When a large number of folder names contain the same year prefix, version number suffix, or fixed identifier, renaming them one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to missing changes. This article uses batch removal of "2026-" and "-version-1" from folder names as an example to introduce how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to clean up keywords in folder names. By adding folders, setting search keywords, leaving the replacement content empty, and executing the processing, you can quickly organize messy folder names into a cleaner and more uniform naming format.
In daily office work, many folders carry fixed text due to project archiving, download exports, system generation, or team collaboration. For example, a batch of project folders might all start with "2026-" and end with "-version-1". If there are only two or three folders, manual modification is acceptable; but with dozens or hundreds of folders, right-clicking to rename each one is very inefficient and can easily lead to missed deletions, accidental deletions, or inconsistent formatting.
This article addresses the common problem of "batch deleting keywords from many folder names." In the example, we need to simultaneously delete "2026-" and "-version-1" from folder names, changing "2026-client-proposals-version-1" to "client-proposals". The operation uses an office software tool— HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , whose core value is to help users batch process files and folders, reducing repetitive work and improving organization efficiency. Although the screenshots show folder name processing, similar ideas apply to daily office scenarios for uniformly organizing naming conventions for Word documents, docx, doc, Excel, PDF, and other files.
Applicable Scenarios: When is batch deletion of folder name keywords suitable?
Batch deleting specified text from folder names is suitable for various office and data organization scenarios. For instance, a company might generate a batch of project folders starting with the year each year, with names containing year prefixes like "2026-" or "2025-"; or during version archiving, folders may uniformly have identifiers like "-version-1", "_v1", "Final Version", etc., which need to be cleaned up into formal names later.
In roles like marketing, sales, finance, and project management, you often encounter folder names exported from systems that include fixed numbers, dates, batch numbers, or platform identifiers. Manual modification not only wastes time but also affects subsequent search and archiving. Using a batch rename tool, you can find and delete these fixed keywords in one go, keeping directory names neat and consistent.
In this example, all folder names contain two parts to be deleted: the prefix "2026-" and the suffix "-version-1". This operation essentially involves "finding specified text in folder names and replacing it with nothing". Therefore, as long as your goal is to delete fixed text from names, you can refer to the method in this article.
Effect Preview: What changes before and after processing?
Before Processing: Folder names contain year prefix and version suffix
From the screenshot before processing, you can see that each folder name starts with "2026-" and ends with "-version-1". For example, "2026-client-proposals-version-1", "2026-competitive-analysis-version-1", "2026-executive-reports-version-1", etc. The red boxes mark these recurring keywords that need to be removed.
This naming convention, while preserving source information, appears lengthy for formal archiving or external display. Especially when there are many folders, the list is less clean, and finding target data also slows down.
After Processing: Fixed keywords are deleted, names are more concise
The screenshot after processing shows that "2026-" and "-version-1" have been removed from the folder names. The original "2026-client-proposals-version-1" has become "client-proposals", and other folders have been cleaned up following the same rule. You can see that the names retain the truly business-meaningful parts, such as "competitive-analysis", "executive-reports", "go-to-market", "marketing-campaigns", etc.
The advantage of this processing method is the unified rules and clear results. If you had to delete the prefix and suffix manually one by one, you would need to edit at least two text segments per folder; using a batch processing tool, you only need to set up the rules once to complete the cleanup of an entire batch of directory names.
Operation Steps: Using Office Software to Batch Delete Folder Name Keywords
Step 1: Enter the folder name tool and select the find and replace function
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see multiple office processing categories in the left function bar, including File Name, Folder Name, File Organization, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Since the processing target this time is folder names, you need to enter the "Folder Name" category.
On the Folder Name function page, select "Find and replace keywords in folder names". As seen in the screenshot, the function description is "Batch find and replace keywords in file folder names", suitable for deleting or replacing fixed text in folder names.
The purpose of this step is to first determine the processing function to use. Since we are not modifying file contents or moving folders, but adjusting the folder names themselves, choosing the find-and-replace function under folder names is most appropriate.
Step 2: Add the folder records to be processed
After entering the function, the interface enters a step-by-step wizard. The first step is "Select records to process". In the top right corner, you can see buttons like "Add Folder", "Clear", "More", etc. Here you need to click "Add Folder" to add the folders you want to batch rename to the list.
The screenshot shows 10 records have been added. The list displays sequence number, name, path, creation time, modification time, and an action column. The name column shows each folder with "2026-" and "-version-1", the path column is used to confirm the location of these folders, and the summary area at the bottom shows a record count of 10.
The expected result of this step is: all folders to be processed appear in the list, and the count is correct. Before formal processing, it is recommended to briefly check the names and paths to avoid adding folders that do not need renaming to the task. If an incorrect addition is found, you can use the delete action in the list to remove a single record, or use "Clear" to re-add.
Step 3: Set the search keywords and leave the replace content empty
After clicking "Next", you enter "Set processing options". In this example, we want to delete fixed text, so select "Exact text search" for the "Search method". The red box in the screenshot marks this option, indicating the tool will perform an exact match based on the entered text.
In the "Keyword list to find", enter the keywords you need to delete respectively. In the example, two lines were entered: the first line is "2026-", the second line is "-version-1". On the right is the "Keyword list for replacement", and the interface prompts "Leaving blank means delete". Therefore, if the goal is to delete these keywords, not replace them with other text, keep the replacement list on the right empty.
This step is critical. It determines how the final folder names will change. Entering "2026-" deletes the year prefix at the beginning of the name; entering "-version-1" deletes the version suffix at the end. Since the replacement content is left empty, the software will remove the matched text from the folder names during processing.
Step 4: Proceed to the next step, set the save location, and start processing
From the process flow at the top of the interface, you can see subsequent steps: "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing". After completing the keyword settings, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page, follow the software wizard to finish setting the save location, and then enter the start processing step.
Since this is a batch modification of folder names, it is recommended to confirm the current task list, keyword list, and replacement settings are all correct before operation. Start the process after confirming correctness. After processing is complete, you can go back to File Explorer to check if the folder names have changed to the expected results.
The final result of this example is: all "2026-" and "-version-1" in the folder names are deleted, retaining the middle business names. This completes the batch renaming and avoids the repetitive work caused by manual individual modifications.
FAQ and Precautions
1. Why can the replaced keyword be left blank?
In this function, the find keyword is used to locate the text to process, and the replace keyword is used to specify the new text. If the replace content on the right is not filled in, it means deleting the found content. Therefore, when batch deleting folder name keywords, you only need to enter the text to be deleted on the left.
2. Can I delete multiple different keywords at once?
As seen in the screenshot, the "Keyword list to find" supports multi-line input. In this example, "2026-" and "-version-1" were entered simultaneously, indicating two keywords are deleted in one task. This approach is very practical for batch cleaning up prefixes, suffixes, numbers, version numbers, etc.
3. Do I need a backup before processing?
Batch renaming affects multiple folder names. Although the operation aims to improve efficiency, it is still recommended to confirm the list and rules before processing important data, and to back up critical directories if necessary, especially for important content like project deliverables, financial archives, contract folders, etc.
4. Do keywords need to be entered completely?
It is recommended to enter complete and unique keywords. For example, to delete a version identifier, enter "-version-1" instead of just "version". This reduces the probability of accidentally deleting other normal text. Be especially cautious when setting characters that may appear repeatedly in folder names.
Summary: Use batch processing tools to reduce repetitive renaming work
Batch deleting keywords from folder names is essentially a high-frequency repetitive operation in office data organization. With HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can transform the folder renaming work that originally required editing one by one into a process of adding folders once, setting rules once, and executing processing once. Whether deleting year prefixes, version number suffixes, or cleaning up fixed identifiers exported from systems, it can significantly save time.
If you are organizing a large number of project folders, client data folders, export directories, or archived materials, you might as well list the keywords that need to be deleted first, and then batch process them according to the steps in this article. This can make folder naming more uniform and also make subsequent searching, archiving, and sharing more efficient.