File renaming primarily aids human discoverability rather than speeding up software indexing or search. Indexing engines work by analyzing file contents and existing metadata (like creation date, author, keywords) regardless of the filename itself. While changing a vague name like IMG_001.jpg to ProjectX_Schematic_Final.jpg makes it much easier for you to find it later when browsing or performing a simple filename search (e.g., using Ctrl+F), it doesn't intrinsically change how the underlying indexing system processes the file's actual data or metadata for complex content searches (like finding text within a PDF).

For example, in cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, searching for budget will return files containing that word, regardless of their filenames – renaming report.docx to Q4_Budget.docx won't change that. However, in scenarios where content indexing isn't available or reliable (e.g., complex images, unsupported file formats), or for simple folder-based browsing on local machines (like Windows Explorer or macOS Finder), well-structured filenames remain essential. In healthcare or legal sectors, strict naming conventions often compensate for limitations in specific document management systems.

The advantage lies in human efficiency – clear filenames drastically reduce time spent manually scanning folders or relying solely on limited filename filters. They also persist universally across systems. The limitation is that renaming doesn't enrich deeper content understanding for the search engine itself; complex queries still depend on effective metadata or full-text indexing. Future AI might generate or use filenames more contextually, but for now, descriptive naming is mainly a critical organizational tool for people.