When you need to view document properties, full paths, folder locations, and worksheet counts for multiple Excel files at once, manually opening each workbook is very inefficient. This article introduces a method better suited for office scenarios: use the file information statistics feature of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch-import Excel files, select detailed Excel file information, and finally export basic properties, Office metadata, and worksheet counts to a unified Excel summary table.
Excel files are very common in office materials: statistical tables, course schedules, project plans, progress tracking, review records, and data analysis sheets may all be saved in formats such as xlsx and xls. Over time, a large number of workbooks often accumulate in the same folder. When it comes time to actually organize them, problems arise: Where are these files located exactly? What are their sizes? When were they created and modified? What are the author, title, subject, and notes in the Office properties? How many worksheets does each Excel file have?
If you only look at File Explorer, you can usually only see some basic information; if you want to view more detailed document properties or the number of worksheets, you have to open the files or check properties one by one. For dozens of files, this is already time-consuming; for hundreds of files, manual counting is almost impractical. This article introduces how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch summarize Excel document properties, file paths, time information, Office metadata, and worksheet counts into a single Excel sheet.
The value of this type of office software lies not in replacing Excel editing, but in batch processing files and reducing repetitive labor. For users who need file inventory, document auditing, project handover, and data archiving, automatically generating a complete list first, then filtering and analyzing on that list, is much more efficient than checking files one by one.
Applicable Scenarios: What Problems Does Batch Extraction of Excel Document Properties Solve
When you need to answer "which Excel files are in this folder exactly?", a list of file names might suffice; but when you need to further answer "what are the sources, modification status, and structural complexity of these files?", you need more complete information.
For example, in training material management, an administrator might need to count all workbooks like study plans, course reviews, reading progress, grammar exercises, and vocabulary records to form a material catalog. If the catalog includes file paths and worksheet counts, it can help teachers quickly locate materials and determine the scale of file content.
In corporate shared drive governance, IT or administrative staff need to know which Excel files have not been modified for a long time, and which files might still be updated frequently. After batch extracting creation time, modification time, and access time, you can sort by time to perform cleanup or backup.
In document compliance checks, Office metadata is also very important. Information like author, last saved by, creation date, title, subject, tags, and notes can affect document standardization. Through batch statistics, you can centrally check for files with inconsistent properties, abnormal notes, or missing author information.
In data governance, the number of worksheets is a very practical indicator. An Excel file with only 1 worksheet usually has a relatively simple structure; if it contains multiple worksheets, it may involve complex calculations, multiple data ranges, or cross-sheet references. Batch exporting worksheet counts helps quickly screen key inspection targets.
Effect Preview: Pre-Processing File Information is Scattered and Cannot Be Directly Analyzed
The pre-processing folder contains a batch of Excel workbooks, with file names including ClassNoteIndex.xlsx, CourseReviewMatrix.xlsx, ExamScoreAnalysis.xlsx, GrammarExerciseBook.xlsx, KnowledgeReviewGrid.xlsx, etc. File Explorer can display file type, modification date, and size, but this information cannot form a standardized report directly, nor can it show the full path, Office metadata, and worksheet count.
If you need to create a catalog ledger for these files, the manual approach typically involves creating a table in Excel first, then copying file names one by one, and supplementing paths and times. When you need to check the worksheet count, you have to open each workbook to count the sheets. This process is highly repetitive and unsuitable as a long-term office workflow.
Effect Preview: All Information Goes into a Single Excel Summary Table After Processing
The post-processing result is an Excel spreadsheet with a relatively large number of horizontal fields. Each row corresponds to a source file, and each column corresponds to a type of file information. You can see the result table includes basic fields like file name, path, extension, size, containing folder name, containing folder path, creation time, modification time, access time, as well as Office metadata fields, and a field for the number of worksheets from the Excel file details.
The benefits of this summary table are clear. You can filter by path in Excel to view a specific directory, filter by extension to see xlsx or xls files, find recently changed workbooks by modification time, filter for multi-worksheet files by worksheet count, or conduct document source verification based on fields like Office author and last saved by. Information previously scattered across the file system and document properties is uniformly transformed into filterable data.
Operating Steps: Batch Counting Excel File Paths, Metadata, and Worksheet Numbers
Step One: Navigate to the File Information Statistics Tool
Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and navigate to the "File Organization" category in the left navigation bar. In the right-side tool list, there is "File Information Statistics", whose description is batch counting information like the name, path, size, time, and metadata of various files. Based on this requirement, click "File Information Statistics" to proceed to the next step.
The purpose of this step is to select the correct batch processing entry point. Since we want to extract and summarize information, not rename, move, or modify Excel content, you should choose File Information Statistics, not other file organization tools.
Step Two: Add the Excel Files to Be Counted to the List
After entering the function page, you are currently in the "Select records to process" stage. The interface provides "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder" at the top. If you already know which files to count, you can click "Add Files"; if the files are all within a certain data folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is faster.
After the import is complete, the software will display information like serial number, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time in the list. The example record count in the screenshot is 20, and file paths start with D:\test\folders\, indicating these files have been added to the pending queue. You can first check if the file names and paths are correct to avoid including irrelevant files in the statistics.
The "Filter," "Sort," and pagination info in the list helps quickly confirm the scope when dealing with a large number of files. If you find a file that doesn't need processing, you can use the delete button in the operation column to remove it. After confirming the records are correct, click "Next" below.
Step Three: Enable Excel File Details in Processing Options
After entering the "Set processing options" page, you can see the "Additional Information" area. This area provides detailed information options for multiple file types, including Word file details, Excel file details, PPT file details, PDF file details, text file details, image file details, etc. Since the goal this time is to extract Excel document properties and worksheet counts, you should check "Excel File Details."
The significance of checking this option is that the results go beyond general file properties to include fields related to the Excel workbook. The post-processing result in the screenshot already shows the "Excel - Number of Worksheets" column, indicating that the software can output the sheet count of a workbook as a structured field. This field is very practical for users who need to batch assess file complexity.
Step Four: Choose the Result Save Location
Clicking "Next" again will lead the process to "Set save location." Although the screenshot doesn't show the specific save interface, this step is clearly visible in the wizard steps. It is recommended to save the statistical results to an easily recognizable location, such as an "Excel File Info Statistics Results" directory next to the original folder, or a "File List" folder in the project archive directory.
The clearer the save location is set, the more convenient subsequent collaboration will be. Especially during file handover, the receiver can open the project folder and immediately see the statistical table without needing to ask about the list's origin. For long-term maintained databases, you can also name the result table by date for comparing file changes at different time points.
Step Five: Start Processing and View the Exported Excel Table
After completing the save location settings, enter the "Start Processing" stage. The software will read the Excel files in the list in batches, extracting names, paths, sizes, times, containing folders, and Office metadata, and outputting the worksheet count based on "Excel File Details." After processing is complete, open the generated Excel file to view the summary results.
When viewing the results, it's recommended to first confirm whether the header fields are complete, then check if the record count matches the import quantity. If 20 files were imported, the result table should usually correspond to 20 file record rows. You can then filter based on actual needs, for example, sorting by worksheet count in descending order to quickly find files with the most workbook structures; sorting by modification time to find files updated recently or unchanged for a long time.
Common Questions and Considerations
1. Do file names need to be organized before processing?
Not necessarily. The File Information Statistics function can read the current file names and paths directly. If you plan to do formal archiving later, it's recommended to first confirm whether the file names meet specifications; if you are only taking stock of the current situation, you can count them directly and then decide which files need renaming or moving based on the results.
2. Is it abnormal for metadata fields to be empty?
Not necessarily. The Office properties are filled in differently for different Excel files. Some files may not have information like title, subject, tags, or notes, so corresponding fields being empty is a common situation. One of the purposes of batch statistics is to help you discover which files lack necessary properties, facilitating uniform supplementation later.
3. What can the number of worksheets be used for?
The number of worksheets can serve as a reference for judging the complexity of a workbook. For instance, a file containing 10 worksheets usually requires more focused inspection than one with only 1 worksheet. You can sort by worksheet count in the result table, prioritize reviewing multi-sheet files, or include them in subsequent splitting, merging, or standardization processing plans.
4. What is the difference between the Path and Containing Folder Path fields?
The path typically points to the specific file, including the file name; the containing folder path points to the directory where the file is located. Both are useful: the full path facilitates directly locating the file, while the containing folder path facilitates grouping statistics by directory. If you want to analyze the distribution of files under a certain folder, the fields related to the containing folder will be more convenient.
5. Can the statistical results be used for other office workflows?
Yes. The exported Excel summary table can be further used for filtering, sorting, printing, reporting, and archiving. It can also serve as the basis for subsequent batch renaming, file cleanup, or data handover. Counting first and then processing is generally more prudent than operating on files directly.
Summary: Consolidate Information First, Then Manage Large Numbers of Excel Files
Facing a large number of Excel files, the least efficient way is to open, view, and record them one by one. An approach more suitable for modern offices is to first use a batch processing tool to generate a complete list, extracting file paths, sizes, creation times, modification times, access times, Office metadata, and worksheet counts all at once.
The "File Information Statistics" function of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool breaks this process down into clear steps: select the tool, import files, check Excel file details, set save location, and start processing. The final Excel summary table not only solves the current statistical needs but can also become a foundational ledger for data archiving, project handover, file auditing, and shared drive governance. If you are organizing a large number of xlsx, xls files, it is recommended to first batch generate a statistical table following the process in this article before proceeding with subsequent management work.