When a batch of file names contains different numerical identifiers, standard find-and-replace often cannot process them all at once because each identifier is different. Using batch file processing office software that supports wildcards and regular expressions, you can match these variable contents according to rules. This article, combined with the operation interface of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , explains how to import docx files, choose to find and replace keywords in file names, use formula-based fuzzy search to input the text \d{4}, and leave the replacement content empty, thereby removing the 4-digit identifiers from the file names in batch.
Many office workers encounter a similar situation when organizing materials: system-exported Word documents, study resources, project files, or downloaded files often have a series of numbers automatically appended to their names. These numbers might be used for system identification, but they are meaningless for daily archiving. For example, a folder may contain files like EnglishVocabulary2468.docx, ExamReview5820.docx, MathNotes1357.docx, etc. The truly useful part is the preceding English name, while the 4-digit suffix actually hinders reading and sorting.
If there are only a few files, you can right-click to rename and delete them one by one; however, when the number of files reaches dozens or hundreds, manual processing will take up a lot of time. What's more troublesome is that the number suffix is different for each file, so you can't simply find and replace a single fixed keyword. In this case, you need to use wildcard regular expressions for "fuzzy search": describing the pattern of the numbers instead of entering each one individually. This article will demonstrate how to use office software like HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch delete non-fixed numeric suffixes from file names, helping you quickly clean up file names.
Applicable Scenarios: Non-fixed numbers, serial numbers, date suffixes can all be processed by rules
The method in this article is suitable for situations where "there is a type of patterned text in file names." Being patterned does not require every keyword to be exactly the same, but rather that they share the same structure. For example, all are 4-digit numbers, 8-digit dates, a specific format of serial number, or all appear at the end of the file name. Compared to standard find and replace, the advantage of wildcard regular expressions is the ability to match a class of content, making it particularly suitable for batch fuzzy deletion of keywords from file names.
Common application scenarios include:
- Batch removal of 4-digit random suffixes from the end of docx, doc file names.
- Deleting system serial numbers from resource names to make file names shorter and more suitable for archiving.
- When organizing Word documents, PDF files, and Excel spreadsheets, uniformly cleaning up meaningless numbers in the names.
- Batch removal of platform identifiers, auto-generated numbers, and temporary suffixes from downloaded files.
- Performing batch standardization processing on file names only, without changing the file content.
The value of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool lies in batch processing files, reducing repetitive work. For this type of repetitive renaming task, it does not have users change files one by one, but instead imports a file list, sets search rules, and executes batch processing. This not only improves efficiency but also makes naming rules more consistent.
Result Preview: Different 4-digit numbers exist in file names before processing
From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see there are 5 Word documents in the folder, all with the .docx extension. The main body of each file name is different, and the number at the end is also different. The parts marked in red are 2468, 5820, 3091, 1357, and 2024 respectively. These numbers are the content to be deleted in this batch process.
If these file names were processed manually, you would need to enter rename mode, select the number, delete it, and save the name. Repeating this 5 times might be acceptable, but it would be very inefficient for 500 files. Additionally, manual operation easily leads to accidentally deleting part of the main file name or the extension, rendering the file unrecognizable. The benefit of using a batch processing tool is: as long as the rule is correct, the software will process all selected files uniformly according to the same rule.
The key pattern in this example is "consecutive 4-digit numbers." The regular expression \d{4} perfectly represents this pattern, so it can match 2468, 5820, 3091, 1357, and 2024 simultaneously, without needing to input these 5 numbers separately.
Result Preview: Main name retained and number deleted after processing
The post-processing screenshot shows that the file names originally with numeric suffixes have become concise: EnglishVocabulary2468.docx becomes EnglishVocabulary.docx, ExamReview5820.docx becomes ExamReview.docx, StudyPlan2024.docx becomes StudyPlan.docx. The file extension remains .docx, indicating that this operation only affected the matching text in the file name and did not change the file type.
This processing result is very suitable for data archiving. The main file name is clear, the numbers are removed, making subsequent identification easier whether searching in Windows folders or categorizing in document libraries. For users who frequently handle Word, docx, doc, PDF, and spreadsheet files, mastering this batch file name cleaning method can significantly reduce repetitive work.
Steps: Batch Deleting Numeric Suffixes from File Names in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool
Step 1: Open the file name tool and enter the find and replace file name function
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first click "File Name" in the left menu. This is the tool category related to tasks like file renaming, adding text to file names, and deleting text from file names. After entering this category, select "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names". In the screenshot, this function card is located as the first item and has a clear prompt, indicating it is used for batch finding and replacing keywords in file names.
Why choose this function instead of the separate "Delete Text from File Names" for this example? The reason is that the numbers we want to delete are not a fixed text string, but different numbers for different files. By using the find and replace function combined with formula-based fuzzy search, we can more flexibly use regular expressions to match non-fixed numbers. When the replacement content is left empty, the final effect is deletion.
Step 2: Add files or import files from a folder
After entering the function page, the first step is "Select records to process". There are two buttons in the upper right corner of the interface: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder". If you only process a few specific files, you can click "Add Files"; if all files in a folder need processing, you can use "Import Files from Folder". The screenshot has already imported 5 records, with the file path located at D:\test\ and all extensions being docx.
It is crucial to carefully check the file list in this step. The table will display information like name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. You can confirm whether the target files are imported and whether any files you don't want to process are included. For batch renaming tasks, verifying the file list is very important because the subsequent rules will be applied to the records here. Once confirmed, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the processing option settings.
Step 3: Select "Use formula for fuzzy text search"
On the "Set Processing Options" page, you will see "Set Keyword Options". Under search method, there are options like "Exact text search" and "Use formula for fuzzy text search". Since we want to delete different 4-digit numeric suffixes this time, we should select "Use formula for fuzzy text search". In the screenshot, this option is highlighted with a red box and is in the selected state.
"Formula fuzzy search" here can be understood as searching by pattern. Exact search is suitable for deleting completely identical words, such as every file name containing the word "copy"; whereas regex fuzzy search is suitable for deleting text that has the same form but different content, such as different numbers, dates, or serial numbers. In this example, 2468, 5820, 3091, 1357, 2024 are all different text strings, but they all conform to the rule of consecutive 4-digit numbers.
Step 4: Enter the regular expression \d{4} to find
In the left "List of keywords to find" area, enter \d{4}. This is the core setting for this batch process. It means matching consecutive 4-digit numbers, where \d represents a digit and {4} means appearing 4 times. Therefore, the software will look for text matching this rule in each file name.
Taking the files in the screenshot as an example, the software will find:
- 2468 in EnglishVocabulary2468.docx
- 5820 in ExamReview5820.docx
- 3091 in LearningGoals3091.docx
- 1357 in MathNotes1357.docx
- 2024 in StudyPlan2024.docx
Although these numbers have different content, they can all be matched by the same expression. This is the efficiency advantage of wildcard regular expressions in batch file name processing.
Step 5: Leave the replacement keyword list empty to delete matched content
The right area is the "List of replacement keywords". The screenshot also shows the prompt "Leave empty to delete". Therefore, do not enter any text on the right side this time. By keeping it empty, the software will replace the content matched by the left regular expression with nothing, effectively deleting these numbers.
If you enter other content on the right side, for example, "new version", the numbers would be replaced with "new version"; but the goal of this article is to remove the numbers, so it must be left empty. For batch deletion of keywords, numbers, or suffixes from file names, "Find content by rule, leave replacement empty" is a very common operational approach.
Step 6: Continue to set the save location and start processing
After completing the find and replace rules, click "Next". From the progress flow at the top of the page, you can see that the subsequent steps include "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing". In actual operation, continue following the wizard to confirm the save location, then enter the start processing phase. It is recommended to check three points again before processing: Is the file list correct? Is the search method set to 'Use formula for fuzzy text search'? Is the right-side replacement content empty?
Execute the batch process after confirmation. Once completed, you can go back to the folder to view the results; the 4-digit numeric suffixes in the file names should be deleted, while the main file names and extensions remain normal. If processing a large number of files, it is recommended to first test with a small sample to confirm the rules meet expectations before batch importing more files.
Rule Extension: Adjusting regular expressions based on different file name numbers
This article uses \d{4} because the numbers in the screenshots are all 4-digit. However, in actual work, file name patterns may differ. After understanding the meaning of the expression, you can make adjustments based on your own file name situation.
- If you need to delete 3-digit numbers, you can use \d{3}.
- If you need to delete 6-digit numbers, you can use \d{6}.
- If a file name contains fixed text plus numbers, such as "Number1234", you can combine fixed text and number rules according to the actual situation.
- If you want to delete dates, version numbers, etc., you should first observe the file name structure and then set corresponding rules.
However, the more flexible the regular expression, the more caution is needed. Especially when the main body of the file name itself might contain numbers, an overly broad expression could match parts you don't want to delete. For example, some file names originally have years or chapter numbers; confirm whether these numbers are truly useless before deletion.
Common Questions and Notes
1. Is this method only applicable to English file names?
No. The examples in the screenshots are English names with numeric suffixes, but the rule processes the numeric part, which has no direct relationship with whether the main file name is in Chinese or English. As long as the content you want to delete matches the regular rule you set, you can perform batch find and replace.
2. Will using regex also change the file content?
This article uses the "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names" function, and the processing target is the file name. As can be seen from the function name and list fields in the screenshots, it focuses on file information like name, path, and extension, not modifying the document's main content. The goal of this article's operation is also batch renaming, not editing Word content.
3. After replacing with empty, will the file name become blank?
If the file name has a main text body besides the numbers, it will not become blank. For example, after deleting 2024 from StudyPlan2024.docx, "StudyPlan" remains. But if a file name itself is only 4 digits, like 2024.docx, an inappropriate name might result after deletion. Therefore, check the file list before processing and exclude any special files if necessary.
4. Why not directly use the function for deleting text from file names?
If the text to be deleted is fixed, the direct delete text function might be more intuitive. But for this example, which involves deleting non-fixed numbers, using find and replace and selecting formula fuzzy search allows matching all 4-digit numbers at once with \d{4}, making it more suitable for batch fuzzy deletion of keywords.
5. What preparations should be made before batch processing?
It is recommended to back up important files first, or copy a test folder. Although batch renaming saves a lot of time, if rules are set incorrectly, it will also batch-generate unexpected names. Especially when handling company documents, contract files, course materials, and client files, it's safer to test on a small scale first.
Summary: Quickly complete batch file name cleanup using regex rules
When the numbers in file names are not fixed, manual deletion and standard find and replace are not efficient enough. With the help of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can complete batch file name processing in office software: first enter the "File Name" category, select "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names", then import the docx or other files that need processing, choose "Use formula for fuzzy text search", enter \d{4}, leave the replacement keyword list empty, and finally follow the wizard to set the save location and start processing.
Through this process, files that originally needed to be renamed one by one can have their numeric suffixes batch deleted according to the same rule. For users organizing Word documents, docx files, doc files, and other office materials, this method saves time and reduces errors caused by repetitive work. It is recommended that the next time you encounter file names with random numbers, serial numbers, or date suffixes, first observe the pattern, then use regular expressions for batch processing, making file organization work faster and more standardized.