When a project template folder needs to be copied into multiple project directories, manual copying and renaming can be very inefficient. This article takes generating folders from January to December 2026 as an example to explain how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch-create multiple new folders from an existing folder and automatically name them according to a name list. The tutorial includes before-and-after effects, specific steps, methods for filling in the name list, and considerations for batch operations, making it suitable for project archiving and office document management.
Many teams, when managing project materials, first prepare a standard template folder. This template folder might contain fixed directories such as "Contract Documents," "Communication Records," "Delivery Files," "Invoice Vouchers," "Image Assets," and may also include Word documents, Excel sheets, PDF instruction files, or text templates. For each new project, they need to copy the template folder and then rename it to the project name or month name.
If there are only one or two projects, manual copying is not a big issue; but if you need to generate 12, 30, or even hundreds of directories at once, repeated copying and renaming will waste a lot of time. This article introduces a more office-suitable approach: using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch copy an existing folder into multiple new folders and automatically rename them according to a name list. In the example, we will batch generate monthly directories from 2026-01 to 2026-12 from the "New folder".
Use Cases: Batch Reusing Template Directories to Reduce Repetitive Folder Creation
The need to batch copy template folders usually arises in work with strong standardized management. For example, a project management department needs to create identically structured material directories for each project; a finance department needs to copy a set of voucher archiving directories every month; an administrative department needs to create onboarding document folders for each employee; a sales team needs to create uniformly formatted follow-up document folders for different clients.
This type of work has two things in common: first, the folder structure is repetitive; second, the final names are different. When operating manually, users must constantly perform copy, paste, and rename steps, each of which is very mechanical. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , as an office software, focuses on helping users process files and folders in batches, leaving these rule-based repetitive tasks to the tool.
Besides the monthly directories in this example, the name list can also be replaced with project numbers, client names, contract numbers, employee names, store codes, etc. As long as you can prepare a list of names in advance, you can use the same approach to batch generate directories.
Effect Preview: Starting from a Source Folder and a Name List
Before processing, there is only one source folder named "New folder" on the desktop. The text on the right lists the names of the new folders to be generated, including 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, all the way to 2026-12. This view expresses the logic of the entire batch task: using "New folder" as the base, create copies one by one according to the names in the right-side list.
In actual work, the name list on the right is not necessarily months; it could also be "Project 001," "Project 002," or "Client A," "Client B." It is recommended to organize the names one per line before processing, making it clearer when pasted into the software and easier to verify the count.
Effect Preview: Directories Are More Organized After Batch Creation
After processing is complete, multiple new folders are displayed in the File Explorer, neatly arranged from 2026-01 to 2026-12. The type of each folder is "File folder," indicating that they are all successfully created directory folders.
This result is suitable for direct use in document filing. Taking months as an example, you only need to put the relevant files for each month into the corresponding directory later; taking projects as an example, each project can use the same set of initial directory structures, avoiding the management chaos caused by different members creating directories arbitrarily.
Operation Steps: Batch Copying Template Folders and Naming by List
Step 1: Open the File Organization Feature
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "File Organization" in the left navigation bar. After entering this page, you can see multiple file organization-related features. This time, you need to click "Batch create new folders based on an existing folder."
The purpose of selecting this feature is to tell the software that the current task is not general file classification, nor categorization by extension, but batch creation based on an already existing folder. The description text on the feature card in the screenshot also hints that it is suitable for batch copying an existing folder multiple times and supports custom names.
Step 2: Add the Template Folder
After entering the feature, you first need to select the record to be processed. Click "Add Folder" at the top right and select the source folder to serve as the template. In the example, "New folder" has already been added to the list, displaying its path, creation time, and modification time.
Special attention is needed for this step: what you add should be the "template folder to be copied," not the final output directory. That is, if you want to copy a standard project template into multiple project directories, you should add that standard project template. After adding, you can verify it using the name and path in the list. Once confirmed correct, click "Next" at the bottom.
Step 3: Enter the List of New Folder Names
On the "Set Processing Options" page, find the "New Name List." This is used to fill in the names of the final new folders to be generated. In the example, 12 lines of month names are entered: 2026-01 to 2026-12.
The quality of the name list will directly affect the final result. It is recommended to follow these principles: write only one name per line; do not include special characters that the system does not support; try to keep the format of names in the same batch consistent; if you need them in order, use fixed-length numbers, like 01, 02, 03, to avoid confusion during sorting.
The page also shows the option "Ignore all files, keep only the folder structure." For template directories, this option is very useful. If the template folder contains some sample files and you only want to copy the directory hierarchy, you can use this option as needed; if you also want the Word, Excel, PDF, or other files in the template folder to be copied to each new directory, you should choose carefully to ensure the processing result meets expectations.
Step 4: Set the Save Location and Execute
After setting the name list, continue by clicking "Next." From the page flow, you can see that the subsequent steps involve "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing." The save location determines where the batch-generated new folders are placed, and starting the processing will execute the batch creation task.
It is recommended to first choose a temporary directory for testing when using it for the first time. Once you confirm the generated effect meets expectations, then use it for official document directories. Especially when the source folder contains a large number of files, the copying process may take some time, and the save location must also ensure there is sufficient space.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Can I use names from an Excel sheet?
Yes, you can. Although the screenshot shows a name list input area, when actually organizing names, you can first prepare a column of data in Excel and then copy it into the name list. As long as it maintains one name per line after pasting, it is suitable for batch creation.
2. What is the relationship between the number of names and the number generated?
Typically, as many valid names as there are in the name list, that many new folders will be generated. With 12 names in the example, 12 folders are generated. It's recommended to check the number of lines before processing to avoid copying extra empty lines or missing a name.
3. Why is it recommended to use a unified naming format?
A unified format facilitates sorting and retrieval. For instance, it's suggested to write months as 2026-01, not 2026-1; project numbers as P001, P002, not P1, P2. This makes it clearer when viewing in Windows File Explorer.
4. Do I need to back up before batch processing?
If the source folder contains important files, it is recommended to keep the original template and not test repeatedly on the only important directory. Although batch operations can improve efficiency, they affect multiple results at once, so backing up beforehand and testing on a small scale is a safer practice.
Summary: Generate Template Directories in One Go
Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , repetitive operations like "copy the template folder, rename each one individually" can be transformed into a standardized process. Users only need to add the source folder, fill in the name list, set the save location, and start processing to quickly obtain multiple new folders with standardized naming.
For office scenarios like project materials, monthly archiving, client files, and department folders, this batch processing method can significantly reduce manual operation time and also improve naming consistency. It is recommended to organize the name list well before formal processing and test once with a small amount of data. After confirming everything is correct, batch generate the complete directory set.