When a folder accumulates a large number of Word documents and you need to extract the body text, import it into a system, perform full-text searches, or carry out unified archiving, opening and saving each one individually as TXT can be very time-consuming. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use the "Word to TXT" feature in a Word tool to import multiple docx files at once and batch-generate plain text Notepad files, helping users reduce repetitive operations and improve document organization efficiency.
In daily office work, a lot of materials are initially saved as Word documents, such as meeting minutes, to-do lists, project ideas, journals, expense records, contact information, etc. Word has strong layout capabilities, but if you later need to import content into a system, perform text searches, clean data, submit to platforms that only support plain text, or just want to keep the body content, the TXT Notepad plain text format is often lighter and more versatile.
The problem is that when you need to process not just one or two, but dozens or hundreds of docx or doc documents, manually opening each file and saving it as a txt is not only time-consuming but also prone to missed processing, wrong save locations, or naming confusion. This article aims to solve this typical pain point: how to use batch processing capabilities in office software to convert many Word files into TXT plain text format at once.
Below, using " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " as an example from the screenshot, we will demonstrate the complete thought process from preparing Word files, selecting functions, importing files, to generating txt files. This tool is positioned as batch document processing software for office scenarios, and its core value lies in centralizing repetitive file conversion, organization, and format processing operations to reduce the time cost of manual one-by-one processing.
Application Scenarios: When do you need to batch convert Word to TXT
Batch converting Word to TXT is not a simple format change; it frequently appears in document archiving, content extraction, and system integration scenarios. For example, administrative staff need to organize multiple meeting minutes into plain text for easy unified search; operations staff need to extract the body text from activity plans, notes, and material documents for easy import into a content management system; R&D or data personnel need to convert docx documents into txt files that are easier for scripts to read; knowledge base maintainers may also need to convert scattered Word materials into plain text before indexing.
If the number of files is small, manual processing is still acceptable. But when a folder contains a large number of Word documents, the repeated steps of opening, saving as, confirming encoding, and selecting a path will continuously consume time. Using the "Word to TXT" function in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can add the same batch of Word files to a task list and have the software output txt results in bulk, which is more suitable for high-frequency office processing.
Effect Preview: Multiple Word files before processing, become txt plain text files after
Before Processing: The folder contains Word documents in docx format
From the pre-processing screenshot, we can see that the original folder contains multiple Microsoft Word documents with the file extension .docx, such as To-Do List.docx, Meeting Notes.docx, Daily Journal.docx, Error Log.docx, Shopping List.docx, etc. Although the content of these files is different, they are all in Word document format.
Converting them one by one requires repeating the process of "opening Word, saving as, selecting plain text, confirming save" for each docx file. The more files there are, the more pronounced the repetitive labor, and the more likely omissions become.
After Processing: Generates plain text files in Notepad format with the same name
The post-processing screenshot shows that a batch of .txt files has been generated in the output folder, with file names basically corresponding to the original Word documents, such as Contact Information.txt, Daily Journal.txt, Error Log.txt, Expense Tracker.txt, Meeting Notes.txt, etc. This means the original Word documents have been batch converted into TXT plain text format that can be opened directly in Notepad.
This conversion result is suitable for subsequent operations like full-text search, text copying, system import, and archive backup. TXT file sizes are usually smaller as well; in the screenshot, multiple files are 1 KB or 4 KB, indicating that the plain text format is lighter when saving textual content.
Operation Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch convert Word to TXT
Step 1: Enter Word Tools and Select "Word to TXT"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "Word Tools" from the function categories on the left. Batch conversion functions related to Word documents will be displayed on the right, including Word to PDF, Word to Doc, Word to Docx, Word to HTML webpage, Word to Markdown, Word to Epub, Word to RTF, Word to Excel, etc. Here we need to convert Word to plain text, so select "13. Word to TXT" from the list.
The purpose of this step is to tell the software the processing type for this task: batch convert Word files to txt Notepad plain text format. After selecting the correct function, the software will enter the corresponding task page, where you simply need to add the files to be processed and set the output location.
Step 2: Add the Word files to be converted
After entering the "Word to TXT" page, you can see two entry points at the top of the interface: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder". If you only want to convert a few specific documents, you can click "Add Files"; if all Word documents in an entire folder need to be converted, it's recommended to use "Import Files from Folder", as this allows you to import multiple docx or doc files from the same directory at once.
In the screenshot, 10 records have already been imported. The table lists the serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and operation information. You can see the file extension is docx, and the paths point to the same test folder. After importing, first check the list to confirm that all the Word files needing conversion are present. If you find any files that don't need processing, you can remove them using the delete icon in the right operation column; if the import is wrong, you can also use the "Clear" button on the interface to re-select.
Step 3: Go to the Next Step and Set the Save Location
After confirming the file list is correct, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. The process prompt on the interface shows that Step 1 is "Select records to process", and Step 2 is "Set save location". Therefore, after clicking next, you should follow the software interface prompts to select the save directory for the converted txt files.
The purpose of setting a save location is to avoid mixing the generated TXT files with the original Word files. Especially during batch processing, it is even more recommended to use a separate output folder. This way, after the conversion is complete, you can quickly check the results and also reduce the risk of accidentally deleting or overwriting the original files. As seen from the result images, the processed txt files appear centrally in a new folder, making unified management easier.
Step 4: Start Batch Processing and View Results
After the save location is set, follow the interface process to enter Step 3 "Start Processing". Once started, the software will batch read the Word documents according to the task list and output the corresponding txt plain text files. After processing is finished, open the output folder to see the generated .txt files.
It is recommended to do a simple check after completion: first, see if the number of output files matches the number of records in the task list; second, check if the file names correspond to the original Word documents; third, randomly open a few txt files to confirm the body content displays normally. For the example in the screenshot, the original 10 docx files were ultimately converted into 10 txt files, achieving the goal of batch conversion.
Common Issues and Notes
1. Is the original layout preserved after converting Word to TXT?
TXT is a plain text format that mainly preserves textual content; it is not suitable for saving complex layouts, images, table styles, headers and footers, font colors, and other effects from Word. Therefore, if your goal is to preserve the layout, you should consider converting to PDF; if your goal is to extract body text, facilitate searching, or import into a system, TXT is more appropriate.
2. Can both docx and doc be batch processed?
The example in the screenshot imports docx files. The Word files mentioned in the article theme typically include common formats like docx, doc, etc. In actual operation, you can view the "Extension" column in the list after adding files or importing from a folder to confirm that the software has recognized the Word documents needing processing.
3. Why is it recommended to set a separate output folder?
Batch conversion generates multiple txt files at once. If output directly to the original folder, although it is convenient for comparison, it can easily get cluttered when there are many files. Setting a separate save location keeps the files before and after processing clearly separated, making subsequent archiving, compression, or uploading more convenient.
4. Is it necessary to back up the original Word files before conversion?
Keeping the original Word files before batch processing is a good office habit. TXT files are more suitable for plain text use but are not equivalent to a complete replacement for the Word source file. For contracts, formal reports, and materials with tables or images, it is recommended to retain the original Word document as the source file.
Summary: Replace repetitive 'Save As' with batch processing to improve Word to TXT efficiency
The core value of batch converting Word files to TXT plain text format lies in reducing repetitive labor. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can select "Word to TXT" in "Word Tools", import multiple docx or doc documents at once, set the save location, and output txt files uniformly. Compared to manually saving as one by one, this method is more suitable for office scenarios involving a large number of files, high processing frequency, unified archiving needs, or text extraction.
If you are organizing a large number of Word materials, it is recommended to first collect the documents to be processed into one folder, then use "Import Files from Folder" for batch addition, confirm the list, and follow the steps to complete the conversion. This not only reduces the error rate but also saves significant time, allowing you to shift your energy from repetitive operations to tasks that truly require judgment and organization.