Many Word, docx, doc files, when downloaded, exported, or archived, will automatically have a string of numbers appended to the file name, such as EnglishVocabulary2468.docx, ExamReview5820.docx. If there are many files, renaming them one by one is both slow and prone to errors. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use wildcard regular expressions to batch and vaguely delete 4-digit numbers from file names, allowing file names to quickly restore to standardized and concise forms.
In daily office work, non-standard file naming is a very common problem. For example, Word documents, docx files, doc teaching plans, study plans, or exam review files exported in batches from systems often have random numbers, year codes, or serial numbers at the end of their names. A small number of files can be manually modified, but if there are dozens or hundreds of files that need the same rule-based content removed, renaming them one by one wastes a lot of time and may also accidentally delete regular text in the file name.
The problem this article addresses is clear: when many file names contain non-fixed numeric keywords, how to perform batch fuzzy deletion using wildcard regular expressions. Below, using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example, it demonstrates how to delete the 4-digit numbers in file names like EnglishVocabulary2468.docx, ExamReview5820.docx, ultimately resulting in clearer file names.
Applicable Scenarios: Which File Names Are Suitable for Batch Deletion Using Regular Expressions
If the content to be deleted is not exactly the same fixed text but characters that follow a certain pattern, using regular expressions is very suitable. For instance, file names containing 4-digit numbers, 6-digit codes, version numbers in brackets, trailing serial numbers, or random codes interspersed within the text. Ordinary find-and-replace usually only handles fixed keywords, whereas regular expressions match content based on rules, making them more suitable for "fuzzy deletion".
The example files in this article are all in docx format, with the file name structure roughly being "English name + 4-digit number + .docx". In actual work, you can also apply the same method to Word doc, docx files, or other office files. As long as the software import list can recognize these files, you can batch process file names according to rules.
It should be noted that this article discusses deleting "text within the file name", not deleting the file itself. After processing, the files still exist; only the specified content in their names has been cleaned up. This is very practical for data archiving, course file organization, and project document standardization.
Effect Preview: File Names Containing Random Numbers Before Processing
From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see that multiple Word document names have 4-digit numbers appended. For example, EnglishVocabulary2468.docx, ExamReview5820.docx, LearningGoals3091.docx, MathNotes1357.docx, StudyPlan2024.docx. The parts marked in red are precisely the numbers that need to be batch deleted.
These numbers are all different, so you cannot simply search for one fixed keyword. If deleting manually, you would need to open the folder, press F2 to rename each file one by one, and then select and delete the number. The more files there are, the more obvious the repetitive work becomes. Therefore, using a regular expression to match "4-digit numbers" all at once is more efficient and stable.
Effect Preview: Number Suffixes Uniformly Deleted After Processing
After processing is complete, the 4-digit numbers in the file names have been removed, while the file extensions remain. The original EnglishVocabulary2468.docx becomes EnglishVocabulary.docx, ExamReview5820.docx becomes ExamReview.docx, and the other files are cleaned up following the same rule.
From the results, it can be seen that this method does not change the docx extension, nor does it delete the English main body of the file name. As long as the matching rule is set accurately, the target characters in the file names can be batch deleted, which is suitable for uniformly standardizing names for a large number of files.
Operation Step 1: Enter the File Name Tool and Select the Find and Replace Function
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "File Name" in the left function bar. The interface will display multiple function cards related to file naming. According to the screenshot, the first function needed this time is: Find and replace keywords in file names. The purpose of this function is to batch find specified text in file names and replace it with new text; when the replacement content is empty, it achieves the effect of deleting keywords from file names.
The reason for choosing this function is: we are processing file names, not file content; and we are doing a find-and-delete for rule-compliant numbers, not adding prefixes, suffixes, or changing the case of file names. Therefore, we should enter the "Find and replace keywords in file names" process.
Operation Step 2: Add Files That Need Batch Processing
After entering the function page, you are first at the "Select records to process" step. At the top right of the interface, you can see buttons like "Add Files", "Import Files from Folder", "Clear", "More", etc. For a small number of files, you can click "Add Files" to select them individually; if the files are all concentrated in the same folder, you can use "Import Files from Folder" to import the documents from the folder into the list at once.
After importing, the table will list file information such as sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. In the screenshot, there are 5 records, all with the extension docx. At this point, it is recommended to check whether the files in the list are all the ones that need to be processed this time. If you find any mistakenly added, you can delete a single record through the operation column, or use "Clear" to re-import.
The purpose of this step is to clearly define the batch processing targets for the software. Only files appearing in the list will participate in the subsequent renaming operation, so confirm the path and file name are correct both before and after importing.
Operation Step 3: Select Formula Fuzzy Text Search and Fill in the Regular Expression
After clicking "Next" at the bottom, you enter the "Set processing options" page. In the "Search Mode" area, the screenshot shows the selection of Use formula fuzzy text search. This is typically used for matching text by rules, which is the wildcard or regular expression matching discussed in this article.
Enter the following in the "List of keywords to search for":
\d{4}
The meaning of this expression is to match 4 consecutive digits. Here, \d represents a digit character, and {4} means occurring 4 consecutive times. Therefore, it can simultaneously match different numbers like 2468, 5820, 3091, 1357, 2024, without needing to input each code individually.
On the right is the "List of keywords to replace with". The prompt in the screenshot says "Leave blank to delete". Therefore, no replacement content needs to be entered this time; keep it empty. This way, the software will replace the matched 4-digit numbers with nothing during processing, effectively deleting these numbers from the file names.
If you need to delete 6-digit codes from your file names, you can change the expression to \d{6}; if you want to delete numbers of any length, you need to set it carefully based on the actual naming rules to avoid accidentally deleting meaningful numbers in file names.
Operation Step 4: Proceed to the Next Step, Set the Save Location, and Start Processing
After confirming the processing options are correct, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. According to the flow at the top of the interface, the subsequent steps are "Set save location" and "Start processing". The focus of this step is to confirm how the processed files will be saved and to formally execute the batch renaming task.
Since batch renaming, once executed, will affect multiple files in the list simultaneously, it is recommended to re-check three items before starting: First, is the file list correct? Second, is the search mode set to "Use formula fuzzy text search"? Third, is the search expression \d{4} and the replacement list empty? Confirming these before starting processing can reduce the risk of operational errors.
After processing is complete, return to the folder to check the results. You will see that all 4-digit numbers in the file names have been uniformly deleted, while the main file name and extension remain.
Common Questions and Precautions
1. Why not use "Exact text search"?
Because the numbers in each file name are different. If you select exact search, it can only find one fixed content, for example, 2468, and cannot simultaneously match different codes like 5820, 3091. The advantage of regular expressions lies in matching by pattern.
2. Why is the replacement keyword list left blank?
The prompt in the screenshot says "Leave blank to delete". So when the goal is to delete content from the file name, do not enter any characters in the replacement area. If you enter other text, the software will replace the matched numbers with what you entered.
3. Will \d{4} delete the extension?
It will not directly delete extensions like .docx, because the extension does not contain 4 consecutive digits. However, if your file's main body also contains 4-digit numbers, such as Project2024Summary.docx, then they will also be matched. Confirm before processing whether these numbers all need to be deleted.
4. Can files other than doc or docx be processed?
The examples in this article are docx files, but the concept applies to batch organizing file names. The actual scope of processing depends on the software's import and recognition results. For Word documents, office materials, project files, study materials, etc., as long as they appear in the processing list, their file names can be cleaned up according to rules.
Summary: Using Batch Processing Tools to Reduce Repetitive Renaming Work
When a large number of non-fixed codes exist in file names, manual deletion is both inefficient and error-prone. With the "Find and replace keywords in file names" function of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can use the regular expression \d{4} to match 4 consecutive digits at once, and achieve batch deletion when the replacement content is left empty.
If you frequently need to organize Word, docx, doc, or other office files, it is recommended to use this rule-based processing method for daily file archiving. First analyze the file naming pattern, then use regular expressions for batch processing, which can significantly reduce repetitive work, making file names more unified, and easier to search and manage.