When filenames contain mixed dates, numbers, and serial numbers, the file list can appear cluttered — for example, reports, client forms, meeting minutes, and project plans may include numbers like 202306, 20231005, or 001. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to batch delete text from filenames using the filename function and select all numbers, thereby cleaning up dates and serial numbers in filenames for PDFs, docx, xlsx, pptx, jpg, png, and more in one go.
Many office documents are not difficult to organize due to their content, but because their filenames are inconsistent. For example, files exported from business systems often carry generation dates, downloaded materials from collaboration platforms come with serial numbers, and images or design drafts are accompanied by sequence numbers. Over time, a single folder might contain names like AnnualReport2022.pdf, ClientList20231005.xlsx, MarketResearch202306.docm, TeamStructure001.png. The files can be opened, but the names are lengthy, which is not conducive to searching, archiving, or sending externally.
If it's only a few files, manually deleting the digits is acceptable; but when the number of files grows, repetitive renaming takes up a lot of time. Even more troublesome is that the position of the digits varies between different files—some are at the end, some in the middle, some are complete dates, and others are short serial numbers. The method introduced in this article uses the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch remove all numbers from filenames, quickly restoring them to a cleaner text form.
Applicable Scenarios: Cleaning Dates, Serial Numbers, Sequence Codes, and Indices
Batch deleting numbers from filenames is especially suitable for the following office scenarios:
- Finance, administration, HR, and other departments need to archive large volumes of reports where filenames contain years or months, but these numbers are not desired during archiving.
- Project materials, after multiple downloads or forwards, contain date codes in their filenames and need to be organized into a uniform naming format.
- Client lists, product inventories, meeting minutes, and other documents need to be sent externally, but the system-generated sequence codes in the names are not suitable to keep.
- Image materials, flowcharts, poster design drafts that contain shooting sequence numbers or export indices need unified removal.
- A batch of materials includes various formats like docx, doc, xlsx, xls, pptx, pdf, jpg, png, tiff, csv, and the goal is to rename them all in one go.
When handling such tasks with traditional methods, you usually have to repeatedly select the file, press F2, delete the numbers, save, and then move on to the next file. The value of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool lies in consolidating these repetitive actions into a single rule execution, reducing manual work.
Effect Preview: A Large Number of Digits are Mixed in Names Before Processing
In the file list before processing, the red boxes highlight the numeric parts of the filenames. You can see that the numbers are not uniform across different files: AnnualReport2022.pdf contains a year, ClientList20231005.xlsx contains a date, FlowchartDesign20230810.jpg contains a string of digits, ProductList12345.docx contains a code, and TeamStructure001.png contains an index. There are also names like PosterDesignv32023.tiff where letters and numbers are mixed.
In this situation, using a find-and-replace method for a specific number is unsuitable because the numeric content in each file is different. What is truly needed is to delete based on character type, meaning all digits are uniformly removed regardless of what the specific numbers are.
Effect Preview: Only Text and Extensions Remain After Processing
After processing, the filenames become cleaner. AnnualReport2022.pdf becomes AnnualReport.pdf, ClientList20231005.xlsx becomes ClientList.xlsx, MarketResearch202306.docm becomes MarketResearch.docm, and MeetingNotes20230420.pptx becomes MeetingNotes.pptx. The file extensions are not changed, so these files still correspond to their original types like PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, images, etc.
This result is suitable for scenarios like re-archiving materials, submitting files externally, and standardizing naming conventions. Especially when the numbers are just temporary codes or traces of system exports, batch deletion can make the file list much cleaner.
Operation Steps: Batch Remove Numbers from Filenames
Step One: Enter the Filename Function on the Main Interface
Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and select Filename in the left navigation bar. This software is a batch processing tool for office scenarios, and you can see categories like Filename, Folder Name, File Organization, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc., on the left. Since we are dealing with filenames in this article, select the Filename category.
Under the Filename category, find Delete text from filename. The function is highlighted in the screenshot, indicating it can be used for batch deletion of text from filenames. Since numbers are also a type of character in filenames, you can achieve batch digit deletion by selecting the number rule in the subsequent processing options.
Step Two: Import the Files to Process
After entering the Delete text from filename page, the first stage is to select the records that need processing. There are two buttons in the upper right corner of the page: Add files and Import files from folder. If files are scattered in different locations, you can use Add files to add them one by one; if the files are all in the same folder, using Import files from folder will be more convenient.
After importing, the files will be displayed in the list. The list shows information such as name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, etc., for easy verification before processing. The file extensions in the screenshot include pdf, xlsx, jpg, docm, csv, pptx, tiff, docx, etc., indicating that this batch operation for deleting filename numbers is not limited to a single document type.
When reviewing the file list, it is recommended to focus on two points: first, whether only the files that need renaming have been imported; second, whether all numbers in the filenames can indeed be deleted. If some files in the list have numbers that need to be kept, you can first remove them from this processing record to avoid the uniform rule affecting them.
Step Three: Select the Operation Type as All Digits
After clicking Next, you enter the Set processing options page. This stage is the key to the entire batch renaming process because the software determines what content to delete based on the selected operation type. As shown in the screenshot, the selectable options include All digits, All blanks, All Chinese characters, All English letters, All content, Position range, Leftmost characters, Rightmost characters, All content between two texts, etc.
To batch clean dates, serial numbers, and sequence codes, select All digits. After selection, any numeric character from 0 to 9 in the filename will become a deletion target. Whether the numbers are 2022, 20231005, 12345, or 001, they will all be removed. For cases mixing letters and numbers, only the numbers are removed, and the other letters will be retained.
Step Four: Continue Following the Process to Set the Save Location and Process
After completing the operation type setting, click Next. The interface flow also includes Set save location and Start processing. Follow the wizard to continue setting the save location, and then execute the batch processing. This process helps users clearly define the output location before formal processing, reducing the risk of operational errors.
If processing for the first time, it is recommended to select a small number of files for a test first, and process all files only after confirming the results meet expectations. The speed of batch processing filenames is usually much faster than manual renaming, but because it executes a uniform rule, early verification is very important.
Common Issues and Notes
Will Deleting All Digits Affect the File Content?
No. The target of this operation is the filename, not the body of a Word file, an Excel cell, PDF content, or an image screen. Even if the numbers in the filename are deleted, the numbers in the file content will still be retained.
Will File Extensions Be Deleted Together?
As can be seen from the effect images, the processed files still retain extensions like .pdf, .xlsx, .jpg, .docm, .csv, .pptx, .tiff, .docx, .png. Retaining the extension is very important because it determines the file type and the default opening program.
What if There is a Version Number in the Filename? Will it Also Be Deleted?
Yes. As long as All digits is selected, all numeric digits in the filename will be deleted. For example, the 2 in v2 is also a number. If a version number needs to be kept, using the all digits rule alone is not suitable. It is recommended to filter the files separately first, or only process files where you are certain the numbers should not be kept.
Why Might the File Order After Processing Be Different From Before?
The file manager or software list may re-sort based on name, time, or other fields, so the order you see after processing may not be exactly the same as before. When judging success, focus on whether the numbers have been removed from the filenames, rather than just looking at the list order.
Does This Support Batch Processing of Files in Different Formats?
Yes. As can be seen from the examples, PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, image, and CSV files can all be processed in the same batch task. Since this operation targets the filename text and does not rely on the file content format, it is suitable for mixed-type file organization.
Summary: Transforming Filename Cleanup from Repetitive Labor to Rule-based Processing
Batch removing dates, codes, and indices from filenames is a very typical form of repetitive labor in file organization. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can select Delete text from filename under the Filename category, and then set the operation type to All digits, thereby completing the renaming cleanup for multiple files in one go.
For users who often handle reports, client materials, meeting minutes, project documents, and image assets, this batch processing method can save a significant amount of time on manual renaming and also reduce omissions and mistakes. It is recommended to check the file list before formal processing to confirm that all digits can be deleted, and then follow the wizard to complete the save location setting and start processing, making file archiving more efficient and standardized.