When there are many files, adding project names, dates, and classification keywords in front of file names one by one is very time-consuming and prone to omissions or errors. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use the "add prefix and suffix to file names" feature in office software to rename files such as black.jpg, green.jpg to image-black.jpg, image-green.jpg in one go, suitable for unified naming scenarios for various types of files such as images, Word, PDF, and Excel.
When organizing image materials, project files, client documents, or archived files, you often encounter a seemingly simple but time-consuming problem: many file names need a unified prefix added. For example, uniformly marking a batch of image files as image-, adding "2026 Project-" before contract files, or classifying Word documents, .docx, .doc, PDF, and Excel spreadsheets by client name. Manually modifying two or three files is acceptable; but when the number reaches dozens, hundreds, or even more, right-clicking and renaming each one is not only inefficient but also prone to missed changes, spacing errors, and inconsistent prefixes.
This article aims to solve the problem of "batch adding a prefix to many file names." It will combine screenshots to introduce how to use the file name processing function in the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to add the same prefix to multiple files at once. This tool is positioned as an office software for batch processing of documents and files, suitable for reducing repetitive work, especially for tasks like batch renaming and batch file name organizing in daily office work.
Applicable Scenarios: When is it suitable to batch add prefixes to file names?
Batch adding file name prefixes is suitable for many office scenarios. For example, designers export a batch of jpg and png images and need to uniformly add the project name; administrative or financial staff receive multiple scanned copies and need to add the month or department in front of the file name; teachers organizing courseware need to uniformly add course numbers to multiple Word, .docx, .doc, and PDF files; e-commerce operators organizing product images may also need to add SKU or category identifiers before the image name.
The function of a prefix is to make files easier to identify and sort in File Explorer. For instance, original file names like black.jpg, green.jpg, sun.jpg only look like individual names; after adding image-, they become image-black.jpg, image-green.jpg, image-sun.jpg, allowing users to see at a glance that these files belong to the same batch of image resources. This is more convenient for subsequent searching, archiving, system uploading, and client delivery.
If processed manually, the steps are usually selecting the file, pressing F2, moving the cursor to the beginning of the file name, typing the prefix, pressing Enter, and then repeating the operation for the next file. This process is mechanical, repetitive, and error-prone. By using batch processing office software, the action of "repeatedly entering the prefix" can be handed over to the tool; the user only needs to import files, set the prefix text, and execute the process.
Effect Preview: What the file names look like before processing
First, look at the file list before processing. The screenshot shows 5 jpg image files, named black.jpg, green.jpg, sun.jpg, tree.jpg, and white.jpg respectively. Their names are relatively short but lack a unified classification identifier. If these files are only temporarily stored in a folder, they can be recognized, but once mixed with other images and documents, it becomes difficult to determine which batch they belong to.
From the perspective of SEO user search habits, many people search for issues like "adding the same text before multiple file names," "batch add prefix to jpg file names," "batch rename files by adding prefix," etc. Although the example here uses jpg images, the same approach applies to common office files like .docx, .doc, .xlsx, .pdf, .txt; as long as unified naming is needed, a similar process can be adopted.
Effect Preview: Uniformly adding the image- prefix after processing
After processing, the prefix image- is uniformly added to the front of the file names. The original black.jpg becomes image-black.jpg, green.jpg becomes image-green.jpg, sun.jpg becomes image-sun.jpg, tree.jpg becomes image-tree.jpg, and white.jpg becomes image-white.jpg. It is observable that the file extension .jpg is not changed; the change occurs at the beginning of the main file name body.
This effect is very suitable for situations where you need to retain the meaning of the original file name while adding a unified classification identifier. For example, the original black, green, sun are still retained, and the preceding image- indicates that these files belong to image assets. Compared to completely replacing the file name, adding a prefix is safer as it does not destroy the key information in the original name.
Operation Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to add file name prefixes
Step 1: Enter the "File Name" category and select "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see multiple office processing categories on the left, including File Name, Folder Name, File Organizer, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, Video Tools, Audio Tools, etc. Since this article needs to process file names, select "File Name" on the left.
In the File Name function list, find "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name." In the screenshot, this function is the 3rd item in the list, described as "Batch add a prefix or suffix to file names." This perfectly matches the requirement of this article: we want to uniformly add the same content to the beginning of multiple file names.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch renaming function page. The expected result is to enter the wizard-style processing interface for "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name," where files can be imported and prefix text set subsequently.
Step 2: Add the files to be processed and confirm the file list
After entering the function, the top of the interface displays the current function name "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name," and the process is divided into 4 steps: Select Records to Process, Set Processing Options, Set Save Location, Start Processing. Step 1 is Selecting Records to Process.
In the screenshot, you can see buttons like "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," "More" in the upper right corner. According to the interface display, 5 files have been imported; the list shows information like serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time. The file names are black.jpg, green.jpg, sun.jpg, tree.jpg, white.jpg, and the extension is jpg for all.
The purpose of this step is to add the files requiring batch renaming to the processing list. The expected result is that all files to be processed are displayed in the table, and users can check the file names and paths for correctness. If the wrong files were imported, you can delete the corresponding record via the operation column in the interface, or use "Clear" to re-add. After confirming the list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the processing options settings.
Step 3: Enable "Add Prefix" and enter the prefix text to add
After entering Step 2 "Set Processing Options," you can see two main setting areas: Add Prefix and Add Suffix. This article's requirement is to add content to the front of the file name, so you need to enable "Add Prefix." In the screenshot, the "Add Prefix" switch is in the enabled state, and the input box is filled with image-.
The image- here is the text that will eventually appear at the beginning of each file name. For example, black.jpg will become image-black.jpg, green.jpg becomes image-green.jpg. When entering the prefix, it is recommended to confirm the format in advance, especially whether connectors, underscores, or spaces are needed. Common prefix examples include "ProjectA-", "2026-", "ClientName_", "Scanned-" etc. The image- in the screenshot uses an English hyphen, keeping a clear separation between the prefix and the original file name.
The purpose of this step is to tell the software what text to insert at the beginning of each file name. The expected result is that all files in the imported list will have the prefix added according to the same rule. Since there is no current need to add a suffix, keep "Add Suffix" turned off to avoid accidentally changing the end of the file name.
Step 4: Continue to the next step, set the save location according to the flow and start processing
After setting the prefix, click "Next" at the bottom. The subsequent steps in the interface flow are "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing." Since the screenshot shows a wizard flow, it is reasonable to understand that the software will guide the user to continue completing the save location settings and then execute the processing. In actual use, it is recommended to choose the appropriate save method or location according to the interface prompts before entering the start processing stage.
The purpose of this step is to let the software batch process file names according to the previously set rules. The expected result is that after processing completion, the file names uniformly add the image- prefix, and the extensions remain unchanged. After processing, you can go back to the folder to view the results and confirm if the file list has changed from black.jpg, green.jpg, etc., to image-black.jpg, image-green.jpg, etc.
Common Questions and Precautions
1. Will the prefix change the file extension?
From the example results, it's clear that adding a prefix only changes the beginning of the main file name body; the .jpg extension remains. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it will not change jpg to another format, nor will it affect file type recognition. For files like .docx, .doc, .pdf, .xlsx, you should also mainly confirm that the extension hasn't been mistakenly altered.
2. Should the prefix include a connector?
It is advisable. For example, image-black.jpg is easier to read than imageblack.jpg. Common separators include the English hyphen "-" and underscore "_". In Chinese office scenarios, forms like "ProjectA-FileName" can also be used.
3. What should be checked before batch processing?
It is recommended to first check if the imported files are correct, if the number of files meets expectations, if the prefix text is spelled correctly, and if the "Add Suffix" option was accidentally enabled. The bottom of the list in the screenshot shows the record count as 5; such summary information helps users confirm the scope of this process.
4. Is it only suitable for image files?
No. The screenshot example uses jpg images, but "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name" is a file name processing function suitable for batch operations around file names. In daily office work, Word documents .docx, .doc, PDF files, Excel spreadsheets .xlsx, .xls, text files .txt, etc., may all have a need for batch prefix addition.
Summary: Using batch processing to reduce repetitive renaming work
Batch adding prefixes to file names essentially hands over a large number of repetitive manual renaming actions to office software for automatic completion. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users can first enter the "File Name" category, select "Add Prefix and Suffix to File Name," import the files to be processed, enable "Add Prefix" and enter a prefix text like image-, and finally complete the save location and start processing according to the flow.
For users who frequently organize images, documents, contracts, courseware, and reports, this kind of batch file processing function can significantly reduce repetitive work and improve naming consistency. It is recommended to test with a small number of samples before formally processing a large volume of files. Once the effect meets expectations, proceed to batch process the complete folder.