Many project materials, market analyses, quotation models, and other folders are often created with fixed characters such as year, batch, and version numbers, for example, "2026-" and "-version-1". When these identifiers are no longer needed, manually deleting them one by one is both slow and error-prone. This article uses a complete example to explain how to use the folder name feature of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch find and delete specified text in folder names, making the folder names more concise and better suited for archiving and sharing.
In company data drives, project collaboration directories, or personal work folders, many directory names contain management identifiers. For example, to distinguish between years, "2026-" might be added to the front of a folder name; to indicate a phase, "-version-1" might be appended to the end. These identifiers are helpful for management during folder creation, but when it comes to archiving materials, delivering to clients, uploading to shared spaces, or organizing final directories, they often need to be uniformly removed. If you're only dealing with one or two folders, manual renaming isn't a big issue; but when facing a whole batch of folders, repeatedly deleting the same text becomes a low-value, mechanical task.
This article focuses on "batch deleting keywords from many folder names," demonstrating how to change a batch of folders named like "2026-client-proposals-version-1" into "client-proposals". The operation uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , a batch processing software designed for office scenarios. Its core value lies in helping users handle files and folders centrally, reducing repetitive work and improving data organization efficiency. The following sections will explain the applicable scenarios, the before-and-after effects, specific steps, and important notes.
Applicable Scenarios: Office Tasks Requiring Cleanup of Fixed Characters in Folder Names
Batch removal of years and version numbers from folder names typically occurs in directories with relatively uniform naming conventions. For instance: project folders uniformly starting with a year that need the year removed during subsequent organization; multiple proposal folders all containing "version-1" that need the version marker deleted for final archiving; client folders exported from business systems carrying batch or task numbers that need cleaning before delivery; or batch-created directory names by team members containing the same prefix, suffix, or tag that need to be standardized.
The common feature of these problems is: the text to be deleted is fixed and exists in multiple folder names. As long as the keywords to be deleted can be clearly identified, it can be done through batch find-and-replace. For organizing Word documents, docx, doc, Excel spreadsheets, or PDF files, many people think of batch renaming files; but in practical office work, folder names also need standardization. Whether the names of project directories, contract directories, report directories, and asset directories are consistent directly impacts subsequent search and collaboration efficiency.
Effect Preview: Names Containing "2026-" and "-version-1" Before Processing
In the screenshot before processing, you can see that the folder names share a common structure: starting with "2026-", having the specific business name in the middle, and ending with "-version-1". Examples include "2026-client-proposals-version-1", "2026-executive-reports-version-1", "2026-growth-strategy-version-1", "2026-supplier-management-version-1", etc. The red annotations clearly indicate the positions of the keywords to be batch-deleted this time.
If you modify each folder manually, you would need to repeatedly delete the prefix and suffix. Because these names use hyphens as connectors, you must also be careful not to accidentally delete parts of the middle business name during manual operation; for instance, "go-to-market" itself contains hyphens. If you accidentally delete one extra character, the meaning of the folder name might change. Using a batch tool to set precise keywords prevents the need to manually locate deletion points for every folder.
Effect Preview: Only Core Folder Names Remain After Processing
After processing is complete, the "2026-" at the front of the folder names has disappeared, and the trailing "-version-1" has also been removed, leaving behind cleaner, core names. In the screenshot, you can see names like "client-proposals", "competitive-analysis", "executive-reports", "go-to-market", "marketing-campaigns", and "pricing-model", which are clearer overall and more suitable as official archive directories.
The post-processing effect demonstrates that batch-deleting keywords does not change the business meaning of the folders; it simply removes management identifiers that are no longer needed. For large volumes of project materials, this uniform cleanup creates a cleaner directory structure and reduces distractions for users when searching and browsing folders.
Operation Steps: Enter the Folder Name Category and Select the Keyword Function
First, open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . According to the screenshot, the product name is displayed in the top-left corner, and the left side provides multiple tool categories, including Home, Task Flow, All Tools, File Name, Folder Name, File Organization, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc. Since we need to process folder names this time, click "Folder Name" on the left side.
After entering the "Folder Name" page, you will see several function cards, such as "Find and Replace Keywords in Folder Names", "Insert Text into Folder Name", "Add Prefix and Suffix to Folder Name", "Folder Name Case Conversion", "Delete Text from Folder Name", etc. In the screenshot, the red arrow points to "Find and Replace Keywords in Folder Names". This example selects this function because it allows you to specify the text to find and achieve deletion by replacing it with nothing.
The expected result of this step is to enter the batch processing workflow. Choosing the right function is important: if you only want to delete fixed keywords like years, version numbers, codes, or tags, "Find and Replace Keywords in Folder Names" allows for more precise control over the deletion content.
Operation Steps: Add Folders and Verify Records to be Processed
After entering the function, the current function name "Find and Replace Keywords in Folder Names" is displayed at the top of the page, and the processing flow is shown as a step bar. The first step is "Select records to be processed". The "Add Folders" button in the top right corner is used to add the folders you want to rename to the processing list; nearby are also operation entries like "Clear" and "More".
The table in the screenshot lists 10 folders to be processed. The table fields include Sequence Number, Name, Path, Creation Time, Modification Time, and Actions. The Name column confirms these folders all contain "2026-" and "-version-1"; the Path column confirms they are located in the same test directory. The summary at the bottom shows the record count is 10, indicating that batch name processing will be performed on 10 folders this time.
At this step, it's recommended not to rush to the next step but to first check if the list is accurate. If folders that shouldn't be processed were accidentally added, you can remove them using the delete icon in the Actions column. For batch renaming, the record list defines the processing scope; the more accurately the scope is confirmed, the more controllable the subsequent results. After confirming there are no errors, click "Next" at the bottom of the page to proceed to the processing options settings.
Operation Steps: Select Exact Text Find and Enter Keywords to Delete
The second step is "Set processing options". As seen in the screenshot, "Exact Text Find" is selected in the "Find Method" area. When the content to be deleted is specific text, like "2026-" and "-version-1", choosing exact find is easier to understand and more suitable for general office users.
In the "Keywords to find list", enter one keyword per line. In the example, "2026-" is entered in the first line to delete the year prefix from the front of folder names; "-version-1" is entered in the second line to delete the version number suffix from the end. The right side is the "Replacement keywords list", which is left blank in the screenshot, and the interface prompts "Leave blank to indicate deletion". This is the core of this operation: replacing the specified keywords with nothing effectively deletes them from the folder names.
Pay special attention to the completeness of the keywords when setting them up. For example, to change "2026-client-proposals-version-1" to "client-proposals", you should enter "2026-" on the left, not just "2026", because the hyphen is also a character that needs to be deleted. Similarly, to delete the trailing "-version-1", it's best to include the preceding hyphen so no extra connector is left after processing. Once finished, click "Next" at the bottom.
Operation Steps: Complete Save Location Confirmation and Start Processing According to the Workflow
According to the step bar at the top of the page, after setting the processing options, you need to continue with "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing". Although the screenshot only shows up to the second step, the process names clearly indicate the subsequent steps. After the user clicks "Next", they should follow the software interface prompts to continue confirming the save or processing location, and then proceed to the start processing phase.
Before actually starting the process, it is advisable to perform one more rule check: Are the correct folders selected? Is "Exact Text Find" chosen? Are the left-side keywords "2026-" and "-version-1" respectively? Is the right-side replacement keywords list kept empty? After confirming this information, execute the batch process. Once processing is complete, return to the original folder directory to check, and you will see that the years and version numbers in the names have been uniformly deleted.
Common Questions and Notes
1. Why can the replacement list on the right be left blank?
Because the goal this time is not to replace "2026-" with other text but to delete it directly. The interface prompt "Leave blank to indicate deletion" clarifies this. This method is suitable for cleaning fixed prefixes, suffixes, codes, and similar text.
2. What if I only want to delete one keyword?
Simply fill in that one keyword in the "Keywords to find list". For example, if you only want to delete "-version-1", just enter that item and leave the others blank. The software will execute the processing based on the keywords you set.
3. Can I delete both prefix and suffix at the same time?
Yes. The example in this article demonstrates simultaneously deleting the "2026-" prefix and the "-version-1" suffix. Entering multiple keywords on separate lines is suitable for clearing multiple fixed texts from folder names in one go.
4. Will the folder path change after deleting keywords?
After the folder name changes, the last level name in the displayed path will change accordingly; this is a normal result of renaming. The folder itself and the materials inside it will not disappear because the name text was deleted. However, if other documents or shortcuts reference the old path, you may need to update those references later.
5. How to reduce the risk of errors before batch processing?
It is recommended to first select a small number of folders for a test run, confirm the results meet expectations, and then process the entire directory. Also, keywords should be written as completely as possible, especially separators like hyphens, spaces, and underscores. If you are unsure whether a certain character should be deleted, first observe the uniform pattern in the names before processing.
Summary: Hand Over Repetitive Folder Renaming to the Batch Tool
Batch removing years and version numbers from folder names seems like a simple renaming operation, but when the number of folders increases, manual processing can waste a lot of time. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool uses its Folder Name function to centralize the process of "find keywords, replace with nothing, batch execute," making it suitable for handling project materials, report directories, client folders, market analysis folders, and various other office scenarios.
If your folder names also contain similar fixed text like "2026-", "-version-1", "-final", "-old", "copy", you can refer to the method in this article: first add the folders to be processed, then fill in the content to be deleted in the keyword list, leave the replacement list blank, and finally complete the processing according to the workflow. This reduces repetitive labor and makes folder naming more uniform and standardized. It is recommended to test the rules on a small sample batch before formally processing a large number of directories, and only perform the batch execution after confirming there are no errors.