When a folder accumulates a large number of PDF, Word, Excel, and other files that start with numbers or contain serial numbers, manually categorizing them by the first number is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions and misplacements. This article takes HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain how to use the "categorize files by filename" feature to batch identify the first number in filenames and automatically sort them into corresponding numbered folders, suitable for organizing bills, archives, orders, reports, and other file sorting scenarios.
In daily office work, many files are named with numbers, order numbers, customer IDs, archive numbers, or serial numbers. For example, a folder containing a large number of PDF files might have filenames like 019121173839164.pdf, 366984326281532.pdf, 742341573880269.pdf. If you need to categorize them by the first digit in the filename, manually creating folders for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., and dragging files into them one by one is not only inefficient but also prone to errors due to the high volume of files.
The problem this article aims to solve is: batch categorizing many files together based on the first digit in their filename. Using the file organization capabilities of the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", you can import a large number of files at once, select the "categorize by first digit" rule, and let the software automatically create category folders and organize files. Whether they are PDF, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, or other common office documents, as long as the filenames contain digits, they can be organized using a similar approach.
Applicable Scenarios: Which Files Are Suitable for Categorization by First Digit
Categorizing by the first digit in the filename is suitable for office scenarios where filenames inherently follow numbering rules. For instance, a finance department receives numerous scanned receipts with filenames that are invoice numbers or serial numbers; the administrative department organizes employee archives with filenames starting with personnel numbers or department codes; the business department handles contracts, orders, receipts, etc., where filenames contain customer numbers or order numbers; numbering-based archiving is also common in teaching, training, and project management.
If the first digit in the filename has categorical significance—for example, files starting with 0 go into the "0" folder, files starting with 3 go into the "3" folder, and files starting with 9 go into the "9" folder—this batch organization method is highly suitable. Compared to manual sorting, office software can execute this uniformly according to rules, avoiding repetitive work and improving organization accuracy.
As seen in the screenshot, the pre-processed files are all PDFs, and their filenames mainly consist of a string of digits. Although this example uses PDFs for demonstration, in practice, it can be extended to Word documents (doc, docx), Excel spreadsheets (xls, xlsx), and other files needing categorization. The key factor is not the file extension but whether there is a recognizable first digit in the filename.
Result Preview: Files Mix Together in the Same Folder Before Processing
Before processing, all files are piled into the same directory, with filenames being a string of digits with a .pdf extension. Although Windows File Explorer can sort by name, it does not automatically create category folders based on the first digit. If users want to place files starting with 0, 3, or 4 into separate directories, they have to manually identify and move them.
As shown in the pre-processing screenshot, the folder contains multiple PDF files starting with different digits like 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The larger the number of files, the higher the cost of manual categorization. While manually handling dozens of files might be manageable, dragging and dropping hundreds or thousands of files one by one will significantly impact work efficiency.
Result Preview: Digit Folders Automatically Created and Organized After Processing
After the process is complete, the files that were originally mixed together are organized into folders named with different digits. The screenshot shows folders named 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc., appearing in the target directory. Opening the "0" folder reveals that it contains the PDF files whose filenames' first digit is 0.
This result is very intuitive: the folder name serves as the basis for categorization, eliminating the need for users to check each file's category individually. For office documents needing to be archived by their leading digit, this method facilitates subsequent retrieval and simplifies further copying, backing up, compressing, or transferring to other personnel.
Operational Steps: Using Office Software to Batch Categorize Files by First Digit
Step 1: Enter "File Organizing" and Select "Classify Files by Filename"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see various office processing categories in the left navigation, such as Filename, Folder Name, File Organizing, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Here, you need to handle a file categorization problem, so enter the File Organizing module on the left.
On the File Organizing page, select the function card "Classify Files by Filename". The interface description indicates that this function is used to "batch organize all files by filename," which is perfectly suited for grouping files based on characters, digits, or rules within the filename.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch organizing function. The expected result is to open a step-by-step processing interface where you can subsequently import files, set classification rules, set a save location, and start execution.
Step 2: Add Files to Process or Import from a Folder
After entering the "Classify Files by Filename" function, the interface top displays the current task name, and the process is divided into four stages: "Select records to process," "Set processing options," "Set save location," and "Start processing." The first stage involves adding the files to be organized into the task list.
As shown in the screenshot, there are "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder" buttons at the top of the interface. If you only need to process some files, click "Add Files" to select specific files; if all files in a directory need categorization, it's more suitable to use "Import Files from Folder" to add them to the list at once.
After importing, the software lists file details such as sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. You can verify the correct files are imported using this list and remove unwanted records using the delete function in the interface. Once confirmed, click the "Next Step" button at the bottom to proceed to rule settings.
Step 3: Set the Classification Method to "Categorize by First Digit"
The second stage is the key part of the entire operation. The software provides multiple classification methods, such as classify by the first character, classify by the first Chinese character, classify by the last few characters, classify by the first English letter, classify by the first English letter or Chinese character, classify by the starting characters, classify by characters within a custom position range, and classify by a custom regular expression.
For this example, the goal is "categorize by the first digit in the filename," so select "Categorize by first digit" in the Classification Method area. In the screenshot, this option is checked, indicating the software will identify the first occurring digit in the filename and use that digit as the category folder name.
For example, the first digit in the filename 019121173839164.pdf is 0, so it will go into the "0" folder after processing; the first digit in 366984326281532.pdf is 3, so it will go into the "3" folder; the first digit in 988654734623453.pdf is 9, so it will go into the "9" folder. This way, the software automatically groups files based on the first digit in their names.
Below, there are also Letter Case Conversion options, including Default, Convert to Uppercase, and Convert to Lowercase. Since the categorization is based on digits, and case is irrelevant for digits, leave it as default. Once set, click the "Next Step" button at the bottom to continue.
Step 4: Set Save Location and Start Processing
Following the interface flow, after completing the processing options, you enter the "Set Save Location" stage. Here, you need to choose where the categorized files will be saved. In practice, it's advisable to choose a clear output directory, such as creating a dedicated "Classification Result" folder, to avoid confusion with the original files.
Proceed to the next step to enter the "Start Processing" stage. After confirming the imported files, classification method, and save location are all correct, execute the start processing command. The software will create corresponding folders based on the "first digit" rule and move the files into the appropriate directories. After the process finishes, opening the output directory will show results similar to the preview.
FAQ and Important Notes
1. What happens if a filename has no digit?
The filenames demonstrated in this article all contain digits, and the first digit is easily identifiable. If an actual filename contains no digits, the software cannot form a corresponding category based on the "first digit." It is recommended to check file names before processing to ensure that the files needing categorization contain digits.
2. Can only PDF files be processed?
The demonstration screenshots show PDF files, but the core basis for "classify by filename" is the filename, not the file content. Therefore, in office organization, Word documents (doc, docx), Excel spreadsheets (xls, xlsx), and other numbered files can also be batch organized using the same logic. The specific supported files depend on the software's import list.
3. Why is backing up original files recommended?
Batch file processing affects multiple files at once. To ensure safety, it is advisable to keep the original folder before formal processing or to output the results to a new save location. This way, even if the classification rule is chosen incorrectly, you can return to the original files and re-execute.
4. Ensure the correct classification rule is selected
If the goal is to categorize by the first digit, do not mistakenly select "classify by first character." The filename's first character might be Chinese, English, or a symbol, whereas "categorize by first digit" specifically looks for the first occurring numeric digit in the filename, which better suits this example's needs.
Summary: Reduce Repetitive Drag-and-Drop with Batch File Organization
Categorizing by the first digit in a filename seems like a simple organizing action, but when the number of files is large, manual operation consumes significant time. Using office software like HeSoft Doc Batch Tool allows repetitive tasks such as "identifying filenames, creating folders, and moving to categorize" to be handled by the software.
If you are organizing a large number of PDF, Word, Excel, or other numbered office files, follow the steps in this article: enter File Organizing, select "Classify Files by Filename," import files, choose "Categorize by first digit," set a save location, and start processing. This quickly gives you a folder structure categorized by digits like 0, 1, 2, 3, making subsequent searching and archiving more efficient.