Many office files, after exporting, downloading, or archiving, have filenames with extra notes, version numbers, random characters, and temporary tags, resulting in excessively long and inconsistent names. This article uses the example of deleting content to the right of START to explain how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch delete all content to the right of specified text in the file name function. Through this method, multiple filenames of different formats such as txt, docx, xlsx, and pdf with various suffixes can be quickly organized into a unified format, improving file management efficiency.
Long file names are a common problem many office users encounter when organizing materials. System-exported file names may contain serial numbers, collaboratively saved documents might have version notes, and downloaded attachments may include dates, random characters, or source descriptions. Over time, a large number of inconsistently formatted names will appear in the same folder, making searching, archiving, and sharing inconvenient.
If there is a common delimiter text in these long file names, such as START, and you do not want to keep the content to the right of START, you can use the method of batch deleting content to the right of a specified character. This article, combined with actual screenshots, introduces how to use the HeSoft Doc Batch Tool office software to batch delete all content to the right of a specific text in file names, transforming file names from chaotic to uniform.
Applicable Scenario: The latter part of the file name is inconsistent but has a common delimiter text
This method is suitable for processing file names where "the first half needs to be kept and the second half needs to be deleted." The key condition is: there must be a recognizable common text in the file names, which the software can use to determine where to start deleting the content on the right.
For example, file names might be Archive_START_oldPart_END.txt, Data_START_sample_END.txt, Log_START_debugInfo_END.txt. Their first parts are different, and the content to the right of START is also different, but the common point is that they all contain START. In this case, if the goal is to keep only Archive_START, Data_START, Log_START, you don't need to manually select and delete suffixes one by one; instead, you can let the software process automatically using START as the boundary.
Similar scenarios include: batch deleting notes after dates in file names, batch deleting version descriptions to the right of project numbers, batch deleting draft information after a specific identifier in Word file names, batch deleting device numbers in PDF scan names, etc. For office files like doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pdf, txt, as long as you are processing the file name, the approach is the same.
Pre-processing Effect: Right-side content is messy and unsuitable for individual replacement
From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see that all file names contain START, but the content after START varies. Some are oldPart, some are sample, some are 2024Draft, and there are also rawName, debugInfo, private, tempData, etc. Because these texts are not completely consistent, using a common find-and-replace for a fixed word cannot solve the problem in one go.
If done manually, you would need to open the rename state for each file, select the text after START, delete it, and finally confirm that the extension has not been accidentally deleted. This might be manageable for 10 files, but when the number of files increases to several hundred, the repetitive labor becomes very obvious.
Post-processing Effect: Key names are retained and the format is automatically standardized
After processing, the file names uniformly become Archive_START.txt, Data_START.txt, Doc_START.txt, File_START.txt, etc. That is, the software retained START and its left-side content, deleted the unnecessary parts to the right of START, while keeping the .txt extension.
This effect is very suitable for cleaning file names before archiving. After the file names are shortened, it is easier to sort them by name and view them in the file explorer. For team collaboration, unified naming can also reduce the cost for colleagues to understand the meaning of files.
Step 1: Open the delete text function in the File Name category
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first observe the left navigation bar. The screenshot shows categories on the left including "Home," "Task Flow," "All Tools," and "File Name." The goal this time is to modify file names, so you should select "File Name."
After entering the File Name category, you will see multiple functions related to file naming, such as finding and replacing keywords in file names, inserting text into file names, adding prefixes and suffixes to file names, and converting file name case. The one you need to select here is "Delete Text in File Names," whose description is "Batch delete text in file names."
The significance of selecting this function is that all subsequent operations revolve around "deleting a part of the name," rather than moving files, deleting files, or modifying file content. For office software, clear functional classification can reduce misoperations and help users quickly find the corresponding batch processing entry point.
Step 2: Import files that need batch renaming
After entering the "Delete Text in File Names" function page, the first step is to "select the records to process." The upper right part of the interface provides "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder." If your files are scattered in different locations, you can select them one by one by adding files; if the files are already concentrated in the same directory, importing from a folder will save more time.
After importing, the files will appear in a table. The table lists information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. This information allows you to confirm whether the files were imported correctly. The screenshot shows the record count is 10, the file extension is txt, and the path is in D:\test, indicating that the pending files have been successfully added to the task list.
Before performing the batch rename, it is recommended to carefully check the list. If you find a file that should not be processed, you can use the operations on the right side of the list to remove it; if a file was imported incorrectly, you can use the clear function in the interface to reselect. After confirming the files are correct, click "Next" at the bottom.
Step 3: Select all content to the right of a text and enter the anchor text
The second step is to set the processing options. This is the core of the entire batch process because it determines which part of the file name the software will delete. The screenshot shows multiple operation types; in this case, you need to select "All content to the right of a specific text."
After selecting this option, enter START in the "Text" input box below. This START is the anchor point for the deletion rule. The software will look for START in each file name and delete the content to its right. Since the example processed file name still retains START, this rule is suitable for the scenario of "keeping the boundary text, deleting unnecessary characters to the right of it."
When entering, pay attention to case, spaces, and special symbols. If the actual file name is _START_, and you only enter START, the processing result may differ from expectations; if the anchor text includes surrounding underscores, you must decide what to enter based on the content you want to keep. In the example, the final file name is Archive_START.txt, indicating that after entering START, START itself is kept and the subsequent content is cleared.
Step 4: Continue to set the save location and start processing
After setting the operation type and text, click "Next." The subsequent steps in the interface flow are "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing." Since batch renaming will affect multiple files, the save location setting is a step that needs careful confirmation. After completing the save location settings according to the software interface prompts, proceed to the start processing step.
Before processing, it is recommended to confirm three points: first, there are no incorrectly imported files in the list; second, the anchor text START definitely exists in every file name that needs processing; third, the processing rule meets expectations, meaning it deletes the content to the right of START, not the left. Start processing after confirming these to reduce the risks associated with batch operations.
FAQ: What is easy to overlook when batch deleting content on the right?
What happens if the anchor text is entered incorrectly? If the entered text does not match the actual content in the file name, the software may not match as expected. For example, entering Star when the file name has START might not yield the desired result. Therefore, it is best to copy the marker text from a file name to avoid manual typing errors.
Why not directly delete _END? Because in this example, what needs to be deleted is not the standalone END, but a whole section of different content to the right of START. If only _END is deleted, oldPart, sample, debugInfo, etc., would still remain, failing to achieve the goal of shortening the file name.
Can different extensions be processed in batch? The function target is the file name text, so theoretically it applies to organizing names of various file types, such as txt, doc, docx, pdf, xlsx, etc. In practice, it is recommended to put files with the same naming rules in the same batch to avoid mixing different naming structures.
Do I need to back up in advance? Backing up is recommended. Although this is file name processing, not deleting file content, a batch rename will affect multiple records at once. Before performing batch operations on important data, it is safer to keep a copy of the original folder.
What if I only want to delete to the right of START but not keep the underscore after START? Choose the anchor text based on the actual file name structure. If you want the final result to end at START without keeping the trailing delimiter, you can enter START as shown in the example. If the file naming rules differ, test with a small number of files first.
Summary: Using office software to turn tedious renaming into a rule-based process
The key to batch deleting content to the right of a specified character is first to find the common delimiter text in the file names, and then let the software automatically perform the deletion based on this delimiter text. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool provides the "Delete Text in File Names" function, which can transform manual repetitive renaming into a process of importing files, setting rules, and confirming the process.
When you encounter problems like long file names, messy suffix notes, or the need to clean up version information, you can refer to the method in this article: enter the delete text function in the File Name category, import the pending files, select "All content to the right of a specific text," enter the anchor text START, and then continue to complete the save location and start processing steps. It is recommended to verify the effect with test files first, and after confirming it is correct, batch organize the official materials. This can both improve efficiency and ensure that file naming is more standardized.