This article is aimed at office users who need to modify Word content in batches. It explains how to replace similar keywords in multiple Word, docx and doc documents with specified content at one time through regular expression wildcard formula. Article HeSoft Doc Batch Tool This operation example shows the complete process from entering the Word tool, importing files, selecting formulas to fuzzy text search, and filling in [A-Z]{3} and \d rules. The actual effect is explained by combining screenshots before and after processing to help users quickly master batch replacement methods.
Many Word batch modification tasks do not simply replace one word with another, but to process a kind of text that conforms to the law in a unified way. For example, there are many three-digit English capital abbreviations in the document, many numeric numbers, or placeholders in similar formats in different documents. If you replace it with a common search, you need to list each keyword; if the number of files is large, the workload will increase rapidly.
This article describes a more efficient way to use a regular expression wildcard formula to batch replace many keywords in Word. By HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can import multiple docx or doc files at a time, use formulas to find text in the search rules, and replace the content that meets the conditions with the specified results. In the example, the software replaces three consecutive capital letters with A and consecutive numbers with B, thus demonstrating the practical application of regular expressions in Word batch replacement.
Applicable scenarios: a class of keywords than fixed keywords are more suitable for regular
in office document processing, keywords are not always fixed. Although some content has different specific values, the format is highly consistent. The value of regular expressions is to match according to the law, rather than relying on a certain word.
1. Batch replace English abbreviations
for example, English abbreviations such as BOT, ELA and BUD will appear in some teaching materials, scientific research documents or business instructions. If these abbreviations need to be replaced with a placeholder or a new way of writing, you can consider using the rule of [A-Z]{3} to match three consecutive uppercase English letters.
2. Batch replace digital content
numbers often appear in contracts, course descriptions, and project documents, such as class hours, numbers, page numbers, serial numbers, years, etc. To uniformly replace consecutive numbers with a token, you can use \d. Formula matching is more flexible than manually entering numbers such as 1, 2, 60, and 2026.
3. Batch processing multiple Word templates
when there are multiple Word templates in a folder, and each document has similar placeholder information, opening one by one will waste a lot of time. Using the batch processing function of office software, the replacement task of multi-file and multi-rule can be completed centrally.
4. Batch clean up docx or doc files in the old content
.If you need to clean up the old numbers, old codes, and old classification names, you can also locate the content first through rules, and then uniformly replace or delete it. This is particularly efficient for uniform-format packages.
Effect Preview: Batch Replacement Before and After Word Content Comparison
BeforeProcessing: Multiple Word Files Waiting for Processing
before processing, there are 6 docx files in the folder: 1.docx, 2.docx, 3.docx, 4.docx, 5.docx, 6.docx. They are the processing objects of this batch replacement task.
open one of the Word files and you can see that there are abbreviations and numbers in the body of the document. For example, BOT appears in the title, ELA and 60 appear in the body. The red arrow in the screenshot indicates typical content that needs to be processed.
if only one document is processed, manual modification is acceptable. However, when multiple Word files need to be replaced with the same kind, manual opening, searching, replacing and saving will become repetitive work, and it is not easy to ensure that each file is processed consistently.
After processing: conforming regular rule content has been replaced
the processed screenshot shows that the content that originally met the rule was replaced with the new character. Three consecutive uppercase letters are replaced with A, and consecutive numbers are replaced with B. The yellow highlight in the figure shows the result of the replacement, making it easy to see the changes visually.
it can be seen from the results that the regular expression batch replacement does not mechanically replace a certain word, but identifies the content according to the rules. As long as the text conforms to the set rules, it will be replaced with the corresponding result on the right.
Operation steps: use regular expressions to batch replace Word keywords
.step 1: open the software and enter the Word tool
open first. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . The left side of the interface provides multiple tools, including Word tools, Excel tools, PowerPoint tools, PDF tools, etc. Since the object of this processing is a Word document, the Word tool is selected.
In the Word tools feature list, select Find and replace keywords in Word. This function is used to find and replace keywords in Word file content in batch, and is suitable for this multi-document content unified modification task.
after entering this function, the software will guide the completion of the task in a step-by-step process, reducing the operation complexity of batch processing.
Step 2: Add or import the need to process the Word file
after entering the find and replace page, the first step is to select the records that need to be processed. At the top of the page, you can see buttons for Add File, Import File from Folder, Empty, More, and more. In the example, six docx files have been added to the list.
the file list contains information such as the name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. The purpose of checking this information is to confirm whether the pending file is correct. If you accidentally import files that do not need to be processed, you can remove them in the operation column. If the number of files is insufficient, you can continue to add or import from the folder.
After confirming that the list is correct, click Next. At this time, the task will enter the process of setting processing options, that is, setting specific search and replace rules.
Step 3: Select Use Formula Fuzzy Find Text
in the Set keyword option, there are two options for Find by: Find text exactly and Find text with formula blur. This article uses a regular expression wildcard formula, so you should choose to use the formula to find the text.
this is crucial. If you select precise search text, the software will search according to the fixed content entered; if you select the formula fuzzy search text, the software will match a class of content according to the formula rules. When dealing with English abbreviations, numbers, numbers and other regular texts, priority should be given to fuzzy search of formulas.
Step 4: Set the keyword list
in the list of keywords to find on the left, enter the regular expression rule to match. Two lines are used in the screenshot:
- [A-Z]{3}
- \d
[A-Z]{3} indicates matching three consecutive uppercase English letters, which is suitable for BOT, ELA, and other content in the example. \d means to match consecutive numbers, which is suitable for digital content such as 60 in the example.
In actual use, you can adjust the rules according to the content of the document. For example, if you only deal with a certain number format, you need to write more accurately; if you just demonstrate or replace the placeholder in batches, simple rules will meet the needs.
Step 5: Set the replaced keyword list
in the keyword list on the right, enter the replacement result. In the screenshot, enter A in line 1 and B in line 2. This means that the content matched by the first rule is replaced with A, and the content matched by the second rule is replaced with B.
The line number correspondence of the left and right lists is very important. Do not write the replacement value on the wrong line, and do not miss the replacement content of a line. The interface also prompts that if you do not fill in, it means delete. Therefore, if you only want to replace but not delete, you should fill in a clear replacement text on the right.
Step 6: According to the process to set the save location and start processing
after completing the rule setup, click Next. According to the process at the top of the page, the next step is to set the save location and start processing. In practice, you should select the appropriate save location before you execute the batch task.
For important Word files, it is recommended not to overwrite the original directly. You can create a new output folder and save the processed docx or doc files there. This makes it easy to compare the results before and after the treatment, and it is also convenient to readjust when the rules are not appropriate.
Frequently asked questions or considerations
.1. Regular rules may match more than expected
for example, [A-Z]{3} matches all three consecutive uppercase letters. If there are many English abbreviations in the document, some of which do not want to replace, you need more precise rules, or narrow the scope of the file to test first.
2. Number matching should be especially cautious
\d matches consecutive numbers, including body numbers, numbered numbers, page numbers, and so on. If there are many types of numbers in the document, it is recommended to open the processed sample file for verification to ensure that the replacement result does not affect the content that should not be processed.
3. Process copies before processing official documents
batch replacement involves multiple files. If the rule is set incorrectly, the impact will be large. It is safe to copy a copy of the original file first, or save the results to a new directory. After confirming that the effect is correct, the result is used for formal filing.
4. Pay attention to case-related settings
the option to ignore the case of letters is available in the interface. When working with English abbreviations, ignoring case affects the matching range. Set this option carefully if you only want to match uppercase content.
5. Batching complex tasks is easier to check
.If there are many rules to replace, it is not recommended to write a large number of formulas at once. You can process one or two rules first, and then process subsequent rules after checking the results. In this way, even if there is a problem, it is easier to locate which formula is causing it.
Summary: Put Repeated Word Replacement Work to Batch Processing Tool
use regular expression wildcard formula to replace Word keywords in batch, you can dispose of regular content in multiple documents at one time. Compared with opening docx and doc files one by one to find and replace manually, this method is more suitable for office tasks with large number, unified rules and strong repeatability.
HeSoft Doc Batch Tool The ability to import files, set rules, save results, and start processing is integrated into a clear process through the Find and Replace Keywords in Word tool. For users who need to modify English abbreviations, number numbers, and template placeholders in batches, it is recommended to test regular expressions with a small number of files before batch processing of complete folders. This can not only reduce duplication of effort, but also make Word document processing more standardized and efficient.