I want my project number, revision letter, and project name in directory names and filenames so every generated file (gerber…) has all this info. So I have a directory like 123-4567-B-Project-Name, which has the four main files also named 123-4567-B-Project-Name.kicad_pro/kicad_sch/.kicad_pcb/kicad_prl
(an aside question: what is the purpose of the prl file, and why do I sometimes see an xml file added, and what is the point of fp-info-cache? K, I guess that was three questions).
I use kicad text variables to great advantage for defining things as well.
As an example to generate a new revision C of a board I do this:
- open 123-4567-B-Project-Name
- in project manager, File/Save-As “123-4567-C-Project-Name” (this creates new rev C dir, copies files and renames them with rev C embedded).
- need some manual file system tidy-up (delete old rev-B xxx-backups dir, rename and empty my xxx-FAB, xxx-ASSY, and OUTPUTS dirs, where I move gerbers, pdfs and other output files – this is just my convention)
- from either File/Schematic-Setup (sch editor) or File/Board-Setup (pcb) edit Text-Variables to change revision letter.
- start tweaking my board.
I use Text-Variables to populate my custom schematic title block, text on copper layers, and text on silkscreen. Example variables:
“COMPANY”: “Acme Dynamite Works”,
“PCB-TITLE”: “Project-Name”
“PCB-NUM”: “123-4567”
“PCB-REV”: “C”
“FAB-DIR”: “123-4567-C-FAB/”
Easy to define text variables – you can do what works for you.
I use a custom schematic title block that uses the vars populated from Page-Settings:
(Note: it would REALLY be nice to add date-printed in title block)
In schematic File/Page-Settings I use my text vars to populate the title block appropriately (pcb page settings can be same or different as you like, but I never print title block from pcb):
I also use text-vars on silk – here set silk rev text to ${ASSY-NUM}-${PCB-REV} (plus a little box for sharpie note):
And I also use text vars on copper layers:
All on top of each other here:

and if I pull them out they look like this (reading properly for the fab folks to make no stackup mistakes):
Anyway, fwiw that is how I have set things up – probably better ways, but I am happy with my kicad setup.