When many file names contain the same text that needs to be changed, renaming them one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions or accidental deletions. This article uses the example of uniformly replacing "Adventure Film" in multiple MP4 file names with "1080p" to introduce how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch find and replace keywords in file names in office scenarios, which is suitable for organizing the names of videos, Word documents, PDFs, Excel files, and more.
In daily office work and data organization, it's common to encounter the problem of inconsistent file name formats. For example, downloaded video files, project materials, client contracts, Word documents, PDF reports, Excel spreadsheets, or image assets may all have file names containing the same old keywords, category tags, or temporary notes. Suppose dozens or even hundreds of file names include "Adventure Film," and now they need to be uniformly changed to "1080p". If you right-click and rename them one by one in File Explorer, it is not only inefficient but also prone to issues like inconsistent capitalization, missed changes, and accidental deletion of file extensions.
This article aims to solve the repetitive task of "batch modifying and replacing keywords in many file names." By using the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", you can batch find specified text in file names and replace it with new text in one go. Whether the files are mp4 videos or common office files like doc, docx, pdf, xlsx, as long as your goal is to modify a specific text string in the file names, you can follow the approach in this article to complete the process.
Applicable Scenarios: When is batch replacement of file name keywords suitable?
Batch replacement of keywords in file names is suitable for all scenarios where "there are many files, the rules are consistent, and the cost of manual modification is high." For instance, uniformly changing old category tags to resolution tags in film and television footage; replacing old project names with new project names in project materials; uniformly changing client abbreviations to formal names in Word documents (docx, doc); batch changing old dates and version numbers to new ones in PDF reports; and uniformly replacing specific shooting locations, course names, or product models in image, audio, and video files.
The common characteristic of these requirements is: there is an identical or similar text segment in the file names, and the processing goal is to replace this text segment with another fixed text. Unlike renaming a single file, batch processing emphasizes accuracy and controllability. The value of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool lies in streamlining such repetitive tasks: first select the files to process, then set the find and replace rules, and finally execute uniformly, avoiding the time wasted by manual individual changes.
Effect Preview: File names contain the same keyword before processing
From the file list before processing, you can see that the names of this batch of MP4 files all contain the text "[Adventure Film]". Examples include Avatar [Adventure Film].mp4, Guardians of the Galaxy [Adventure Film].mp4, Inception [Adventure Film].mp4, etc. The part highlighted by the red box is precisely the keyword to be batch-replaced later.
If there are only one or two files, manual modification is not a big problem; but as the number of files increases, individually deleting "Adventure Film" and typing "1080p" becomes very tedious. More importantly, the file extension mp4 needs to be preserved and must not be accidentally deleted during renaming, otherwise it might affect the system's ability to identify the file type. Using the method of batch replacing file name keywords allows you to replace only the specified text without affecting the main file name and extension.
Effect Preview: Keywords uniformly replaced with 1080p after processing
After processing is complete, the "Adventure Film" in the same batch of file names has been uniformly replaced with "1080p". For example, Avatar [1080p].mp4, Guardians of the Galaxy [1080p].mp4, Inception [1080p].mp4, etc. You can see that the film titles themselves have not changed, and the mp4 extension remains unchanged; only the specified keyword in the middle has been replaced with new text.
This result is very suitable for scenarios like file archiving, asset management, course resource organization, and project material delivery. Users do not need to open files one by one, nor resort to complex scripts or command lines. They just need to set the "keyword to find" and the "replacement keyword" in the software interface to complete the batch renaming.
Operation Step 1: Enter the file name tool and select the keyword replacement function
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "File Name" in the left-side tool category. The main software interface will display multiple function cards related to file name processing, including Find and Replace Keywords in File Names, Insert Text into File Names, Add Prefix and Suffix to File Names, Delete Text from File Names, etc. This time the requirement is to change "Adventure Film" in the file names to "1080p", so you should select "1. Find and Replace Keywords in File Names".
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch renaming process. After selecting this function, subsequent settings will revolve around the "Find Text" and "Replace Text", which is suitable for situations where existing keywords in file names need to be replaced. If your requirement is to uniformly add a prefix or suffix to file names, or delete a certain text string, you can choose other functions accordingly in the interface; however, the focus of this article's example is batch replacement of keywords in file names.
Operation Step 2: Add files that need batch processing
After entering the "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names" function, the interface will enter a step-by-step processing flow. The first step is "Select records to process". At the top right, you can see two entry points: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder". If you only want to process scattered files, you can click "Add Files"; if the files are all in the same folder, choosing "Import Files from Folder" is usually more convenient.
After the files are imported, the list will display information such as serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. Through this list, you can first confirm whether the correct files have been imported, avoiding processing unrelated files together. In the screenshot, multiple mp4 file records have been imported, and each file name contains "Adventure Film". The expected result of this step is: all files to be processed appear in the list, and the name column clearly shows the old keyword that needs replacement.
When batch processing file names, it is recommended to check two things first: First, whether the number of files matches expectations; second, whether the file extensions are the types you intend to process. For example, this case involves mp4 files; if your scenario involves Word documents, you might see docx or doc; if spreadsheet files, you might see xlsx or xls. After confirming correctness, click the "Next" button at the bottom to enter the processing options settings.
Operation Step 3: Set the search method and replacement keywords
Entering the second step, "Set Processing Options", you need to set the rules for this batch replacement. In the screenshot, "Exact Text Search" is selected, which means the software will perform an exact match based on the entered text content. For this example, the text to replace in the file names is Adventure Film, so enter Adventure Film in the "Keywords to Find List" on the left; enter 1080p in the "Replacement Keyword List" on the right.
This step is the key to the entire batch file name modification process. The left input is the old text, i.e., the content already present in the file names that needs to be replaced; the right input is the new text, i.e., the content you want to display in the file names after processing is complete. You can also see options in the software interface like "Use Formula for Fuzzy Text Search", as well as additional options such as "Ignore Letter Case" and "Match Whole Word Only". For situations where the keyword is completely consistent in the names, using "Exact Text Search" is more intuitive and helps avoid erroneous replacements.
It should be noted that the files in the screenshot actually display "[Adventure Film]", but the entered search text is Adventure Film. After processing, the square brackets are retained, becoming "[1080p]". This indicates that only the text inside the square brackets was replaced this time, not the brackets themselves. This setting is more flexible: if you wish to keep the original naming structure and only replace the tag content, do not include the square brackets in the search text; if you wish to replace them along with the brackets, you need to enter the complete text based on the actual file name.
Operation Step 4: Continue to the next step and complete the batch processing
After setting the find and replace content, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the interface. From the progress bar, you can see there are two more stages: "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing". Since this is a batch modification of file names, it is recommended to carefully confirm the save or processing location before execution to ensure the results fit your file management habits. Once the process enters "Start Processing", the software will batch replace the names of the imported files according to the previously set rules.
After the processing is complete, you can go back to the folder to check the results. Comparing with the post-processing screenshot, all "Adventure Film" in the file names have now become "1080p", and the main file titles and mp4 extensions have not been damaged. This shows that the rule only acted on the target keyword, achieving the goal of batch replacing keywords in file names.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. Should I back up my files before replacing? If the number of files is large, or the materials are important, it is recommended to make a backup first. While batch renaming can improve efficiency, once the rules are set incorrectly, it can also batch-generate names that do not meet expectations.
2. Does the search text need to include the extension? It is generally not recommended to include extensions like .mp4, .docx, .pdf in the search text, unless your goal is exactly to modify the complete segment before the extension. In most cases, just replace the keywords in the main body of the file name.
3. Can this method be applied to Word, PDF, and Excel files? Yes. The example in this article uses mp4 files, but the approach is equally applicable to organizing file names for doc, docx, pdf, xls, xlsx, pptx, etc. As long as the text in the file names needs batch replacement, you can follow the process of "Import Files—Set Find Text—Set Replace Text—Execute Processing".
4. Why use exact text search? When the old keyword is fixed content, exact search is safer. For example, if you only want to replace Adventure Film with 1080p, do not use overly broad search conditions to avoid affecting other parts of the file name that should not be modified.
5. What should I pay attention to when entering keywords? It is recommended to first copy a standard segment of text from a file name, then paste it into the "Keywords to Find List" to reduce matching failures caused by differences in spaces, case, or spelling. If there are multiple different old keywords in the file names, you can set them item by item according to the software list rules.
Summary: Reduce repetitive renaming work with batch processing
The core of batch replacing file name keywords is to hand over repetitive, mechanical, and error-prone manual renaming operations to office software. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you only need to select "Find and Replace Keywords in File Names", import the files to be processed, enter the old keyword and new keyword, then continue with the steps for saving location and starting processing, to uniformly modify a large number of file names into a standardized format.
If you are organizing video footage, Word documents, PDF reports, Excel spreadsheets, or project attachments, and these file names contain identical text that needs replacement, it is recommended to use the batch file name processing function directly. Compared to modifying them one by one, it can significantly save time, reduce the probability of missed changes, and make file archiving more standardized and orderly.