When multiple Word, docx, or doc files contain similar but not identical content, such as fixed-format English abbreviations, numbers, codes, etc., opening each file manually to delete them is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article explains how to use the "Find and Replace Keywords in Word" feature in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to perform fuzzy matching with regular expressions and leave the replacement content blank, thereby batch deleting specified pattern text from multiple Word files.
When organizing a large number of Word documents, you often encounter this problem: each file contains some keywords that need to be deleted, but the content is not exactly the same. For example, some places have three-letter uppercase English abbreviations, while others have numerical codes, credit hour numbers, code snippets, or other variable content. Manually opening each docx or doc file to find and delete them is not only inefficient but also prone to omissions.
Such scenarios are better suited for office software that supports batch file processing. Below, using " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " as an example, we demonstrate how to use regular expressions to batch fuzzy delete keywords across multiple Word files. In this article's example, we need to delete items like the three-letter uppercase BOT and numerical content like 60 from multiple Word files.
Applicable Scenarios
Using regular expressions to batch delete Word keywords is suitable for document cleanup tasks where "the content follows a pattern, but the specific text varies," such as:
- Batch deleting numbers, codes, years, amounts, etc., from Word, docx, and doc files;
- Batch deleting fixed-format English abbreviations, such as three-letter uppercase codes;
- Batch cleaning variable fields in contracts, course materials, and reports;
- Uniformly replacing a certain type of keyword in multiple Word documents with nothing to achieve batch deletion;
- Needing to process dozens or hundreds of Word files simultaneously, avoiding repetitive opening, finding, and deleting.
As long as the content to be deleted can be described with a regular expression, batch processing can be achieved through "fuzzy find + replace with empty."
Result Preview: Before and After Processing Comparison
Before Processing: Multiple Word files require unified cleanup
The example folder contains 6 Word documents, all with the docx extension. In actual use, if more Word files need processing, they can be batch-imported in the same way.
Opening one of the documents shows that the body text contains content that needs to be deleted. For example, the title starts with BOT, and the body contains the number 60. If this content is scattered across multiple files, manual deletion would be very tedious.
After Processing: Matched keywords are batch deleted
After processing, the content matching the original rules has been deleted. For example, three-letter uppercase words and numerical content are cleaned up, while the rest of the body text remains. This achieves regex-based fuzzy deletion across multiple Word files.
Operation Steps: Using Regular Expressions to Batch Fuzzy Delete Word Keywords
Step 1: Enter Word Tools and select "Find and Replace Keywords in Word"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select Word Tools on the left, then click "Find and Replace Keywords in Word" in the feature list. This function is used for batch finding and replacing keywords in Word file content, and it can also achieve batch deletion by "replacing content with nothing."
The purpose of selecting this feature is to have the software apply find-and-replace rules uniformly across multiple Word documents, rather than manually operating on files one by one.
Step 2: Add the Word files to be processed
After entering the function page, in Step 1 "Select records to process," you can import single or multiple Word documents via Add Files, or batch import documents from a specific folder via Import files from folder.
After importing, the list will display information such as file number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. In the example, six files, from 1.docx to 6.docx, have been imported, indicating that all these documents will participate in the subsequent batch processing.
After confirming the file list is correct, click Next at the bottom of the page to enter the processing option settings.
Step 3: Choose the fuzzy find method and input the regular expression
On the "Set Processing Options" page, you need to focus on setting the find method and the keyword list. Since the content to be deleted this time is not a fixed word but text that follows a certain pattern, choose Use formula for fuzzy text search as the find method.
Enter the regular expression in the List of keywords to find on the left. The example inputs two rules:
- [A-Z]{3}: Matches 3 consecutive uppercase English letters, e.g., BOT, ELA, etc.;
- \d+: Matches one or more digits, e.g., 60, 2026, 123, etc.
On the right is the List of keywords to replace with. The prompt in the screenshot says "Leaving it blank means deletion," so in this case, keep the replacement content on the right empty. This way, during batch processing, the software will replace the content matched by the left-side regular expression with nothing, effectively deleting that content.
After completing the settings, click Next to proceed to the save location settings and start the processing workflow.
Step 4: Set the save location and start batch processing
The page flow shows subsequent steps including Set save location and Start Processing. It is recommended to save the processed Word files to a new directory for easy distinction from the original files, and to facilitate spot-checking comparisons after completion.
After confirming the save location, enter the Start Processing step, allowing the software to automatically execute the same set of find-and-replace rules on the imported multiple Word, docx, or doc files. After processing is complete, open the output files to check the results and confirm that the keywords needing deletion have been cleaned up.
Regular Expression Setting Explanation
This example uses a "fuzzy find" approach, rather than precisely searching for a single fixed keyword. Common patterns include:
- [A-Z]{3}: Matches 3 consecutive uppercase letters;
- \d+: Matches consecutive digits;
- [A-Za-z]+: Matches consecutive English letters;
- \s+: Matches consecutive whitespace characters.
In actual use, rules should be carefully written according to the document content. The wider the regular expression's match range, the more content will be deleted; the more precise the range, the lower the risk of accidental deletion.
Common Issues and Precautions
1. Why does leaving the replacement list empty delete content?
Because the logic of find and replace is "after finding the content on the left, replace it with the content on the right." When nothing is entered on the right, the matched text is replaced with nothing, effectively deleting it from the Word document.
2. Will the regular expression accidentally delete other content?
It is possible. For instance, [A-Z]{3} will match all sequences of 3 consecutive uppercase letters, not just BOT. If the document also contains ELA, PDF, DOC, etc., they might also be matched. Therefore, it's recommended to back up the original files before processing, or test the rules on a small sample of documents first.
3. Can multiple types of content with different patterns be deleted simultaneously?
Yes. In the example, two rules, [A-Z]{3} and \d+, were entered in the keyword list to delete both three-letter uppercase words and numbers at the same time. To delete more types of content, simply continue adding rules line by line.
4. Can both doc and docx files be processed this way?
The screenshot examples in this article are for docx files. In actual batch processing, you can select the corresponding files based on the Word file types supported by the software's import list. For important doc and docx documents, it is recommended to make a copy before batch processing.
5. How to check the results after processing?
It is recommended to randomly open a few processed Word files from the output directory and compare key positions like titles, body text, and numbers to confirm that the regular expression only deleted the target content and did not affect other important text.
Summary
When multiple Word documents contain a large number of similar keywords that need deletion, using regular expressions for batch fuzzy deletion is far more efficient than manual, file-by-file searching. Through the "Find and Replace Keywords in Word" function of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you only need to import files, select the fuzzy find method, enter the regular expression, and leave the replace content empty to batch clean target text from multiple docx and doc files.
If you frequently need to organize Word materials, batch clean numbers, delete code abbreviations, or uniformly process document content, it is recommended to prepare test files first, validate the regex rules, and then execute in batches. This not only improves efficiency but also reduces the risk of accidental deletion.