This article is intended for office users who need to batch process electronic invoices, contracts, bills, and other PDF files, and introduces how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to convert multiple ordinary PDFs into the ZUGFeRD standard format at once. The article, combined with screenshots of the software interface, explains the complete workflow from entering the PDF tool, selecting the conversion function, batch importing files, choosing the ZUGFeRD version, to saving and starting the process, helping users reduce repetitive clicks and manual conversion time, suitable for scenarios such as finance, administration, procurement, cross-border business, and archive management.
In financial reimbursements, electronic invoice archiving, supplier bill management, and cross-border business data exchange, PDF files often need to meet specific standard formats. Especially when it comes to electronic invoice data exchange, many teams encounter a practical problem: they have a large number of ordinary PDF files that need to be uniformly converted to the ZUGFeRD standard format. If you open and process PDFs one by one, it is not only time-consuming but also prone to rework due to missed files, inconsistent version selection, or chaotic save paths.
This article addresses exactly this issue: how to use the batch processing capabilities in office software to convert many PDF files to the ZUGFeRD standard format at once. The software in the screenshots is " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", which is positioned as a document batch processing software for office scenarios, suitable for handling tasks with PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and other file types. Following the order of screenshots, this article will clearly explain the operation method from entering the function entry point to selecting the ZUGFeRD version, and illustrate the purpose of each step and the expected results after processing.
Applicable Scenarios: When is it suitable to batch convert PDFs to ZUGFeRD
Batch converting PDFs to ZUGFeRD is not only suitable for technical staff; many daily office roles encounter similar needs. As long as your work involves unifying PDF standards, organizing electronic invoice files, or batch archiving PDFs, you can consider using this method to reduce repetitive labor.
Common scenarios include: the finance department needs to unify multiple PDF invoice files sent by suppliers into the ZUGFeRD standard format; administration or procurement departments need to standardize and archive contracts, bills, and invoice attachments; cross-border business teams need to submit PDFs that meet specific electronic invoice standards as required by partners; archive management personnel need to uniformly convert historical PDF files into versions convenient for subsequent management and exchange.
Compared with manual individual processing, the value of using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool lies in: importing multiple PDF files at once, uniformly selecting the target version, uniformly setting the save location, and then batch executing. This reduces repetitive clicking and also lowers the risk of inconsistent processing parameters across different files.
Effect Preview: What changes before and after processing
Before Processing: Multiple ordinary PDFs scattered in a folder
Before processing, you might have a batch of files with the .pdf extension, such as electronic invoices, contracts, bills, instruction documents, etc. These PDF files may come from different suppliers or different business systems, and their formats may not be unified. The file list in the screenshot shows that the software has imported multiple PDF files and displays information like file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time, making it easy to check whether the correct files were selected before processing.
After Processing: Output as ZUGFeRD standard format PDF
After processing, the goal is to uniformly convert these PDF files into the ZUGFeRD standard format. That is to say, PDFs that originally needed to be converted individually can now be standardized through a single batch task. For subsequent archiving, transmission, auditing, or system import, a unified format is easier to manage. It should be noted that after processing is complete, it is recommended to open a few output files for spot-checking to confirm the files can open normally and that the business system or recipient can recognize the target format.
Operational Steps: Batch convert PDF files to ZUGFeRD standard format
Step 1: Enter PDF Tools and select "PDF Convert to Other Versions of PDF"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first find "PDF Tools" in the left navigation bar. As seen in the screenshot, the software's left side has categories like Home, Task Flow, All Tools, File Name, Folder Name, File Organizer, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. After selecting "PDF Tools", the main area will display various PDF batch processing functions.
Find the feature card for "PDF Convert to Other Versions of PDF". In the screenshot, this function is located in the PDF tools list, with the description "Batch convert PDF files to other versions of PDF". Clicking this function will enter the corresponding batch conversion process.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct processing entry point. Since ZUGFeRD is one of the target versions selected within the "Convert to Other Versions of PDF" function, do not choose other functions like PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, PDF to JPG. Only after selecting the correct entry point can you see ZUGFeRD in the version options later.
Step 2: Add the PDF files to be converted
After entering the "PDF Convert to Other Versions of PDF" function, the current function name will be displayed at the top of the interface, and you will enter a step-by-step processing flow. In the screenshot, Step 1 is "Select records to process", with buttons like "Add Files", "Import Files from Folder", "Clear", and "More" available on the upper right.
If you only need to process a small number of specific PDFs, you can click "Add Files" to add the PDF files needing conversion to the list. If your PDF files are centrally stored in a folder, you can click "Import Files from Folder" to import the files from the folder at once. After importing, the list will display information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time.
The purpose of this step is to confirm which PDFs will participate in the batch conversion. The screenshot shows that 4 PDF files have been imported, including human-exploration.pdf, Learn_English_in_an_easy_fast_and_fun_way.pdf, learning-tips.pdf, and SampleContract-Shuttle.pdf. The "Summary" area at the bottom shows the record count is 4, indicating that the current batch task will process 4 files. Before processing, it is recommended to check the file names and paths to avoid adding PDFs that should not be converted to the task. If you find a file that should not be processed, you can use the delete icon on the right side of the list to remove it; if all selections are wrong, use "Clear" to re-import.
Step 3: Click "Next" to enter processing option settings
After confirming the file list is correct, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the interface. The software will proceed to Step 2, "Set processing options". From the screenshot, you can see the top progress bar includes "Select records to process", "Set processing options", "Set save location", and "Start processing". This step-by-step design is suitable for batch office tasks, as it separates file import, parameter selection, result saving, and execution, reducing omissions.
After entering the processing options page, you will see the "Version" area, which lists multiple selectable PDF versions, such as PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2a, PDF/A-3b, PDF/X-1a, PDF 1.4, PDF 1.7, PDF/UA-1, and ZUGFeRD, etc.
Step 4: Select ZUGFeRD from the version list
In the "Version" options, find and check "ZUGFeRD". The red arrow in the screenshot points to the ZUGFeRD option, and it has already been selected. After selection, this indicates that the target format for this batch task is the ZUGFeRD standard format.
This step is very critical. Because the same function also provides different versions like PDF/A, PDF/X, PDF 1.0 through PDF 2.0, selecting the wrong version will result in output that is not ZUGFeRD. Therefore, before proceeding to the next step, it is recommended to reconfirm whether the radio button is checked next to ZUGFeRD. Once confirmed correctly, click the "Next" button at the bottom.
Step 5: Set the save location and start processing
According to the progress bar, after selecting processing options, you will enter "Set save location". Since the screenshot does not show the save location page, specific button names not shown are not expanded upon here. During actual operation, simply follow the software interface prompts to choose the output file save location. It is recommended to create a separate folder for the converted files, such as "ZUGFeRD Output Files" or "Converted Invoice PDFs", to avoid mixing them with the original PDFs.
After setting the save location, continue to the "Start processing" step. Confirm that the file quantity, target version, and save location are all correct, then start the processing task. The software will execute the conversion batch according to your imported file list. After processing is complete, check the output files in the save location and spot-check a few PDFs to see if they open normally.
Frequently Asked Questions and Precautions
1. Why batch process instead of converting one by one?
If you only have 1 PDF, manual conversion doesn't matter much. But when the number of files reaches dozens or hundreds, processing one by one wastes a lot of time and is prone to issues like missed processing, incorrect saves, and inconsistent versions. The advantage of batch processing lies in setting up once and executing across multiple files, making it more suitable for repetitive office scenarios in finance, administration, and archive management.
2. What information needs to be checked after importing files?
It is recommended to focus on checking the file name, path, and extension. The list in the screenshot already displays this information, making it convenient for users to confirm the file source before starting conversion. If files are scattered across multiple folders, they can be imported in batches, or you can use "Import Files from Folder" to increase efficiency.
3. What should be noted when selecting ZUGFeRD?
In the version list, ZUGFeRD is displayed alongside options like PDF/A, PDF/X, PDF 1.7. They represent different PDF standards or versions. To achieve PDF to ZUGFeRD conversion, you must explicitly check ZUGFeRD, and not select adjacent options like PDF/UA-1 or PDF 1.7.
4. Will the original files be overwritten?
The screenshot does not show the specific options on the save location page, so it is not possible to directly judge whether the original files will be overwritten. To be safe, it is recommended to save the conversion results to a new output folder and keep backups of the original PDFs. This way, even if reprocessing is needed later, it can be regenerated from the original files.
5. How to verify the results after conversion?
After processing is complete, it is recommended to randomly open a few PDFs from the output folder to confirm they open normally, the page count and content have no obvious anomalies, and to verify the ZUGFeRD recognition results according to the requirements of the business system or recipient. For batch archiving of electronic invoices, you can also create folders by date, supplier, or project name for easier subsequent retrieval.
Summary: Reduce repetitive labor in PDF standardization processing with batch conversion
Batch converting PDFs to the ZUGFeRD standard format is essentially solving the standardization problem for office documents like electronic invoices, bills, and contracts. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can use the "PDF Convert to Other Versions of PDF" function within "PDF Tools" to import multiple PDFs at once, uniformly select ZUGFeRD, uniformly set the save location, and then batch execute the processing.
For finance, administration, procurement, and archive management personnel who frequently handle PDF files, this workflow can significantly reduce repetitive clicks and improve file processing consistency. Before formally processing a large volume of files, it is recommended to first test the process with a small number of PDFs, confirm the output results meet the requirements, and then batch import all files for conversion.