This article describes how to use the Word batch search and replace function in office software, fuzzy matching of keywords in multiple docx and doc documents through regular expressions, and leaving the replacement content blank to achieve batch deletion. It is suitable for processing repeated contents such as fixed format numbers, English abbreviations, numbers, sensitive fields, etc. in documents, avoiding manual search and deletion by opening Word one by one, and improving batch file sorting efficiency.
When sorting out a large number of Word documents, we often encounter such a situation: multiple docx or doc files contain some contents that need to be deleted, but these contents are not exactly the same, such as three capital English abbreviations, consecutive numbers, numbers, codes, course logos, etc. If you open Word documents one by one and manually search and delete them everywhere, it is not only time-consuming, but also easy to miss and delete.
This article takes "using regular expressions to batch fuzzy delete many keywords in Word" as an example, and introduces how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool This kind of office software, multiple Word files for batch search and replacement. You can delete matched content in bulk by selecting Find Text with Formula Blur, entering rules like [A-Z]{3}, \d, and leaving the replacement blank.
Application scenario: Which Word content is suitable for batch deletion with regular expressions
regular expressions are suitable for Word keyword deletion tasks that handle "content is regular, but specific text is not fixed. Compared with ordinary search for a fixed word, regular expressions can match a type of content at a time, so it is more suitable for batch office scenarios.
- Batch delete continuous numbers in multiple Word documents, such as student numbers, numbers, serial numbers within pages, duration numbers, etc.
- Batch delete fixed-length uppercase English abbreviations, such as three-digit course code, department code, label code, etc.
- Batch delete keywords with similar formats but different contents in docx and doc files.
- Remove sensitive information, residual fields of templates, or identifiers that do not need to be displayed in documents in batches.
- Batch process multiple Word files in a folder to reduce repeated opening, finding, deleting, and saving operations.
The sample file in the screenshot has 6 Word documents with file names from 1.docx to 6.docx. Some English abbreviations and numbers in these documents need to be blurred and deleted.
Effect preview: Word content changes before and after processing
before processing: multiple docx files need to clean up keywords uniformly
before processing, the folder contains multiple Word documents, and the keyword deletion operation needs to be performed on these docx files. If the processing is opened one by one, the greater the number of files, the more obvious the duplication of labor.
Open one of the Word documents and you can see that there is something in the body that needs to be deleted. For example, at the beginning of the title BOT, and the numbers in the body 60 such contents belong to the objects to be cleaned up this time.
After processing: the matched abbreviations and numbers are deleted in batches
after the processing is completed, open the Word document again for inspection, and you can see that the three uppercase English abbreviations in the original title have been deleted, and the matching numbers in the text have also been deleted. In other words, the software does not only delete a fixed word, but searches and deletes content that meets the conditions in batches according to regular expression rules.
This method is especially suitable for batch processing of regular text in a large number of Word files, such as "all consecutive numbers" "all three capital letters" "some kind of numbering format" and so on.
Steps: Use regular expressions to batch fuzzy delete Word keywords
step 1: Enter the Word tool and select the Find Replace function
open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select on the left Word Tools. Locate and click in the list of tools "Find and replace keywords in Word". This function is used to find and replace keywords in Word file content in batch, and can also be deleted in batch by "replace with empty.
The purpose of this step is to enter the Word content batch processing function module. For tasks that require bulk deletion of keywords in docx and doc documents, you should select the tool related to "Find Replace Word Keywords" instead of the file name, folder name, or PDF tool.
Step 2: Add Word files that need to be processed in batches
after entering the function page, in step 1 "Select records to process", click "Add File", add the Word document that needs to be processed to the list. If the files are concentrated in the same folder, you can also use "Import a file from a folder".
After the file is added, the file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time are displayed in the list. Six docx files have been imported in the screenshot, indicating that these files will participate in subsequent batch search and replacement. After confirming that the file is correct, click at the bottom. "The Next Step" enter the processing options settings.
Step 3: Select "Use formula blur to find text"
in step 2 "Set Processing Options" in, find "Find". If you just delete fixed text, you can use exact lookup; however, the goal of this article is to batch fuzzy delete a class of keywords, so you need to select "Use formula blur to find text".
The "formula fuzzy search text" here can be understood as using regular expression rules for matching. It is suitable for finding content that is not identical but has a common law. For example, two rules are used in the screenshot:
- [A-Z]{3}: Matches three consecutive uppercase letters, such as BOT.
- \d: Matches consecutive numbers, such as 60, 100, 2026, etc.
These rules are filled in on the left "List of keywords to find" in. The software will follow the rules in the list to find matches in batches in multiple imported Word files.
Step 4: Leave the replaced keyword list blank to achieve the deletion effect
on the right "List of keywords after replacement" area, interface prompt "If not filled in, delete". Therefore, if the goal is to delete the matching keyword instead of replacing it with other text, do not fill in the replacement content.
This step is very critical: the left side is responsible for telling the software "what to look for", and the right side is empty, which means "delete after finding". For example:
- fill in [A-Z]{3} on the left and blank on the right: Delete all matching three uppercase English abbreviations.
- Fill in \d on the left and blank on the right: delete all matched consecutive numbers.
When the settings are complete, click "The Next Step". Then follow the page flow to continue to set the save location and start processing. After the processing is completed, you can go to the output location to check the Word documents after batch deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions and Precautions
1. Why use regular expressions instead of ordinary searches?
Normal lookup is suitable for deleting exactly the same fixed text, such as "test text" in every document ". However, if you want to delete a type of content, such as all numbers, all three capital letters, and some numbering format, ordinary search is not efficient enough. Regular expressions can be matched by rules, suitable for batch fuzzy delete Word keywords.
2. Will the entire text be deleted if the replacement content is left blank?
It won't. When the replacement list is left blank, the software deletes the part of the content that the regular expression matches. For example, \d only matches consecutive numbers and usually does not delete text other than numbers. However, if the regular expression is written too wide, it may match more than expected, so it is recommended to test with a small number of files first.
3. What do I need to pay attention to when dealing with doc and docx files?
The screenshot in this article is a docx file. In actual processing, it is recommended to confirm whether the Word file format to be processed is within the current functional support range of the software, and try to use backup files for the first test. Keeping copies of original documents before batch processing is a safer office practice.
4. Does the case of regular expressions affect the matching results?
Will. In the screenshot, [A-Z]{3} indicates that three consecutive uppercase letters are matched, and lowercase letters are not matched. If you need to handle different cases, you should adjust the expression according to the actual rules. The interface also provides "Ignore the case of letters" option, which can be checked according to the cleaning requirements.
5. How to check before batch deletion?
It is recommended to select 1 to 2 Word files for testing, confirm that the deletion effect is in line with expectations, and then batch process the entire folder. Especially when using rules such as \d, it will match all consecutive numbers. If there are still page numbers, years, and numbers that need to be retained in the document, you need to set rules carefully.
Summary: Batch processing of Word with office software to reduce duplication and deletion
using regular expressions to batch fuzzy delete keywords in Word can convert the repeated work that originally needed to be opened one by one, searched one by one, and deleted one by one into one-time batch processing. For office scenarios that contain a large number of docx and doc files, this method can significantly save time and reduce the risk of manual deletion.
If you have a fixed pattern of numbers, abbreviations, numbers, or sensitive fields in your Word document, you can use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool in "Find and replace keywords in Word" function, select the formula fuzzy find text, fill in the regular expression, and leave the replacement content blank to complete the batch deletion. It is recommended to use a small number of file validation rules before performing batch processing on all Word files.