When a large number of folders need to be uniformly appended with fixed text, dates, or project numbers, manual renaming is inefficient and error-prone. This article focuses on the office task of "batch adding fixed text before folder names" and demonstrates how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch add prefixes to folder names. The example shows multiple folders such as Annual_Plans, Backup_Data, and Client_Files being uniformly prefixed with "2025-12", along with before-and-after screenshots to illustrate the effect. It also breaks down key steps such as adding folders, setting prefixes, and continuing processing.
When organizing computer files, you often encounter this issue: a batch of folder names are correct in themselves, but lack a uniform identifier. For example, a directory might contain folders like Annual Plans, Client Files, Design Documents, Finance Records, Marketing Materials, and Project Reports. If all these materials belong to the same month or batch, it's best to add a date or batch prefix before the folder name. This not only facilitates sorting but also makes it easier to quickly determine the source of the materials later.
If you only need to change one or two folders, manual renaming is sufficient; but if you need to add the same text to dozens or even hundreds of folder names, modifying them individually is clearly unsuitable for an office scenario. This article introduces a more efficient method: using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , in the "Folder Name" related functions, to batch add fixed text before folder names. The example goal is to uniformly add the prefix "2025-12" to multiple folders.
Applicable Scenarios: Fixed Text, Dates, and Numbers Can All Serve as Folder Prefixes
Batch adding fixed text before folder names is suitable for various material archiving and directory standardization scenarios. For instance, when administrative staff organize monthly meeting materials, they can add a month prefix to folders for meeting minutes, sign-in sheets, and notices; when finance staff organize reimbursement, invoice, and budget materials, they can add a prefix by month or quarter; when project managers organize project documents, they can add the project number before folders for requirements, design, development, testing, and delivery; when operations staff organize images, copy, and event materials, they can also use prefixes to distinguish event batches.
The prefix is not limited to dates. It can be "2025-12", or fixed text like "ClientA-", "P001_", "Archive-", "EastChina_", etc. The key is that this text needs to uniformly appear at the beginning of multiple folder names, making the directory structure more regular.
HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is positioned as a document batch processing software for office scenarios. It can not only handle folder names but also provides categories like File Name, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, and Image Tools. For users who frequently deal with doc, docx, xls, xlsx, pptx, pdf, and large volumes of material directories, batch processing capabilities can significantly reduce repetitive operations.
Effect Preview: From Unprefixed Directories to Uniformly Prefixed Directories
Before Processing: Folder Names Are Scattered, Lacking Batch Information
In the screenshot before processing, you can see multiple folders displayed with their original names, including Annual_Plans, Backup_Data, Client_Files, Design_Documents, Finance_Records, Marketing_Assets, Project_Reports, Resource_Library, Team_Meetings, and Technical_Notes. They represent different types of materials, but the names lack unified time or batch information at the beginning.
If these folders are scattered across multiple directories, or a similar set of folders is generated every month, the lack of a prefix makes subsequent retrieval and archiving less intuitive. Especially in Windows File Explorer, name sorting often becomes an important basis for finding materials, and a unified prefix can group the same batch of folders together.
After Processing: "2025-12" Uniformly Added Before All Folder Names
The processed screenshot shows that "2025-12" is added before every folder name. For example, Annual_Plans becomes 2025-12Annual_Plans, Finance_Records becomes 2025-12Finance_Records, and Technical_Notes becomes 2025-12Technical_Notes. This makes it clear at a glance that these folders belong to materials related to December 2025.
This method of batch adding prefixes is suitable for standardizing directory naming. Once the prefix rule is determined, the software can uniformly apply it to multiple folders, avoiding inconsistencies like "2025-12", "2025_12", "2025- 12" that occur during manual input.
Steps: Batch Add Fixed Text Before Folder Names
Step 1: Open the Software and Select the Folder Name Processing Function
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , look at the left function navigation. Since the processing target this time is folder names, you need to select "Folder Name" on the left. Under this category, the interface displays multiple functions related to folder names, including finding and replacing keywords in folder names, inserting text into folder names, adding prefixes and suffixes to folder names, converting folder name case, deleting text from folder names, etc.
As the goal this time is to add fixed text to the beginning of folder names, select "3. Add Prefix and Suffix to Folder Names". The description of this function is "Batch add a prefix or suffix to folder names", which exactly matches the need to batch add text before folder names.
After completing this step, the software will enter the corresponding batch processing page. Your goal at this point is not to start processing immediately, but to first add the folders you need to rename to the task list.
Step 2: Click "Add Folders" to Import the Directories to be Processed
After entering the "Add Prefix and Suffix to Folder Names" page, the page flow will start from "Select records to be processed". Click the "Add Folders" button in the upper right corner and select the folders you want to batch add a prefix to. Once added, the folders will be displayed in the table list.
In the screenshot, you can see the table includes columns for Sequence Number, Name, Path, Creation Time, Modification Time, and Actions. Currently, 10 records have been added, and the bottom summary shows "Record Count: 10". These records are the folders that will be batch processed subsequently.
It is recommended to carefully check two things in this step: First, whether all the folders in the Name column are the objects you need to rename this time; Second, whether the Path column points to the correct location. Because once batch renaming is executed, it will simultaneously affect multiple folders in the list, and checking in advance can reduce mishandling.
If folders that don't need processing are mixed into the list, you can use the delete icon in the "Actions" column to remove them; if all selections are wrong, you can also use "Clear" on the page to add again. For a large number of directories, the "Filter" and "Sort" functions in the list are also helpful for checking records.
Step 3: Set Processing Options, Enable Add Prefix
After confirming the folder list is correct, click "Next Step" at the bottom of the page to enter "Set Processing Options". On this page, there are two settings sections: "Add Prefix" and "Add Suffix". To add fixed text before folder names, you need to turn on the "Add Prefix" switch and enter the desired content in the input area.
In the example, "Add Prefix" is enabled with "2025-12" entered. Meanwhile, "Add Suffix" is kept off, indicating no text will be added at the end of the folder names.
This step is the core of the entire batch renaming process. Based on the text entered here, the software will apply the same rule to all folder names in the list. In other words, whatever content is in the input box will appear at the very beginning of each folder's original name after processing.
If you want better readability between the prefix and the original folder name, you can include the connector in the prefix. For example, entering "2025-12_" might result in "2025-12_Annual_Plans"; entering "ProjectA-" might result in "ProjectA-Annual_Plans". Therefore, before clicking next, it's advisable to confirm whether the prefix format complies with team standards.
Step 4: Enter the Save Location and Start Processing Flow
After setting the prefix, continue by clicking "Next Step". As seen from the page's top progress flow, "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing" follow. Continue completing the subsequent settings according to the software interface prompts, and execute the processing in the final step.
After processing is complete, you can go back to the original folder location to view the results. Based on the example effect, all 10 folders in the list will uniformly have the "2025-12" prefix added. This way, a set of material directories that originally lacked batch identification achieves standardized naming.
Common Questions or Considerations
1. Clarify the Naming Rule Before Batch Adding Prefixes
A major issue many office teams face when organizing materials isn't the inability to rename, but inconsistent rules. Some use dates, some use project names, some use underscores, and some use hyphens. Before using a batch tool, it's recommended to first determine a standard format, such as "YYYY-MM_Original Name", "ProjectNumber-Original Name", or "DepartmentAbbreviation_Original Name". Executing the batch process after the rule is set will yield more stable organization results.
2. The Prefix Will Be Directly Added Before the Original Folder Name
As seen from the processed results, "2025-12" appears directly before the original name. If you need a space, underscore, or hyphen, you need to actively include these characters when entering the prefix. The software processes according to the input content and will not automatically determine if you need a separator.
3. Folder Names Cannot Contain Characters Not Allowed by the System
Windows folder names cannot arbitrarily contain certain special characters. Although the screenshot uses a safe date text "2025-12", if the prefix you enter includes characters that do not comply with system rules, it might affect the renaming. It is recommended to use common characters like letters, numbers, Chinese characters, hyphens, and underscores to formulate the prefix.
4. Avoid Interference from Others When Processing Shared Directories
If the folders are located on a shared drive, sync drive, or team collaboration directory, it's best to confirm before processing that no one else is opening or writing files within them. Batch modifying folder names might affect others' path references or prevent some directories from being renamed due to locking.
5. Do Not Confuse Folder Name Processing with File Name Processing
This article demonstrates batch renaming of folders, not batch modification of Word, Excel, PDF, etc. file names. If you want to add a prefix to docx, doc, xlsx, pdf, pptx file names, you should select File Name related functions; if you want to process the directories themselves, you should enter the "Folder Name" category. Choosing the correct processing object is a prerequisite for successful batch operations.
Summary: Batch Adding Fixed Prefixes Makes Directory Organization More Efficient
Batch adding fixed text before folder names is a very practical operation in material archiving, project management, and daily office work. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , the repetitive manual renaming process can be transformed into a standardized batch process: first select the "Add Prefix and Suffix to Folder Names" function, then add the folder list, next enable "Add Prefix" and enter the fixed text, and finally complete the processing by following the workflow.
In the example in this article, multiple folders uniformly had the "2025-12" prefix added. After processing, the directories are easier to identify by batch and more convenient for sorting and searching. For office users who frequently organize client materials, project documents, financial records, backup data, and meeting materials, this batch processing method can save a significant amount of repetitive labor time while reducing errors caused by manual input.
If you are facing a large number of folders that need uniform date, number, or classification identifiers added, you can first organize the naming rules, then use this function to batch complete the task. The more repetitive and numerous the folder renaming tasks are, the more suitable they are to be handed over to office software for processing.