens, pipes, or any other delimiter. Normalize spaces, capitalization, punctuation, and accented characters consistently before names reach platforms.
Define exceptions before they happen
Document how the team handles always-on campaigns, local market variants, tests, partner campaigns, legacy names, and platform length limits. Exceptions need an owner and an expiration date; otherwise the exception becomes the new pattern.
QA before adoption
Test the pattern against at least ten real campaigns from different channels. Confirm that a second person can read each name, reproduce it from the rules, and connect it to the correct report without asking the original creator.