When multiple project folders, course material folders, or archive directories are already named by number, but later a fixed text such as department, batch, or project code needs to be uniformly added in the middle of the names, manually renaming them one by one is both time-consuming and error-prone. This article uses "insert text into folder names" as an example to introduce how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch insert specified text at specified positions in a batch of folder names, achieving uniform naming, batch renaming, and standardized archiving.
In daily office work, folder naming often undergoes multiple adjustments. For example, a batch of course material folders might have already been sorted according to rules like "001-CourseProjects, 002-ExamPreparation, 003-KnowledgeBase," but later there arises a need to add a unified identifier between the numbering and the name, such as a project code, client abbreviation, department number, or batch label. If there are only three to five folders, manual renaming might be acceptable; but if there are dozens or even hundreds of folders, right-clicking to rename each one individually is not only inefficient but also highly prone to missed changes, input errors, and positional inconsistencies.
This article aims to solve the high-frequency office problem of "batch inserting text in the middle of many folder names." We will use screenshots to demonstrate how to use the folder name processing function in the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to insert fixed text at a specified position across multiple folders, thereby completing batch folder renaming. The entire process adopts a wizard-based operation, suitable for standardizing folder names in scenarios involving project directories, teaching material directories, client data directories, Word/doc/docx document archive directories, Excel/xlsx spreadsheet data directories, PDF file archive directories, and similar situations.
Applicable Scenarios: When to batch insert text in the middle of folder names
Batch inserting text in folder names is usually not as simple as adding a prefix at the beginning or a suffix at the end; it involves inserting at a fixed position. For example, the first 3 characters of the original name might be a serial number, followed by an English project name, requiring a unified identifier to be inserted in between; or the first half of the name might be a date and the second half a business name, requiring a department abbreviation to be inserted after the date.
Common scenarios include:
- Project material organization: Unifying names like "001-Project A, 002-Project B" to include project batch or client identifiers.
- Course material archiving: Adding information such as semester, class, or course type between the course code and the course name.
- Departmental file handover: Inserting a department abbreviation in the middle of existing folder names for easy source identification after cross-department sharing.
- Historical data migration: Adding fields like year, version, or status in the middle of names when migrating a large number of old folders.
- Document classification management: Although this article targets folder names, these folders may contain office files such as Word, docx, doc, Excel, xlsx, PDF, and PPT. Unified folder naming makes subsequent searching much more efficient.
Compared to manual renaming, the advantage of batch processing folder names is that you only need to set the insertion position and text once, allowing all selected folders to be processed according to the same rule, avoiding repetitive work and significantly reducing human error.
Effect Preview: Folder name changes before and after processing
Before Processing: Folders named by serial number and English name
The image below shows the folder list before processing. As you can see, each folder uses the "serial number-English name" format, such as "001-CourseProjects," "002-ExamPreparation," "003-KnowledgeBase," etc. This naming already provides basic sorting capability, but if a unified identifier needs to be added later, the name structure requires batch adjustment.
If handled manually, you would need to select each folder sequentially and insert text between the number and the name. For the 10 folders in the example, this is not overly complex, but in a real office setting, the number of directories is often much greater. Especially when names contain Chinese and English characters, dates, serial numbers, and version numbers, manual modification can easily lead to format inconsistencies.
After Processing: Specified text inserted uniformly in the middle of folder names
After processing is complete, the inserted text appears uniformly in the middle of the folder names. As shown in the image below, the "ABC" related identifier has been added after the original serial numbers, making the folder name structure compliant with the new archiving rules. Users can replace the inserted content with department abbreviations, project codes, years, batch numbers, or other fixed text according to their actual needs.
The key to this processing method lies in "consistent position" and "consistent content." That is, all selected folders are processed at the same insertion position, avoiding situations where some folders have text inserted after the number while others have it after the name, thus ensuring uniform and controllable batch renaming results.
Operation Steps: Using office software to batch insert text in folder names
Following the screenshot order, the basic process for batch inserting text in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is introduced below. This software is positioned as a document batch processing tool for office scenarios, with its core value being the reduction of repetitive operations, helping users batch process file and folder names.
Step 1: Enter the "Folder Name" function area and select "Insert Text in Folder Name"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "Folder Name" in the left navigation bar. In the feature cards, you can see multiple tools related to folder names, such as finding and replacing keywords in folder names, inserting text in folder names, adding prefixes and suffixes to folder names, converting folder name case, and deleting text from folder names.
The current requirement is to insert fixed text in the middle of folder names, so you should select "Insert Text in Folder Name." In the screenshot, this feature card is highlighted, with a prompt explaining "Batch insert text at a certain position in folder names."
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch processing function. Since "Add Prefix and Suffix" is typically used for the beginning or end of names, and the requirement here is to insert in the middle, selecting "Insert Text in Folder Name" is necessary.
Step 2: Add the folders to be processed and confirm the list
After entering the function, the top of the interface displays the current function as "Insert Text in Folder Name," and uses a step-by-step process: Select records to process, Set processing options, Set save location, Start processing. First, you need to add the folders to be processed into the list.
From the screenshot, you can see buttons like "Add Folders," "Clear," and "More" in the upper right corner. Here, use "Add Folders" to import the directories needing batch processing. After importing, the software lists the folder sequence number, name, path, creation time, modification time, and an action column in a table.
In the example, 10 folders have been added with names like "001-CourseProjects," "002-ExamPreparation," "003-KnowledgeBase," etc., located in the D drive test directory. The bottom of the table shows "Record Count: 10," indicating the number of folders currently pending processing has been confirmed.
At this step, it is recommended to carefully check the list to confirm it only includes folders that need processing. If directories that should not be renamed were mistakenly added, they can be removed via the delete icon in the action column; if the list is incorrect, you can also use "Clear" and re-add. After confirming everything is correct, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the processing option settings.
Step 3: Set the insertion position and the text to be inserted
After entering the second step, "Set processing options," you need to fill in two key parameters: Position and Text to insert. In the screenshot, "Position" is set to 4, and "Text to insert" is set to "ABC-".
These two fields determine the final effect of the batch renaming:
- Position: Specifies the position in the folder name where the text will be inserted. When filling this in, you should decide based on your own naming convention. For example, if the serial number length is fixed at 3 characters, the inserted content is usually placed after the serial number or between the serial number and the name.
- Text to insert: Used to fill in the fixed content to be batch-added. This can be an English code, a Chinese department name, a date, a version number, a batch number, or it can include symbols like connectors.
In this example, the original folder names all start with a three-digit serial number followed by an English name, so by setting the position and text to insert, a unified identifier can be inserted in the middle of the name. After setting, click "Next."
It's important to note that whether the inserted text includes a connector should be determined by whether the original folder names already have one. If the original name already contains "-" and the inserted text also contains "-", it is best to test with a small number of folders first to confirm the final format meets expectations before processing.
Step 4: Continue to set the save location and start processing
According to the interface flow, the subsequent steps are "Set save location" and "Start processing." After completing the settings for insertion position and insertion text, continue clicking "Next" following the software wizard, complete the save location-related settings as prompted by the interface, and then enter the final processing step.
Before clicking start processing, it is advisable to re-confirm three points: First, are the folders in the pending list correct; second, does the insertion position comply with the naming rules; third, does the inserted text contain the required symbols. Execute the batch processing only after confirming everything is correct.
After processing is complete, return to the directory where the folders are located to view the results; you can see the folder names have been bulk updated. Compared to manual individual renaming, this method only requires a one-time setup to execute uniformly across multiple records, significantly reducing repetitive labor.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. How should the insertion position be filled in?
The insertion position should be determined based on the structure of the folder name. For example, for a name like "001-CourseProjects," if you wish to insert text near the serial number, you need to set it according to the digit count of the serial number, the connector position, and the positional rules within the software interface. It is recommended to test with a small number of folders for the first processing run, and only execute in batch on a large number of folders after confirming the results meet expectations.
2. Can the inserted text be in Chinese?
From a functional logic perspective, "Text to insert" is a text input field, typically usable for entering project codes, department names, Chinese descriptions, dates, or connectors. In actual use, avoid entering special characters that the system does not allow in folder names, such as certain symbols unsupported in Windows folder names.
3. Will Word, Excel, PDF files inside the folders be renamed?
This article demonstrates the "Folder Name" function; the processing target is the name of the folder itself, not the filenames of doc, docx, xls, xlsx, pdf, ppt files inside, nor will it modify document content. If you need to process file names, you should select tools related to file names.
4. Is a backup needed before batch processing?
It is recommended to back up or copy a test directory before formally processing a large number of folders. Although batch processing significantly improves efficiency, name changes are batch operations. Once parameters are set incorrectly, it can lead to a large number of names not meeting expectations. Testing before batch processing is a safer office practice.
5. What if folder name lengths are inconsistent?
If all folders have a fixed serial number or fixed prefix, then inserting text by position is very suitable. If folder name lengths and structures vary significantly, you need to first assess whether uniform positional processing is appropriate. For names with inconsistent structures, consider organizing them first, or choose other name processing functions based on the actual situation.
Conclusion: Reduce repetitive renaming with batch processing tools to improve data archiving efficiency
Batch inserting text in the middle of folder names is a very practical operation in office data organization. Whether it's project folders, course directories, client data directories, or archive folders containing files like Word/docx, Excel/xlsx, PDF, as long as naming rules need unified adjustment, you can reduce manual operations through batch processing.
With HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users simply need to select "Insert Text in Folder Name," add the folders to be processed, set the insertion position and insertion content, and then complete the subsequent processing guided by the wizard to quickly perform batch renaming. For users who frequently organize large amounts of office data, the value of such tools is not just saving a few minutes, but making file naming more standardized, archiving clearer, and team collaboration more efficient.
If you currently have a batch of folders needing unified text insertion in the middle of their names, it is recommended to first prepare a small sample directory for testing. After confirming the position and insertion content are correct, execute the batch process on the complete directory.