When the same text, numbers, or status fields need to be uniformly modified across multiple Excel workbooks, opening each file individually and using find and replace is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article uses the examples of replacing Mandatory with Voluntary and 46060 with 888888 in Excel spreadsheets to demonstrate how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch find and replace keywords in multiple xlsx files, helping users quickly complete data revisions, template updates, and batch file maintenance.
In daily office work, Excel spreadsheets are often used to save data such as lists, product catalogs, project ledgers, financial details, and statistical reports. The problem is that once certain keywords in the same batch of Excel files need to be uniformly modified—for example, changing a status value from Mandatory to Voluntary, or updating a region code, project number, or customer ID from 46060 to 888888—if the number of files is large, manually opening each xlsx file and then searching and replacing one by one is extremely inefficient.
This article aims to solve the problem of "Batch find and replace keywords in many Excel spreadsheet files." The following will combine screenshots to demonstrate how to use the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to batch process Excel file contents. This tool is positioned as a batch file processing software for office scenarios, suitable for handling tasks that are highly repetitive, involve a large number of files, and are prone to errors when done manually.
Applicable Scenarios: Which Excel files are suitable for batch find and replace
Batch find and replace keywords in Excel is applicable to many real office scenarios. For example, the HR department needs to uniformly rename department names in multiple employee lists; operations staff need to replace old brand names with new ones in multiple product catalogs; project personnel need to batch update project statuses, area codes, and responsible person names in workbooks; and data organizers need to uniformly replace fixed numbers in multiple Excel reports.
From the screenshot example, the processing objects are multiple xlsx spreadsheet files, such as product_list.xlsx, team-participant-list.xlsx, and test.xlsx. Each file may contain the keywords that need to be modified. The content to be replaced in the example includes two groups: one group is the text Mandatory replaced with Voluntary, and the other group is the number or code 46060 replaced with 888888. This "set once, execute on multiple files" approach is particularly suitable for processing repeated text or codes in batch Excel, xlsx, xls, and other spreadsheet documents.
If only one file needs processing, Excel's built-in find and replace can also accomplish the task. But when the number of files reaches dozens or even hundreds, and they are even distributed across different folders, the value of a batch processing tool becomes very obvious: no need to repeatedly open, search, replace, and save, reducing mechanical operations and lowering the risk of omissions and replacement errors.
Effect Preview: Changes before and after processing
Before processing: Keywords to be replaced exist in multiple locations
In the Excel spreadsheet before processing, there is a large amount of "Mandatory" under column A "Mandatory or Voluntary Participant"; and there are multiple instances of "46060" in column D "CBSA". The screenshot uses red boxes and arrows to mark these items for replacement, indicating they are distributed in different cells, making manual item-by-item modification cumbersome.
If such content only appeared in the current worksheet, manual operation would still be barely manageable; but in actual office work, similar fields often appear across multiple workbooks, multiple worksheets, and in Excel files in different directories. Checking them one by one is not only time-consuming but may also lead to omissions due to filtering, hidden rows, a large number of worksheets, etc.
After processing: Keywords and codes have been uniformly replaced
After batch processing is complete, the original "Mandatory" in column A has become "Voluntary", and the original "46060" in column D has become "888888". In the screenshot, the replaced area is presented prominently for the user to verify the processing results.
From the before-and-after comparison, it can be seen that batch find and replace does not just modify a single cell, but executes uniformly across the selected Excel files according to the keyword list set by the user. For users who need to maintain a large number of spreadsheet files, this processing method can significantly reduce repetitive labor.
Operation Steps: Batch replacing Excel file content using office software
Step 1: Enter the Excel Tool and select the find and replace function
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "Excel Tools" from the function categories on the left. In the interface, you can see multiple Excel-related function cards, the first of which is "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel", indicating this function is specifically for batch find and replace of keywords in Excel file content.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch processing module. The user needs to click the function card "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel." Upon entering, the software will guide the user through the process of file selection, processing option settings, save location settings, and starting the process. Compared to operating file by file in Excel, using a dedicated batch processing entry makes the task clearer.
Step 2: Add the Excel files to be processed
After entering the function page, you first arrive at the "Select records to process" step. At the top right, you can see buttons such as "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," and "More." Users can choose files based on the actual situation: if only processing a few Excel files, they can click "Add Files"; if there is a folder with a batch of spreadsheets that need uniform processing, they can use "Import Files from Folder."
The screenshot shows that 3 xlsx files have been imported: product_list.xlsx, team-participant-list.xlsx, and test.xlsx. The list displays information such as sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time, with a total record count of 3 at the bottom. Users can use this information to confirm if the files are added correctly. If files not intended for processing are mistakenly added, they can be removed using the delete icon in the operation column; if the file list needs to be re-selected, "Clear" can also be used.
The expected result of this step is to add all Excel files requiring batch keyword replacement to the task list. After confirming correctness, click "Next" at the bottom of the page to proceed to processing option settings.
Step 3: Set Excel processing scope and keyword replacement rules
The second step is "Set Processing Options." From the screenshot, you can see the options are divided into "Set Excel Options" and "Set Keyword Options." These settings are critical because they determine where the software will look within the Excel files and what to replace found items with.
In the "Processing Scope," the screenshot shows "Cell Text" is checked. This means the software will search for keywords in the Excel cell content. Other options visible in the interface include "Worksheet Sheet Names" and "Text in Shapes on the Worksheet," etc. If the user's replacement needs involve worksheet names or shape text, they can check them based on the actual situation; this example mainly replaces statuses and codes in cells, so selecting "Cell Text" is sufficient.
In the "Cell Formula Type to Process," the screenshot selects "No restriction." This means cells will be judged according to the current settings regardless of whether they contain formulas. The interface also provides handling methods related to cells containing formulas, such as processing by the formula's calculated value or by the formula expression. For ordinary text, code, and status field replacements, keeping the settings shown in the example is usually fine.
In the "Cell Data Type to Process," the screenshot checks "Text." Since many Excel codes, while looking like numbers, may be stored in the spreadsheet in text format (for example, codes with leading zeros, product codes, area codes), special attention must be paid to the data type when processing code-type content. The screenshot also shows a data type conversion setting: automatically convert to the data type before processing, and if the conversion fails, convert this cell to text. Users can judge if adjustments are needed based on the actual situation of the spreadsheet.
Next, proceed to "Set Keyword Options." In the screenshot, the "Find Method" is "Exact Text Match," which means only exactly matching content will be replaced. The "List of Keywords to Find" in the example contains two rows: the first is Mandatory, the second is 46060; the "List of Keywords to Replace With" on the right also has two rows: the first is Voluntary, the second is 888888. The lists correspond by row, meaning Mandatory will be replaced with Voluntary, and 46060 will be replaced with 888888.
A crucial point to note here: if multiple pairs of keywords are being replaced simultaneously, the row count and order on the left and right sides must correspond. The first row corresponds to the first row, the second to the second. After completing the settings, click "Next" to go to the save location settings.
Step 4: Set the save location and start batch processing
From the top flow of the page, you can see the software has two subsequent steps: "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing." Although the screenshot does not expand the save location page, according to the process, the user needs to specify the save location for the processed files in the 3rd step, then proceed to the 4th step to execute the task.
It is recommended to choose an independent output directory to save the results before formal processing, making it easier to distinguish them from the original files. For important Excel files, it's best to keep a backup of the original files before running the batch replacement task. After setting the save location, continue to the start processing step, and the software will process the multiple Excel files sequentially based on the previously imported file list and keyword replacement rules.
The expected result of this step is to batch generate Excel files with the find and replace completed. After processing, the user can open one of the files for a spot check to confirm whether the keywords were replaced successfully according to the rules.
Step 5: Open the result files to verify the replacement effect
After processing ends, open the resulting Excel file for verification. According to the post-processing screenshot, the original Mandatory has been replaced with Voluntary, and the original 46060 has been replaced with 888888. Users should focus on checking the columns where the replaced fields are located, areas where key codes appear frequently, and whether there is any content that shouldn't have been replaced.
If the replacement scope is found to be too broad, you can go back to re-set the processing conditions, such as only processing cell text, or further limit the processing scope based on the spreadsheet structure. For tasks requiring precise control, it is recommended to first test with a small number of files, confirm the rules are correct, and then batch process all files.
FAQ and Precautions
1. Why is "Exact Text Match" recommended?
The example selected "Exact Text Match." For status values, codes, and fixed fields, exact matching is safer, as it avoids mistakenly replacing other content that contains the same character fragment. For example, if you only want to replace 46060, you don't want it to affect other longer strings that include 46060. Whether to use exact matching should be decided based on the characteristics of the data.
2. How to avoid correspondence errors when replacing multiple pairs of keywords?
The keyword lists on the left and right correspond by row. The 1st row on the left corresponds to the 1st row on the right, the 2nd row on the left to the 2nd row on the right. Before setting up, it's best to organize a replacement mapping table first, then copy it into the software to avoid errors like mismatching Mandatory with 888888.
3. Pay attention to data type when replacing numeric codes
Codes in Excel are not necessarily true numbers; some codes are in text format. The data type processed in the screenshot checks "Text" and provides related data type conversion options. When encountering codes, numbers, ID numbers, area codes, etc., it is recommended to first confirm the cell data type before setting the replacement rules.
4. Do I need to back up files before processing?
Backup is recommended. The advantage of batch processing is high efficiency, but once rules are set incorrectly, it can also produce erroneous results in multiple files simultaneously. A safer approach is to back up the original files first, or save the output results to a new directory, and then archive and use them after confirming there are no errors.
5. Can I process multiple Excel files?
Yes. From the screenshot, you can see the software imported 3 xlsx files at once and processed them in the same task. In actual use, you can select multiple files by using "Add Files," or batch import Excel files from a directory through "Import Files from Folder."
Summary: Reduce repetitive Excel modification work with batch processing
Batch find and replace keywords in Excel files essentially solves the problem of repetitive office operations. Compared with opening Excel files one by one, searching one by one, and replacing one by one, using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool can centralize file selection, rule setting, and batch execution into a single workflow.
When you need to uniformly modify keywords, status fields, codes, or fixed text across multiple xlsx, xls, and other Excel spreadsheets, you can follow the steps in this article: enter Excel Tools, select "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel," import files, set the cell text scope and replacement list, specify the save location, and then start processing. It is recommended to test the rules with a small number of files first, and run the batch job after confirming correctness. This can improve processing efficiency and reduce the risk of errors from manual omissions and repetitive labor.