When multiple Word documents contain similar but not identical content, manually opening each docx or doc file to find and delete is very time-consuming. With the help of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can use regular expressions to perform fuzzy text matching by rules, such as batch deleting three-letter uppercase abbreviations, numeric codes, and similar content. This article, combining before-and-after processing effects and software operation steps, demonstrates how to use the "Find and Replace Keywords in Word" function to batch clean target keywords from multiple Word files in one go.
When organizing a large number of Word documents, you often encounter a situation: the content to be deleted is not a specific word, but a type of text with a regular pattern. For example, recurring three-letter uppercase English abbreviations, numbers, serial numbers, codes, or class hours within the document. If you open docx or doc files one by one and manually use Word's built-in find function, it is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions.
This article introduces how to use the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to batch-delete keywords from multiple Word documents using regular expressions. The core idea is to use formulas to match rules to find target text and leave the replacement content empty, thereby achieving batch deletion.
Applicable Scenarios
Batch deleting Word keywords using regular expressions is suitable for processing text with obvious patterns but not completely identical content. Common scenarios include:
- Batch deleting English abbreviations in multiple Word files, such as three-letter uppercase combinations like BOT, ELA.
- Batch deleting numeric content in documents, such as 60, 2026, 001, and other consecutive numbers.
- Cleaning up serial numbers, codes, markers, or residual template fields in docx and doc documents.
- Executing the same set of find-and-replace rules on dozens or hundreds of Word files to reduce repetitive work.
As seen in the screenshot, this example requires processing multiple Word documents in the same folder, with filenames from 1.docx to 6.docx.
Effect Preview: Before and After Comparison
Before Processing: Regular keywords to be deleted exist in the document
In the Word content before processing, you can see "BOT" in the title position, and "ELA" and the number "60" in the body text. These contents are not always exactly the same, but they follow certain rules: for example, three-letter uppercase words can be matched with the regular expression [A-Z]{3}, and consecutive numbers can be matched with \d+.
After Processing: Matched keywords are batch-deleted
After processing, content like "BOT", "ELA", and "60" that matches the rules has been deleted from the original text. Since the post-replacement keyword list is empty in this case, the software directly removes the matched text, preserving the rest of the document.
Operation Steps
Step 1: Enter the Word tool and select the find and replace function
After opening " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", select "Word Tools" in the left category. Find and click "Find and Replace Keywords in Word" in the tool list. This function is used to batch find and replace keywords in Word file content, and can also achieve batch deletion by leaving the replacement content empty.
Purpose: Enter the function entry for batch processing Word content, preparing for adding docx, doc files and setting regular expression rules later.
Step 2: Add the Word documents to be processed
After entering the function page, the software will proceed to Step 1, "Select records to be processed". You can click "Add File" to select Word documents individually, or click "Import Files from Folder" to import multiple Word files from a folder at once.
As seen in the screenshot, 6 docx files have been imported, and the list displays the file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. After confirming the files are correct, click "Next" at the bottom.
Purpose: Add the Word files from which keywords need to be batch-deleted to the processing list. The expected result is that all documents to be processed appear in the file list, showing the record count.
Step 3: Select "Use formula to find text fuzzily"
After entering Step 2, "Set processing options", select "Use formula to find text fuzzily" in the "Find method". "Formula" here can be understood as finding text by rules, i.e., fuzzy matching using syntax similar to regular expressions.
In this example, two keyword rules to find are set:
- [A-Z]{3}: Match three consecutive uppercase English letters, e.g., BOT, ELA.
- \d+: Match one or more consecutive numbers, e.g., 60.
The "Post-replacement keyword list" on the right is empty, and the interface prompts "Leaving blank means delete". Therefore, this operation does not replace keywords with other text but directly deletes the matched content.
Purpose: Batch match a type of text using regular expressions, rather than finding just one fixed word. The expected result is that all content matching the rules will be identified as objects to be processed.
Step 4: Continue setting the save location and start processing
After completing the keyword rule settings, click "Next". According to the progress steps at the top of the page, you will then proceed to "Set save location" and "Start processing". It is recommended to save the processed files to a new folder for easy distinction from the original Word documents and convenient result verification.
Purpose: Determine the output location for the processed docx or doc files and execute the batch find-and-replace task. The expected result is that the software automatically traverses the multiple added Word documents, deleting all keywords that match the regular expressions.
Regular Expression Rule Explanation
When batch-deleting Word keywords, the way the regular expression is written determines the scope of deletion. The more precise the rule, the more controllable the processing result.
- [A-Z]{3} means match three consecutive uppercase letters. If the document contains BOT, ELA, ABC, etc., they will all be matched.
- \d+ means match consecutive numbers. If the document contains 60, 2026, 12345, etc., they will all be matched.
- If you only want to delete a certain type of serial number, it is recommended to test the rule on a small number of documents first before batch processing all files.
Note that regular expressions match by rules. If the rule is set too broadly, it might delete content you don't want removed. For example, [A-Z]{3} will match all three-letter uppercase English combinations, not just one specific abbreviation.
Common Questions and Notes
1. Why can the replacement keyword list be empty?
In this function, the "Post-replacement keyword list" on the right has a prompt: "Leaving blank means delete". This means if you only fill in the keyword rules to find on the left and leave the replacement content on the right empty, the software will delete the matched text.
2. Is it suitable for batch processing doc and docx files?
This function belongs to the batch find and replace feature in Word Tools and is suitable for processing Word document content. From the screenshot example, docx files are imported; if actual work involves both doc, docx, and other Word format files, you can import them for processing based on the software's support when adding files.
3. What should be noted before using regular expressions to delete content?
It is recommended to back up the original files first, or save the processing results to a new location. Regular expressions match text based on rules; once the rule's coverage is large, more content might be deleted. For important documents, it's advisable to test with a small number of sample documents first.
4. Why are spaces, brackets, or hyphens left behind after deletion?
This example deletes the matched keywords themselves, such as BOT, ELA, 60. Spaces, brackets, hyphens, etc. around the keywords are usually retained if they are not written into the rule. If you want to delete them along with the symbols, you need to further adjust the matching rules based on the document content.
Summary
Using " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " can turn the work of opening Word documents one by one to find and delete content into a one-time batch process. For patterned keywords, numbers, serial numbers, or English abbreviations in multiple docx or doc files, using regular expressions for fuzzy finding and leaving the replacement content empty can quickly complete batch deletion.
If you often need to organize a large number of Word files, it is recommended to prioritize using batch processing tools to establish unified rules and then execute operations centrally. This not only reduces repetitive work but also lowers the probability of manual omissions and operational errors.