When a batch of file names contain the same positioning text, for example Archive_START_oldPart_END.txt, Doc_START_2024Draft_END.txt, it's necessary to delete prefixes like Archive, Doc, File, etc. on the left side of START, while preserving START and the content to its right. Modifying them manually one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article takes HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use the "delete text in file name" feature to batch delete all content to the left of a certain text in file names, which is suitable for naming organization scenarios of various file types such as txt, docx, doc, xlsx, pdf, etc.
In daily office work, file names often come from different systems, personnel, or batches of export results. To distinguish their sources, prefixes such as project names, department names, serial numbers, and temporary markers may be added to the beginning of file names, for example, Archive_START_oldPart_END.txt, Data_START_sample_END.txt, Doc_START_2024Draft_END.txt. If you want to keep only the content starting from START when archiving later, you need to delete all characters to the left of START in one go.
If there are only a few files, manual renaming is acceptable; however, if there are dozens or hundreds of files, even including various types like Word documents .docx and .doc, Excel spreadsheets .xlsx and .xls, PDFs, text .txt files, and images, modifying them one by one will take a lot of time and prone to issues like incomplete deletion, excessive deletion, or accidental deletion of file extensions. The method introduced in this article uses the batch file name processing capability of the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , using the "Delete Text in File Names" feature to locate based on specified text and batch delete all content to its left, quickly making file names consistent and clear.
Applicable Scenarios: When to Delete Content Left of a Specific Text in a File Name
"Delete all content to the left of a specific text in a file name" is suitable for handling a very common naming tidying issue: there is a fixed separation point or keyword in the file name, and the content before this keyword is no longer needed. The keyword can be START, contract, invoice, project, date, number, or separators like underscores or hyphens.
For example, some system-exported file names automatically append source identifiers at the beginning, resulting in names like Log_START_debugInfo_END.txt and Record_START_tempData_END.txt. For business personnel, the truly useful part is START and the description following it, while prefixes like Log and Record are only auxiliary information from the export stage. In this case, START can be used as the locating text to delete all content to its left.
Another example is during team collaboration, different colleagues might add their names or departments before the file name, such as "ZhangSan_Contract_ClientA.docx" or "SalesDept_Contract_ClientB.docx". If the final archiving only requires the naming starting from "Contract", the same approach can be used. For files like .docx, .doc, .xlsx, .pdf, and .txt, as long as the need is to batch clean up file names, this method can be considered.
It should be noted that the screenshots in this article's example use txt files, but the core of the method is file name processing, not text content processing. It solves the problem of "how to uniformly modify file names," not how to modify the content inside files.
Effect Preview: File Names Contain Redundant Prefixes Before Processing
From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see that each file name in the file list contains a common locating text START, but the content to the left of START varies, such as Archive, Data, Doc, File, Image, Log, etc. This content at the very beginning of the file name affects sorting, searching, and archiving consistency.
Typical file names before processing are as follows:
- Archive_START_oldPart_END.txt
- Data_START_sample_END.txt
- Doc_START_2024Draft_END.txt
- File_START_alpha_END.txt
- Image_START_rawName_END.txt
The common pattern of these names is: they all contain START, and the goal is to delete all content to the left of START. If done manually, you would need to select each file individually, enter rename mode, delete the prefix, and confirm, repeating the operation many times. The larger the quantity, the higher the probability of errors.
Effect Preview: Only Specified Text and Right-Side Content Retained After Processing
After processing, the redundant prefixes on the left side of the file names have been deleted, and the names uniformly start from START. For example, Doc_START_2024Draft_END.txt becomes START_2024Draft_END.txt, and File_START_alpha_END.txt becomes START_alpha_END.txt. This indicates that the operation deleted the content to the left of START and retained START itself and the content to its right.
The processed file names are more tidy, making it easier to sort by name and quickly identify. For project materials, test files, batch downloaded files, and system exported files that require unified archiving, this batch renaming method can significantly reduce repetitive labor.
Operating Steps: Using Office Software to Batch Delete Content Left of Specified Text
The following steps, following the screenshot order, explain how to complete the operation in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . The entire process can be understood in four steps: enter the function, import files, set deletion rules, and save & start processing. The screenshots show the first two key interfaces and the rule setting interface, while the subsequent steps for save location and starting processing correspond to the process prompts at the top of the page.
Step 1: Enter the "Delete Text in File Names" Function
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select the File Name category in the left navigation bar. Find 10. Delete Text in File Names in the function list. As seen in the screenshot, the description of this function is "Batch delete text in file names", suitable for handling needs like batch deleting file name prefixes and deleting text at specified positions as in this article.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct file name processing tool first. Because the software also has categories like Word Tools, Excel Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, and Image Tools, if you are only modifying file names and not document content, you should enter the "File Name" related functions.
After clicking "Delete Text in File Names", the software will enter the function's wizard page, where subsequent steps for file selection, processing options, save location, and starting processing will be completed.
Step 2: Add Files to be Processed
After entering the function page, you first arrive at the "Select Records to Process" step. At the top right of the page, you can see operation entries like Add File, Import Files from Folder, Clear, More. Depending on the number and storage method of the files, you can choose to add files one by one or import them in batch from a folder.
In the screenshot, 10 records have been imported, and the table lists information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and operations. After importing, it is recommended to check two points:
- Check if files are complete: Confirm that all files needing processing are in the list to avoid omissions.
- Check file name pattern: Confirm that each file name contains the text to be used as the locating point, for example, START in this case.
If you find files that do not need processing imported, you can remove them via the operation button on the right side of each row; if the list is incorrect, you can also use "Clear" and re-import. Doing this step well reduces the risk of operational errors during subsequent batch processing.
Step 3: Select "All Content Left of a Specific Text"
After confirming the file list, click the Next button at the bottom of the page to enter "Set Processing Options". In the operation type area, you can see multiple selectable options, including all numbers, all whitespace, the rightmost few texts, all content between two texts, all Chinese characters, all content, all content left of a specific text, position range, all English letters, all content right of a specific text, etc.
The goal of this example is to delete all content left of START, so you need to select All Content Left of a Specific Text.
After selecting this option, fill in the locating text in the Text input box below. In this example, START is filled in. This means the software will search for START in each file name and treat the content to the left of START as the part to be deleted.
A critical detail here: there is also a Include this text switch in the interface. Based on the processing results, the final file name still retains START, for example, START_2024Draft_END.txt, indicating that this operation did not delete START itself, only the content to its left. Therefore, in similar requirements, if you wish to retain the locating text, do not enable "Include this text"; if your goal is to delete the locating text along with it, you need to decide whether to enable it based on actual needs.
Step 4: Set Save Location and Start Processing
After setting the processing options, continue clicking Next. According to the process at the top of the page, the subsequent steps are Setting Save Location and Starting Processing. The functions of these two steps are to confirm the save method for the processed files and formally execute the batch file name processing, respectively.
Before batch renaming, it is recommended to confirm the save location or output method first to avoid mixing the processing results with the original files. If they are important materials, it is recommended to copy a test file first for verification, and execute the batch processing on the official files only after confirming the rules are correct.
When all settings are confirmed correctly, enter the "Start Processing" step to execute the task. After processing is complete, go back to the folder to check, and you will see that the file names have been uniformly modified as per the rules to start from START.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. What happens if a file name does not contain START?
If a file name does not contain the input locating text, the software cannot locate based on "all content left of a specific text". To prevent a few files from not being correctly processed, it is recommended to observe the file name pattern after importing and confirm that all files to be processed contain the same keyword.
2. Will multiple underscores on the left side of START affect the process?
It will not affect the processing approach in this article. This is because the rule does not delete based on the number of underscores but locates based on the specified text START. Regardless of whether the left side of START is Archive_, Data_, or a longer project number, as long as START appears in the correct position, all content to its left can be deleted.
3. Can this be used for Word, PDF, and Excel file names?
The example screenshots in this article are for txt files, but the essence of the need is batch modification of file names. In actual office work, similar rules are often used for the naming organization of Word documents .docx and .doc, Excel spreadsheets .xlsx and .xls, PDF files, image files, and text files. The key focus before operation is the file name pattern, not the file content format.
4. How to avoid deleting START as well?
If you wish to retain START after processing, you should select "All Content Left of a Specific Text" as in the example in this article, enter START in the "Text" field, and ensure the rule does not include START itself. The "Include this text" switch in the screenshot is in the disabled state, and the processing result proves that START was retained.
5. Is a backup needed before batch processing?
A backup is recommended. Batch file name processing is very efficient, but this also means that once a rule is set incorrectly, it will affect multiple files simultaneously. Especially for important documents like contracts, quotations, project materials, and financial files, it is recommended to copy them to a test folder for rule verification first, then process the official files.
Summary: Reducing Repetitive Renaming Work with Batch Processing
Batch deleting all content to the left of a specific text in file names is essentially about locating file names by a keyword and uniformly cleaning up unnecessary prefixes. Using the "Delete Text in File Names" function of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you only need to import files, select "All Content Left of a Specific Text", input the locating text START, then proceed to set the save location and start processing, to quickly organize a batch of files into a unified format.
Compared to manually renaming files one by one, the batch processing method of office software is more suitable for scenarios involving a large number of files with clear rules. It can reduce repetitive labor, lower the probability of missed or incorrect changes, and make file archiving, retrieval, and subsequent collaboration more efficient. If you also have a batch of files with cluttered name prefixes, but all containing the same separation text, it is recommended to test the rule with a small number of files first, confirm it is correct, and then execute batch processing.