When a large number of office files are mixed in one folder, manually archiving them by the first letter of the filename is prone to errors. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use the "Categorize Files by Filename" feature in "File Organization" to import the files that need processing, select "Categorize by First English Letter" in the classification method, and finally automatically generate letter folders to batch-place PDF, docx, xlsx, csv, jpg, png and other files into the corresponding directories.
After prolonged use of office computers, what tends to become disorganized most easily is often not a single document, but an entire folder. Download directories, project material directories, and customer attachment directories are often piled up with dozens or even hundreds of files: Word documents (docx, doc), Excel spreadsheets (xlsx, xls, csv), PDFs, PPTs, images (jpg, png), as well as txt, zip, and various other files. If the file names are also numbers, random characters, or system-exported names, it becomes very troublesome to quickly find a specific type of file.
Many users think of organizing by the first letter of the file name, for example, putting files whose first English letter is 'a' into folder 'a', and files whose first English letter is 'm' into folder 'm'. This method can indeed make a directory clearer, but if done manually, it requires repeated identification, folder creation, and dragging/moving, which is very inefficient. This article will introduce a method more suitable for office scenarios: using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch classify and group many files based on the first English letter in their file names.
Applicable Scenarios: When do you need to archive by the first English letter?
Archiving by the first English letter is not only suitable for English file names; it is more suitable for organizing materials whose "file names contain English letter identifiers." For example, system-exported attachment names are 369mwlbq.pdf, 561jzjpq.pdf; photo material names are 160axlbu.jpg, 204efhui.jpg; spreadsheet data names are 383emajc.csv, 396kkim.xlsx. The file name might start with numbers but contains letters in the middle. In this case, classifying by the first English letter can form a stable archiving rule.
This method is suitable for multiple roles: administrative staff can organize scanned contracts and supplier materials; financial staff can organize reports from different batches, invoice PDFs, and Excel files; operations staff can organize campaign materials, images, and statistical tables; customer service staff can organize attachments uploaded by customers; project assistants can uniformly archive project materials by number prefix. As long as the number of files is large and the manual moving cost is high, consider using a batch file classification tool to complete the task.
Effect Preview: File Status Before Processing
Before processing, all files are located in the same directory. In the screenshot, you can see various types of files mixed together, including pdf, csv, xlsx, pptx, docx, txt, zip, jpg, png, etc. Although Windows folders can be sorted by name, type, or date, these sorting methods do not automatically create classified directories or actually put files into corresponding folders.
When there are few files, users can still check them one by one visually; but once the number increases to hundreds, manual archiving presents two problems: first, there is a huge amount of repetitive work, as each file needs a judgment; second, operational errors are easy to make, such as dragging a file starting with 'q' to the 'g' folder, or missing a certain docx, xlsx, or pdf file. The value of batch processing software lies in automating these tasks with clear rules and repetitive actions.
Effect Preview: Automatic Generation of Letter Folders After Processing
After processing is complete, the originally mixed files are sorted into multiple letter folders. The result shown in the screenshot is very intuitive: directories for a, e, f, g, i, j, k, m, o, p, q, v, w, etc., are generated in the directory. Each folder corresponds to the first English letter in the file name. Users only need to enter the corresponding letter directory to continue searching or managing related files.
This directory structure is easy to maintain long-term. If similar files are received later, you can continue using the same rules for batch processing, allowing new files to go into the corresponding letter directories. For team shared drives, project delivery materials, and archive backup directories, a unified rule is more reliable than temporary manual organization.
Operation Steps: From Importing Files to Selecting First Letter Classification
Step 1: Open the File Organization Function
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , find "File Organization" in the left navigation bar. This software is positioned for batch processing of office files, and on the left side, you can also see categories like Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, Video Tools, Audio Tools, etc. For this task, we do not need to enter a single-format tool but select "File Organization," because the issue to be handled is the archiving of multiple types of files.
On the File Organization page, select "1. Classify files by file name". In the screenshot, this card is located at the top of the page and is marked with a red arrow. This function's purpose is to classify all files in batch by file name, which perfectly matches the need to archive by the first letter of the file name.
Step 2: Import the Files to be Archived
After entering "Classify files by file name," the page enters a wizard-style process. The first step is "Select records to be processed". In the upper right corner, you can see two main entry points: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder". If you only want to process a few scattered files, you can click "Add Files"; if a batch of files is all in a directory on the D drive, the download folder, or a project folder, it is recommended to use "Import Files from Folder" for a more efficient one-time import.
After importing is complete, the list will display information such as the file's name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. The example path in the screenshot is D:\test\, with a total record count of 20. The files in the list include 160axlbu.jpg, 204efhui.jpg, 294wxbjj.txt, 310gugww.png, 369mwlbq.pdf, 383emajc.csv, 396kkim.xlsx, etc., indicating that this function can process office materials with different extensions simultaneously.
It is recommended to check the import scope carefully at this step. Because batch processing executes rules on the records in the list all at once, if files that do not need processing are added to the list, they will ultimately be classified as well. After confirming there are no errors, click the "Next" button at the bottom to enter the processing options setup.
Step 3: Select "Classify by First English Letter"
On the "Set Processing Options" page, the software provides various ways to classify by file name. The screenshot shows options such as: Classify by first character, Classify by first number, Classify by first Chinese character, Classify by first English letter or Chinese character, Classify by the last few characters, Classify by characters within a custom position range, Classify by custom regular expression, etc. Because the goal this time is very clear—to classify by the first English letter in the file name—you should check "Classify by first English letter".
This option differs from "Classify by first character". If the file name is 369mwlbq.pdf, the "first character" is the number 3; whereas the "first English letter" is 'm'. After selecting "Classify by first English letter", the software will create or match a folder according to 'm', rather than classifying by '3'. This is very important for files whose names start with many numbers.
Step 4: Confirm Letter Uppercase/Lowercase Rules
Below the classification method, there are "Letter case conversion" options, including Default, Convert to uppercase letters, and Convert to lowercase letters. Default is suitable for most common organization scenarios; if a company internally requires folder names to be unified as uppercase, like A, B, C, you can choose to convert to uppercase letters; if you want to unify them as lowercase, like a, b, c, you can choose to convert to lowercase letters.
Looking at the effect image after processing, the generated folders are in lowercase letters. In actual operation, regardless of which one is chosen, the rules for the same batch of materials should be kept consistent. Especially in team shared directories, unifying case can reduce duplicate folders and search errors.
Step 5: Continue to Set Save Location and Execute
After completing the processing options, click "Next". The interface flow prompts that you still need to "Set save location" and "Start processing" subsequently. The save location is used to decide where the classified folders will be generated. Users can choose a suitable location based on their actual office habits, such as a project archive directory, a backup directory, or a designated output directory. Finally, enter the start processing step, confirm the task, and execute.
Since batch organization changes the file locations, it is recommended to close any related documents currently in use before starting to avoid files being occupied. Also, if you are processing important materials, you can copy a backup directory first and then perform batch classification on the copy. This way, even if the rule selection does not meet expectations, you can quickly restore it.
Frequently Asked Questions and Precautions
What is the difference between classifying by the first English letter and classifying by extension?
Classifying by extension means putting pdf files into a pdf folder, docx files into a docx folder, and xlsx files into an xlsx folder; classifying by the first English letter does not look at the file type but at the first English letter in the file name. That is to say, folder 'a' might contain files like jpg, pdf, csv, docx simultaneously. This article demonstrates the latter.
What if there are no English letters in the file name?
If some file names have no English letters at all, such as purely numerical or purely Chinese file names, whether they can enter a letter folder depends on the selected rule and the software's processing result. For more stable classification effects, it is recommended to check the file name structure before batch processing to confirm that most files contain identifiable English letters.
Can I process Word, Excel, PDF, and images at the same time?
Yes. As can be seen from the file list in the screenshot, jpg, txt, png, pdf, csv, xlsx, etc., files are all added to the same task. Common office files like docx, doc, xls, pptx can also participate in the organization based on file name rules. This workflow focuses on file records and file names, rather than processing only a single format.
Can I delete unwanted records after importing files?
Yes. There is an operation column on the right side of the file list, displaying a delete icon. If a file is found to be outside the scope of this archiving, you can remove it from the list first before proceeding. This prevents irrelevant files from being moved into the letter folders together.
Summary: Leave Rules to the Software, Leave Time for Office Work
Archiving by the first English letter in a file name is a simple but high-frequency file organization need. When doing this manually, a user's time is largely consumed in repetitive judgment and dragging; after using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you only need to select the function, import files, and set the classification method to batch generate letter folders and complete archiving.
If your current folder is already piled up with PDFs, Word documents, Excel files, CSVs, images, and compressed packages, it is recommended not to continue dragging manually. Follow the workflow in this article to enter "File Organization," use "Classify files by file name," select "Classify by first English letter," and you can quickly achieve a clear letter archiving structure, making file management more stable and efficient.