Many project folder names have prefixes like sources, departments, or old numbers at the beginning, but the actual content that needs to be kept starts from a certain keyword. This article explains how to use office software's batch folder name processing capabilities, using START as the positioning keyword, to batch delete all content to the left of the keyword while retaining the keyword and the text to the right, helping users quickly standardize directory names.
In daily office work, folder names often accumulate information as projects evolve. For instance, when data is exported from a backup system, the name may start with Backup; when exported from a build environment, it might begin with Build; directories for clients, photos, invoices, and tasks may also carry different source identifiers. Over time, folder names become very long, and the truly valuable information gets obscured by the prefixes.
If these folders share a common keyword, such as "START", and you wish folder names to begin with START, you can apply a batch renaming strategy: delete all content to the left of the specified keyword, retaining the keyword itself and the content to its right. This article will use the folder name processing feature in " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to demonstrate how to complete this operation in batches.
Applicable Scenarios: Directories That Need Irregular Prefix Cleanup
The typical characteristic of this requirement is that the redundant prefixes on the left side of each folder differ, but a unified keyword exists in the middle. Because the prefixes are irregular, the traditional method of "deleting the first few characters" does not apply. For example, Backup_ has 7 characters, Client_ has 7, Project_ has 8, and Invoice_ has 8. Deleting a fixed length might leave broken characters or even accidentally remove valid content.
Using "all content to the left of a certain text" as the processing rule eliminates the need to worry about the length of the left prefix. The software automatically finds the specified keyword and deletes all content to its left. This method is suitable for cleaning up system export directories, project phase folders, client data directories, batch downloaded materials, historical backup directories, and more.
For office workers who frequently handle documents and materials, this batch naming capability is as important as organizing Word, Excel, and PDF files. Whether it's docx or doc documents, or folders grouped by project, as long as the naming rules are clear, batch processing can reduce repetitive labor.
Effect Preview: From Mixed Prefixes to a Unified Name Start
The folder names before processing are shown in the image below. As can be seen, each folder name consists of "different prefix + START + subsequent content". The red markings point to the left-side content area that needs to be deleted.
These names include Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final, Build_START_debugInfo_END_Release, Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive, Data_START_sampleChunk_END_Clean, and others. Their common rule is that they all contain START, but the content to the left of START differs.
The processed results are shown in the image below. The original prefixes like Backup_, Build_, Client_, Data_ have all been deleted, and all folder names now start from START, forming a unified naming structure.
For example, "Invoice_START_batch001_END_Paid" becomes "START_batch001_END_Paid" after processing, and "Notes_START_privateText_END_Public" becomes "START_privateText_END_Public". This shows that the rule did not damage the content to the right of START, but only cleaned up the prefix to its left.
Operation Steps: Using Office Software to Batch Delete Content to the Left of a Keyword
The specific process is explained below using screenshots of the software operation. The overall flow can be understood in four steps: select function, add folders, set deletion rule, and execute processing.
Step 1: Select the Delete Text Function in the Folder Name Tool
After opening the software, click "Folder Name" in the left navigation pane. The right side will display multiple folder name-related tools, including "Find and replace keywords in folder names", "Insert text into folder names", "Add prefix and suffix to folder names", "Folder name case conversion", "Delete text from folder names", and more.
Since this time we need to delete part of the folder names, select "Delete text from folder names". Note here that the deletion target is the folder name, not the file content inside the folder, nor the body text of Word, Excel, or PDF documents. This function is mainly used for batch modification of directory names.
Step 2: Add the Folder Records to Be Processed
After entering the function page, the software is at Step 1, "Select records to be processed". Click the "Add Folders" button in the upper right corner to add the folders that need processing to the list. Once added, the table will display each folder's name, path, creation time, and modification time.
A total of 10 records were added in the screenshot, and the bottom summary shows "Record Count: 10". This step is crucial as batch processing will act on the records in the list. It is recommended to first confirm if the names all contain the target keyword START and if the paths are the directories to be processed this time. If there are records that do not need processing, they can be removed before execution.
After confirming the list is correct, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page to enter the processing options settings.
Step 3: Select "All Content to the Left of a Certain Text" and Enter START
In Step 2, "Set processing options", the interface provides various operation types, such as all numbers, all whitespace, the rightmost few characters, all content between two texts, all Chinese characters, all content, all content to the left of a certain text, position range, all English letters, all content to the right of a certain text, etc.
In this example, what needs to be deleted is all content to the left of START, so select "All content to the left of a certain text". Then, fill in START in the "Text" input box. This tells the software: use START as the reference point for each folder name, and delete the content to the left of this reference point.
In the screenshot, the "Include this text" switch is in the off state. This setting aligns with the final effect, as the folder name still retains START after processing. If the switch is turned on, the processing range might include START itself, which does not meet the goal of retaining the keyword in this article. Therefore, when wanting to keep the keyword, keep this switch off.
After completing the settings, you can continue by clicking "Next". In batch renaming scenarios, rule confirmation is more important than execution speed. It is recommended to double-check the spelling of the text, especially capitalization and underscores.
Step 4: Complete the Save Location and Start Processing According to the Wizard
Based on the step bar at the top of the interface, the next steps will be "Set save location" and "Start processing". These steps are for final confirmation before execution. Since batch modification of folder names will affect the actual directory display in File Explorer, it is advisable to confirm that no programs are currently occupying these folders before final processing.
When the processing starts, the software applies the rule to each record in the list one by one. After processing is complete, open the original directory to see the name changes: each folder name has the prefix to the left of START deleted, retaining START and the content to its right. Compared to manual renaming, this method does not require individually selecting text, copying and pasting, and is less prone to errors caused by different prefix lengths.
Common Questions and Precautions
Must the keyword be an exact match? It is recommended to maintain an exact match. In the example, START was entered, making it suitable for processing folders containing START. If some folders are written as Start, start, or START with spaces, they may not yield the same result. It's a good idea to uniformly check the naming patterns before batch processing.
Can content on the right be deleted? From the screenshot, you can see the function also has an option for "All content to the right of a certain text". If your goal is to retain the left content and delete the keyword's right content, you can select that corresponding option. However, the scenario in this article is deleting the left prefix, so the option for left content should be chosen.
Why does the order seem to change after processing? File Explorer may automatically sort by rules like name or modification time. After processing, name changes may cause the list order to shift correspondingly, which does not indicate a processing error. The focus should be on checking whether the names meet expectations.
Is a backup necessary? Batch renaming is a batch modification operation. It is recommended to back up important data first, or first test the rule on a small selection of folders. Confirm the output is correct before executing on the complete directory.
Summary: Making Folder Naming Standardization More Efficient
Batch deleting content to the left of a specified keyword is a very practical batch renaming method for folders. It is especially suitable for handling directory names with irregular prefixes but a unified identifier in the middle. Through the folder name feature in " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", users only need to add folders, select the deletion rule, and enter the keyword START to uniformly organize multiple folders to start with the same beginning.
If you are organizing project archives, client data, or backup directories, you no longer need to open and manually rename folders one by one. First, observe the naming patterns and find the text that can serve as a positioning point, then use the batch processing function to execute. This saves time and also improves the consistency and retrievability of folder names.