When many folder names share the same prefix, suffix, or version number, renaming them one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. This article uses batch deletion of "2026-" and "-version-1" from folder names as an example to show how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool and its "Find and replace keywords in folder names" function to batch-clear specified text from multiple folder names, enabling fast, consistent, and low-error folder naming cleanup.
In daily office work, we often encounter situations where a batch of folder names contain the same keywords. For example, project folders may uniformly have the year prefix "2026-" added, or "-version-1" appended at the end to differentiate versions. While this naming convention is useful at certain stages, there may be a need to uniformly remove these fixed texts when archiving materials, sharing externally, handing over to colleagues, or organizing shared drives. If there are only a few folders, manual renaming is acceptable; but if there are dozens or hundreds of folders, deleting keywords from names one by one becomes very inefficient and prone to omissions, over-deletions, or inconsistent formatting.
What this article aims to solve is precisely this type of office scenario: "batch deleting keywords from many folder names." In the example, folder names before processing are similar to "2026-client-proposals-version-1", "2026-marketing-campaigns-version-1", and need to become "client-proposals", "marketing-campaigns" after processing. That is, we need to simultaneously delete the "2026-" at the beginning and the "-version-1" at the end of the folder names. The following sections, combined with screenshots, will introduce how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to complete this type of batch folder name modification.
Applicable Scenarios: When is Batch Deletion of Folder Name Keywords Suitable?
Batch deleting specified text from folder names is suitable for organizing tasks involving a large number of folders with similar structures and uniform naming rules. Common scenarios include: project folder names uniformly containing a year prefix, such as "2026-", "2025-"; material directories uniformly ending with a version number, such as "-version-1", "-v2", "-final"; customer folders, contract folders, or report directories containing classification markers that are no longer needed; folder names exported from systems containing fixed numbers, batch numbers, or source identifiers that need to be uniformly cleaned up before archiving.
Essentially, this requirement is not about deleting the folders themselves, but about deleting a certain piece of text from the folder "names". As a software oriented towards batch processing of office files, HeSoft Doc Batch Tool provides "Folder Name" related capabilities in the left-hand tool category, helping users centralize repetitive renaming actions. Compared to manual modification one by one, the advantage of batch processing lies in unified operation rules, faster processing speed, and greater suitability for handling the standardization of large numbers of folder names.
Effect Preview: Folder Names Contain Prefix and Suffix Keywords Before Processing
From the pre-processing screenshot, it can be seen that multiple folder names follow the same naming format: prefixed with "2026-" and suffixed with "-version-1". For example, "2026-client-proposals-version-1", "2026-competitive-analysis-version-1", "2026-revenue-forecast-version-1", etc. The red boxes mark the common keywords that need to be deleted, including the year prefix at the beginning and the version number suffix at the end.
If handling these folders manually, a user would need to select each folder, enter rename mode, delete the prefix, and then delete the suffix, repeating this process ten or more times. As the number of folders increases, the cost of manual operation rises rapidly. More importantly, the names contain English hyphens; if the deletion position is inaccurate, it might disrupt the meaningful project name. Therefore, this type of text cleanup with clear rules is better suited for a batch tool.
Effect Preview: Folder Names Become More Concise and Uniform After Processing
The post-processing screenshot shows that the "2026-" and "-version-1" in the original folder names have been deleted, leaving only the core names, such as "client-proposals", "competitive-analysis", "executive-reports", "go-to-market", "growth-strategy", etc. It can be seen that the folders still exist; only the specified keywords in their names have been removed.
This effect is very suitable for office scenarios like material archiving, folder handover, and organizing shared directories. The processed names are shorter, clearer, and easier for subsequent searching and sorting. For team collaboration, uniformly removing unnecessary prefixes and suffixes can also reduce confusion when different members interpret the meaning of folders.
Steps: Entering the Keyword Processing Function Using the Folder Name Tool
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see multiple office processing categories on the left side of the software, including File Name, Folder Name, File Sorting, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Since the current processing target is "Folder Name", you need to first enter the "Folder Name" category on the left.
On the "Folder Name" page, the interface provides multiple function cards related to folder renaming. According to the screenshot, the one to select this time is "1. Find and replace keywords in folder names". Although the function name includes "replace", when the replaced keyword list is left blank, it achieves the effect of deleting specified text. Therefore, batch deletion of keywords from folder names can be accomplished through this function.
The purpose of this step is to enter the function module specifically designed for processing keywords in folder names. Upon entering, the software guides the user through steps like selecting records, setting processing options, setting save location, and starting processing. For users unfamiliar with batch renaming rules, this step-by-step process can lower the difficulty of operation.
Steps: Adding Folders to Process and Confirming the Record List
After entering the "Find and replace keywords in folder names" function, you first arrive at the "Select records to process" step. In the screenshot, buttons like "Add Folder", "Clear", and "More" can be seen in the upper-right corner, where "Add Folder" is used to add the folders needing batch processing to the list. "Clear" is used to clear the current list if the wrong folders are selected or re-selection is needed.
From the list, it can be seen that 10 folder records have been added. The table displays columns for sequence number, name, path, creation time, modification time, and actions. The Name column shows the folders awaiting processing, such as "2026-client-proposals-version-1", "2026-pricing-model-version-1"; the Path column shows the locations of these folders, for example, corresponding paths under a test directory on the D drive. The summary at the bottom shows "Record Count: 10", indicating that 10 folders will participate in the batch processing.
This step requires checking two key pieces of information. First, confirm whether all items in the list are the folders that need renaming this time; second, confirm whether the names indeed contain the keywords to be deleted. If a folder is found that should not be processed, its record can be removed using the delete icon in the actions column. After confirmation, click "Next" at the bottom to proceed to setting the processing rules.
Steps: Setting Keywords to Delete, Leaving Replacement Content Empty
The second step is "Set Processing Options", which means telling the software which texts to find and how to handle them once found. In the screenshot, "Exact Text Match" is currently selected. This option is suitable for deleting clear, fixed keywords, such as "2026-" and "-version-1". If the text you want to delete from folder names is a completely consistent prefix or suffix, using Exact Text Match is more intuitive.
In the "List of keywords to find", the example has two lines filled in: the first line is "2026-", the second line is "-version-1". This means the software will look for these two text strings in each folder name. To the right is the "List of keywords to replace with"; this area is empty in the screenshot, and the interface prompts "Leave blank to delete". Therefore, the processing logic in this example is: find "2026-" and delete it, find "-version-1" and also delete it.
A key point here: to delete text from folder names, you do not need to enter new replacement content. Simply filling in the keyword to find on the left, and keeping the corresponding replacement content on the right empty, achieves the goal of "batch deleting keywords". For deleting multiple keywords simultaneously, you can list them on separate lines like the example. This allows removing both the prefix and suffix in a single operation, without needing to execute twice.
After the settings are complete, click "Next" at the bottom of the page. According to the process flow at the top of the interface, the subsequent steps will be "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing". It is recommended here, before entering the final processing, to reconfirm whether the keywords include necessary connectors, such as the hyphen in "2026-" and the hyphen preceding "-version-1". If only "2026" is entered without the hyphen, an extra "-" might remain after processing; if only "version-1" is entered without the preceding "-", a separator might also be left at the end.
Steps: Continue to Set Save Location and Start Batch Processing
As can be seen from the function flow bar, the software uses a four-step process: Select records to process, Set processing options, Set save location, Start processing. The current screenshot shows progress up to the second step, so after filling in the keywords, you need to continue clicking "Next" and enter the subsequent steps according to the interface prompts. As the current processing target is folder names, the user should confirm the save or processing location in the next step based on the actual interface prompts before entering "Start Processing".
Before starting the processing, it is recommended that users perform a final check: Is the folder record count correct? Are the keywords entered accurately? Is the list of keywords to replace empty? Is it processing only the directory that currently needs organizing? Execute the batch processing only after confirming everything is correct. After completion, return to the directory where the folders are located, and you will see the names have changed to the post-processing effect, i.e., "2026-" and "-version-1" have been deleted, leaving only the core project name in the middle.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Will batch deleting folder name keywords delete folder contents?
No. The target of the operations in this article is to modify the text in folder names, not to delete the folders themselves, nor the files within the folders. After processing, the folder contents remain in their original folders; only the display name of the folder changes.
2. Why can "Find and Replace" also achieve deletion?
Because deletion can essentially be understood as "replacing specified text with nothing". In the screenshot, next to the "List of keywords to replace with", there is a prompt "Leave blank to delete". So when keywords are entered on the left and the replacement content on the right is left blank, the software will remove the found text.
3. Can I delete multiple keywords at once?
Yes. The example simultaneously filled in two keywords, "2026-" and "-version-1", to delete the prefix and suffix in one go. For other fixed texts like "draft", "copy", "old", "final version", etc., you can also list them line by line according to the actual names.
4. Should symbols be included when typing keywords?
It is recommended to input the complete text you wish to delete, including symbols such as hyphens, underscores, and spaces. For example, to change "2026-client-proposals" to "client-proposals", you should enter "2026-", not just "2026". This avoids leaving residual separators after processing.
5. Is a backup needed before processing?
If important material directories are involved, it is advisable to confirm the list and rules before batch processing, and back up the directory if necessary. The advantage of a batch tool is high efficiency, but this also means that if a rule is set incorrectly, it will simultaneously affect multiple records. Therefore, a pre-processing check is very important.
Summary: Reducing Repetitive Renaming Work with Batch Processing
Batch deleting keywords from folder names is a high-frequency need in many office material organization scenarios. Whether removing year prefixes, deleting version number suffixes, or cleaning up fixed identifiers exported from systems, as long as the naming rules are relatively uniform, it can be accomplished with the help of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . Through the "Find and replace keywords in folder names" function under the "Folder Name" category, users only need to add folders, fill in the keywords to delete, and leave the replacement content empty to complete batch folder renaming.
Compared to manual modification one by one, this method significantly reduces repetitive labor, lowers the probability of naming errors, and allows a large number of folders to reach a uniformly standardized state in a short time. If you are organizing project materials, customer directories, report folders, or shared drive directories, you can follow the steps in this article to first test the rules on a small number of folders, and once the effect is confirmed correct, proceed with batch processing on more folders.