File names for automation scripts require careful consideration to ensure smooth processing by computer systems. Avoid special characters like &, %, *, or !, as these often trigger specific actions in operating systems or programming languages and cause errors. Similarly, spaces in file names complicate command-line execution since scripts typically interpret spaces as separators between different arguments instead of as part of a single filename. Case sensitivity also matters because some systems treat uppercase and lowercase letters as different characters.

For example, a script designed to import "Sales Report.csv" might fail if the actual filename contains a space like "Sales Report.csv," forcing quotes or escape characters in the code. Similarly, an automation tool in a Linux environment processing "config.txt" will not recognize the file if it's mistakenly saved as "CONFIG.TXT," causing critical configuration failures in data pipeline setups. This is common in scheduled report generation or server batch processing tasks.

Good naming practices ensure reliability and prevent script breakdowns, promoting efficiency in tasks like automated backups or deployments. Restrictions exist mainly due to underlying system limitations and programming language parsing rules. Adopting consistent conventions—such as using underscores instead of spaces and sticking to lowercase letters—significantly reduces errors and simplifies script maintenance.