When a folder contains a large number of Excel spreadsheets that need to be converted into txt text files uniformly, opening and saving them one by one is very time-consuming and prone to missing files. This article takes HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to introduce how to use the "Excel to Txt" feature in office software to import multiple xlsx spreadsheet files at once and batch generate txt text files with the same name. It is suitable for scenarios such as data archiving, system import, cross-platform reading, and batch organization.
In daily office work, Excel spreadsheets are often used to store sales data, product lists, employee attendance records, financial statements, customer information, and other content. However, in some scenarios involving data exchange, system import, text archiving, or script reading, the xlsx format is not the most convenient format, and many systems prefer to receive txt text files. If there are only one or two files, manually opening Excel and saving them in text format is acceptable; but when a folder contains dozens or hundreds of Excel files, repeated opening, format selection, saving, and closing not only wastes time but also easily leads to problems such as missed conversions, naming confusion, and incorrect save locations.
This article aims to solve the problem of "batch converting many Excel spreadsheet files into txt text format." The following, combined with screenshots, will demonstrate how to use office software like HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to complete batch Excel to TXT conversion. Its positioning is not merely document viewing but a tool oriented towards batch file processing, reducing repetitive tasks, and improving office efficiency, suitable for people who frequently need to process files such as xlsx, xls, docx, pdf, images, and texts.
Applicable Scenarios: When do you need to batch convert Excel to TXT
Excel to txt conversion seems like a simple format conversion requirement, but it is very common in actual work. Especially when spreadsheet files come from different departments, projects, or dates, if you still rely on manual one-by-one conversion, efficiency will be dragged down by a lot of repetitive operations.
The first type of scenario is data import. Many business systems, legacy management software, ERP interfaces, financial systems, or internal tools require uploading text-based files like txt or csv. If the original data is saved in xlsx spreadsheet format, you need to convert the Excel files to txt first before subsequent import.
The second type of scenario is data archiving. Compared to Excel files, txt text files have a simpler structure, usually take up less space, and are easier to search, index, and preserve long-term. For materials that only need to retain tabular content without complex formats, formulas, or styles, converting to txt facilitates subsequent retrieval.
The third type of scenario is batch delivery. For example, a project team needs to uniformly hand over multiple Excel reports to developers, data processors, or third-party platforms, and the recipient requires text format. In this case, if you can convert files like Sales Data.xlsx, Product List.xlsx, Employee Attendance.xlsx, etc., into corresponding txt files in one go, it can significantly reduce communication and organization costs.
The fourth type of scenario is automated processing. Text files are easier to read by scripts, batch processing programs, and data cleaning tools. After batch converting Excel to txt, you can continue with operations like content extraction, merging, comparison, and database import.
Effect Preview: Multiple Excel files before processing, resulting in same-name TXT text files after processing
Before Processing: Multiple xlsx spreadsheets saved in a folder
From the screenshot before processing, you can see multiple Excel spreadsheet files on the desktop or in a folder, such as Sales Data.xlsx, Product List.xlsx, Employee Attendance.xlsx, Financial Report.xlsx, Project Progress.xlsx, Order History.xlsx, Training Plan.xlsx, Customer Info.xlsx, etc. These file formats are all xlsx, and the icons also display as Excel spreadsheet types.
If using the traditional method, you would need to open each Excel file sequentially, then choose to save as txt, and confirm the save location. The more files there are, the more obvious the repetitive operation becomes; once interrupted midway, you also need to re-check which files have been converted and which have not.
After Processing: Corresponding txt text files generated
In the screenshot after processing, the original batch of Excel files has been converted into txt text files. It can be seen that the file names basically maintain a corresponding relationship, such as Customer Info.txt, Employee Attendance.txt, Financial Report.txt, Order History.txt, Product List.txt, Project Progress.txt, Sales Data.txt, Training Plan.txt, etc. This means that after batch conversion, users can quickly identify the conversion results based on the original file names, without needing to manually rename them.
This kind of result is very suitable for batch organization and subsequent delivery: the original files are Excel, the target files are txt, the naming is clear, and the quantity corresponds, which can reduce the cost of manual confirmation.
Operating Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch convert Excel to TXT
The following explains the complete operating process according to the screenshot order. As interface details may vary slightly between different versions, please refer to the actual software interface during use. The example software in this article is HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and the product name and version information can be seen in the top left corner of the screenshots.
Step 1: Enter the Excel Tools category and find "Excel to Txt"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see multiple function categories in the left navigation bar, such as Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc. Because the files to be processed this time are Excel spreadsheet files, you need to click "Excel Tools" on the left first.
After entering the Excel Tools page, the right side will display a series of batch processing functions related to Excel, such as Excel to JPG images, Excel to Docx, Excel to PDF, Excel to Csv, Excel to Xls, Excel to Xlsx, etc. In the screenshot, the target function is the 16th item "Excel to Txt," with the function description being batch conversion of Excel files to Txt format.
The purpose of this step is to tell the software the target format for this batch processing task: converting Excel files into txt text. After selecting the correct function, the subsequently imported spreadsheet files will be output in txt format.
Step 2: Enter the conversion page and add the Excel files to be processed
After clicking "Excel to Txt," you will enter the corresponding processing page. The top of the page shows the current function name "Excel to Txt," and there is a "Back to Main Panel" button on the left, indicating that if you selected the wrong function or need to go back, you can return to the main interface to re-select.
At the top of the conversion page, you can see two main import entries: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder." If you only need to convert a few specified Excel spreadsheets, you can click "Add Files" and manually select these xlsx files; if you want to convert all or a large number of Excel files in a certain folder, it is more recommended to use "Import Files from Folder," which can reduce the operation of selecting them one by one.
The screenshot shows that 8 records have been imported. The file list displays information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and operations. In the name column, you can see files like Customer Info.xlsx, Employee Attendance.xlsx, Financial Report.xlsx, Order History.xlsx, Product List.xlsx, Project Progress.xlsx, Sales Data.xlsx, Training Plan.xlsx; the extension column shows xlsx, indicating that these pending objects are all Excel spreadsheet files.
The expected result of this step is to get all the Excel files that need to be converted into the task list. After importing, it is recommended to check if the quantity and file names are correct first. The bottom of the screenshot shows "Record Count: 8," which can be used to verify if any files are missing.
Step 3: Check the task list, delete or clear if necessary
The most important thing in batch processing is to check the file list first. Because the software will process uniformly according to the files in the task list, if spreadsheets that do not need to be converted are accidentally added, corresponding txt files will also be generated eventually. Therefore, before clicking the next step, it is recommended to check the file name, extension, and path of each row.
In the "Operations" column on the right side of the list, you can see a delete icon for removing a specific record. There is also a "Clear" button at the top of the page. If you find that the imported folder is wrong, or you need to re-select files, you can clear the current list first and then re-import via "Add Files" or "Import Files from Folder."
The purpose of this step is to ensure that the input files for batch Excel to txt conversion are accurate. Especially when there are test files, old version files, or temporary files mixed in the same directory, checking the list before processing can avoid subsequent rework.
Step 4: Click "Next" to enter the save location settings
After confirming the list is correct, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. From the interface progress bar, you can see that the current process includes three stages: "Select records to process," "Set save location," and "Start processing." In the screenshot, it is currently staying at step 1. Clicking "Next" will lead to step 2, which is setting the save location for the converted txt files.
The setting of the save location is very critical. It is recommended to choose an easily identifiable output directory based on actual work habits, such as creating a new "TXT Conversion Results" folder, or establishing a dedicated results directory next to the original Excel folder. This can prevent the original xlsx files and the generated txt files from getting mixed up, making subsequent searching, compression, sending, or system import clearer.
The expected result of this step is to determine the storage location for all conversion results. Do not arbitrarily choose a temporary directory during batch processing, otherwise, you might need to search for the files again after completion, affecting efficiency.
Step 5: Start processing and check the output results
After completing the save location setting, proceed to "Start processing" according to the interface flow. The software will execute the task of batch converting Excel to Txt based on the list of Excel files imported earlier. After the conversion is complete, open the save directory, and you can see the txt files corresponding to the original files.
After processing is complete, it is recommended to perform three checks: First, check if the number of txt files is consistent with the record count in the task list; for example, in this case, 8 xlsx files were imported, so you should get 8 txt files after processing. Second, check if the file names correspond one-to-one with the original Excel files to facilitate confirmation that there is no confusion. Third, randomly open a few txt files to confirm that the content can be read normally, meeting the requirements for subsequent system import or text archiving.
Common Questions and Precautions
1. Can both xlsx and xls files be processed using this approach?
The example files in the screenshots for this article have the extension xlsx, and the function displayed on the operation page is "Excel to Txt." For Excel spreadsheet files, common extensions include xlsx, xls, etc. In actual processing, the recognizable file types should be based on what the software import list can identify. If files are older or in special formats, it is recommended to test with a small number first before batch processing all files.
2. After converting to txt, will the colors, formulas, and cell styles from Excel be preserved?
txt is a plain text format, focusing on saving text content rather than preserving spreadsheet styles. Therefore, font colors, borders, cell background colors, and the display of complex formulas in Excel are generally not suitable as core preservation objects for txt. If your goal is to preserve layout and visual effects, PDF or image formats might be more suitable; if your goal is to export text content for easy reading and importing, then txt is more appropriate.
3. Why should you back up the original Excel files before batch conversion?
Although the conversion process usually generates new files and does not directly alter the original xlsx files, retaining backups of the original files is still a good habit when batch processing office files. Especially for important files like financial statements, customer data, and attendance records, it's recommended to first copy a portion to a test directory, confirm the conversion results meet requirements, and then perform batch processing on the official files.
4. How to avoid missing selections when there are many files?
If files are concentrated in the same folder, it is recommended to prioritize using "Import Files from Folder," which is less likely to miss files compared to clicking "Add Files" one by one. After importing, check the record count at the bottom and the file names in the list to confirm the quantity meets expectations.
Summary: Use batch processing tools to reduce repetitive conversion and improve Excel to TXT efficiency
Batch converting Excel spreadsheets to txt text essentially reduces repetitive work. The operations that previously required opening files one by one and saving them individually can now be completed centrally through the "Excel to Txt" function in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . For folders containing a large number of xlsx spreadsheets, this method can significantly save time and reduce the risk of missed conversions, incorrect saving, and naming confusion.
If you are processing multiple Excel files like sales data, product lists, customer information, attendance records, and financial statements, and need to output them uniformly in txt text format, it is recommended to follow the steps in this article: enter Excel Tools, select "Excel to Txt," batch import files, check the list, set the save location, and then start processing. This ensures a clear process and makes file conversion work more suitable for large-scale office scenarios.