When a batch of Word or docx files have suffixes with different numbers, renaming them one by one is inefficient. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to access the file name feature, add the files to be processed, select "Use formula to fuzzy search text", match four digits with \d{4}, and uniformly replace them with -2026. Through this method of batch fuzzy file renaming, you can quickly complete annual document archiving, standardization of data naming, and batch file organization.
Many office workers encounter a similar situation when organizing Word documents: file names that look very similar, but end with different numbers. For example, English vocabulary materials, exam review materials, learning objective documents, math notes, and study plan files may have completely different main names, yet all are followed by a string of four digits. If you need to change these numbers uniformly to a specific year, such as 2026, manual renaming is not only slow but also very prone to naming inconsistencies caused by copy-paste errors or missed file selections.
What makes it more troublesome is that these numbers are not the same text; you cannot simply find "2468" and replace it, nor can you just look for "5820." Their common pattern is "a sequence of four digits." This scenario is perfect for using wildcard regular expressions or formula-based fuzzy find methods for batch renaming. This article, combined with screenshots, introduces how to use the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch replace the four-digit suffixes of multiple .docx file names with a unified "-2026," making file naming more suitable for annual archiving and data management.
Applicable Scenario: Batch Processing Word File Names with Random Numbers
The method in this article is suitable for handling variable text within file names. For example, when file names carry random numbers, old years, four-digit serial numbers, material codes, or export numbers at the end, and these contents need to be uniformly replaced with a new year, version number, or project identifier. Common file types include Word .docx and .doc, and this can also be extended to other office files needing organization by name. The focus here is not on modifying file content, but on modifying keywords in the file names.
For scenarios like departmental material archiving, student material organization, project file delivery, and training courseware management, unified naming is very important. Standardized file names make folders look neater and allow for quick location via search. If done manually each time, the more files there are, the more obvious the repetitive labor becomes; using a batch processing tool allows you to hand these mechanical operations over to the software.
Effect Preview: From Irregular Numbers to Unified Year Naming
In the file names before processing, the parts marked in red are the digits that need to be modified. They are 2468, 5820, 3091, 1357, and 2024 respectively. Although each number is different, they all conform to the four-digit pattern. In this situation, using a standard exact search would require entering multiple sets of different numbers; however, by using a formula-based fuzzy search, a single expression can cover all of them.
After processing, all four-digit numbers in the file names are replaced with -2026. The main body of the file names remains intact; for instance, EnglishVocabulary, ExamReview, LearningGoals, MathNotes, and StudyPlan are not damaged; the .docx extension is also preserved. The final file names look more like a set of 2026 materials, facilitating subsequent archiving, sending, and searching.
Operation Steps: Batch Replacing File Name Keywords Using Formula-Based Fuzzy Search
Step 1: Select File Name Related Functions on the Main Interface
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see multiple office processing categories on the left side of the software, such as File Name, Folder Name, File Organization, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Since the task this time is to modify file names, you should enter the "File Name" category. In the function cards on the right, select "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names." This function is used to batch find specified content in file names and replace it with new content, which is very suitable for handling numbers, years, or keywords in a large number of file names.
Step 2: Add Files and Check the Records to be Processed
After entering the function page, the top shows that the current function is "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names," and the workflow is divided into: Select Records, Set Processing Options, Set Save Location, and Start Processing. First, in step 1, add the files to be processed. The arrow in the screenshot points to "Add Files," and you can also see "Import Files from Folder" next to it, which is suitable for importing files from a specific folder all at once.
After the files are imported, the list will display the file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. In this example, 5 .docx files were imported, making the record count 5. Before processing, it's advisable to check row by row whether all file names fall within the scope to be modified this time. If a file does not need processing, you can remove it from the list using the delete icon in the action column. After confirming no errors, click the "Next" button at the bottom.
Step 3: Set the Search Method to Use Formula for Fuzzy Text Search
After entering step 2, you need to set how to find the text in the file names. The interface provides "Exact Text Search" and "Use Formula for Fuzzy Text Search." If you want to find fixed content, like changing "old" to "new," you can choose Exact Text Search; however, in this example, each file name has a different number, only sharing the form of four digits, so you should choose "Use Formula for Fuzzy Text Search." This step is the key to batch fuzzy modification of file names.
Enter \d{4} in the "List of keywords to find" box, which means finding a sequence of four consecutive digits. Enter -2026 in the "List of keywords to replace with" box, which means replacing the matched digits with the new year text. The interface also displays the hint "Leave blank to delete," indicating that if the replacement content is left empty, the matched content might be deleted. Since this example is not about deleting the number but replacing it with a year, -2026 must be filled in.
Step 4: Confirm the Save Location and Execute Start Processing
After completing the settings, click "Next" to enter "Set Save Location." Because batch renaming affects the display name of files in the file explorer, it is recommended to confirm where the processed files will be saved based on actual needs. Continuing to "Start Processing," follow the prompts on the interface to execute. After processing is finished, check the file names in the folder to confirm if the original four-digit numbers have been changed to the unified -2026.
If this is your first time using regular expression wildcards to process file names, it is advisable to test with a small number of files first. For example, process 3 to 5 .docx documents first, confirm the output results meet expectations, and then execute the batch operation on the entire folder. This can both verify if the expression is written correctly and reduce the risk of incorrect modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Why not use Exact Text Search?
Exact search is suitable for situations where all file names contain the same segment of text, like all containing "draft" or "old." If the numbers in each file name are different, exact search would require entering multiple rules separately. Using a rule like \d{4} can match all consecutive four-digit numbers at once, making it more suitable for batch fuzzy modifications.
2. What if there are multiple four-digit numbers in a file name?
If a file name has multiple sequences of four consecutive digits, \d{4} might match multiple locations. Before processing, you should first observe the file name structure to ensure the number you need to replace is the target number. If a file name contains both a date and a number, for example, Report20260430-1234.docx, you cannot directly apply the rule from this example and need to design the search expression more carefully.
3. Can both .doc and .docx be processed using this idea?
From the screenshot example, imported files are .docx, but what this article discusses is the idea of replacing at the file name level. For .doc, .docx, or other common office files, as long as they are added to the list and the name needs to be modified, they can be processed with a similar approach. In actual use, the files supported for import and processing by the software interface should be the standard.
4. What to do if the original file names cannot be found after batch replacement?
After batch renaming, files will be displayed with new names. If you are worried about needing to trace back to the original names later, you can save a file list before processing, or make a backup by copying the folder first. For important contracts, financial data, and project delivery files, backing up is a very necessary operating habit.
Summary: Hand Over Repetitive Renaming to Batch Processing Tools
Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can turn the originally tedious task of modifying Word file names into a rule-based operation. In the example in this article, by using "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names," first add the .docx files, then select "Use Formula for Fuzzy Text Search," use \d{4} to find the four-digit numbers, and replace them with -2026, ultimately achieving the one-time standardization of multiple file names. For users who frequently organize Word documents, .docx files, project materials, and annual files, mastering this wildcard regular expression batch renaming method can significantly reduce repetitive work, making file management more efficient and reliable.