How to batch delete specified keywords in multiple Excel files and retain the table structure

When the same batch of keywords, numbers, or fixed text repeatedly appears across multiple Excel spreadsheets, opening each file individually and using find-and-replace is very time-consuming and prone to accidental omissions. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to use the "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel" feature to batch delete specified content from multiple xlsx files while preserving the original row-column structure, formatting, and other data. It is suitable for scenarios such as data cleaning, list organization, and report anonymization.

In daily office work, it's common to encounter content in Excel spreadsheets that needs to be cleaned up uniformly. For example, multiple customer lists might contain fixed labels, project reports could have outdated status text, statistical tables might have a specific number mixed in, or xlsx and xls files exported from a system might contain repeated identifier fields. If you only have one file, using Excel's built-in Find and Replace can handle it; but if you have dozens or even hundreds of Excel files, opening each one, searching, and replacing with nothing is not only time-consuming but also highly prone to omissions due to operational fatigue.

The problem this article aims to solve is: how to batch delete keywords from many Excel spreadsheet files. Here, "deleting keywords" can be understood as finding specified text and leaving the replacement content empty, thus achieving the effect of removing that keyword from the cell. The sample data in the screenshot contains two entries that need to be deleted, "Mandatory" and "46060". After processing, these words or numbers in the corresponding cells are cleared, while data in other columns remains intact.

Below, using screenshots and the Excel tool feature of the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool ", we will demonstrate the complete workflow, from selecting the function, adding files, and setting the search keywords to generating the processed results.

Applicable Scenarios: What situations are suitable for batch deleting Excel keywords

Batch deleting Excel keywords is not limited to just one type of spreadsheet; it is more suitable for handling office tasks that have "clear rules, recurring content, and a large number of files." As long as you can determine the keywords to be deleted, you can use them as a search list and apply them to multiple Excel files at once.

• Data Cleansing: System-exported tables contain fixed status values, invalid numbers, or default labels that need to be removed uniformly.
• Report Consolidation: xlsx reports submitted by multiple departments contain the same descriptive text that needs to be batch-deleted before aggregation.
• List Processing: Personnel lists, hospital lists, or product lists contain unnecessary classification fields or area codes that need to be cleared.
• Data Desensitization: Remove specific sensitive terms, identification numbers, or fixed fields without deleting entire rows of data.
• Template Standardization: Historical Excel templates contain residual old fields that need to be uniformly cleaned across multiple files.

Compared to manual processing, the advantage of a batch processing tool lies in reducing repetitive work. Users do not need to open files one by one or repeatedly execute Ctrl+H in each workbook. As long as the file list and keyword list are set correctly, the software can execute batch operations according to the same rules.

Effect Preview: Changes before and after processing

First, let's look at the Excel table before processing. In the screenshot, many cells under A column "Mandatory or Voluntary Participant" contain "Mandatory"; in D column "CBSA", "46060" appears in multiple rows. Red arrows and boxes mark the locations of these keywords to be deleted. For this type of data, looking up and clearing row by row would be a massive workload.

After processing is complete, you can see that cells previously containing "Mandatory" have been cleared, and cells in D column that previously had "46060" are now blank. Other content in the table, such as hospital names, city names, and other numbers, is still retained. The headers, row, and column structure are also not damaged. This indicates that the operation did not delete entire rows or columns, but performed a batch clear specifically targeting the specified keywords.

This effect is particularly suitable for scenarios where you need to "retain the table framework and only delete specified content." For instance, you might not want to delete an entire record, just clear a certain classification value or area code; or you don't want to change the row and column numbers of the table, just make the corresponding cell blank. This goal is achieved by finding and replacing with nothing.

Operation Steps: Using the office software to batch delete keywords from multiple Excel files

Step 1: Enter the Excel tool and select the Find and Replace function

After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "Excel Tools" in the left navigation bar. The right side will display function cards related to Excel file processing. According to the screenshot, choose the first function "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel," whose description is batch finding and replacing keywords in Excel file content.

The purpose of this step is to enter the module specifically for processing Excel content keywords. Since the current need is to delete keywords, it essentially still falls under Find and Replace: find the target content, then leave the replacement content empty. Only after selecting the correct function can you proceed to add the xlsx or xls table files to be processed.

Step 2: Add Excel files to be batch processed

After entering the function page, the top of the interface displays the current function name, "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel". The process is divided into four stages: "Select records to process", "Set processing options", "Set save location", and "Start processing". In the first stage, you can click "Add Files" to select single or multiple Excel files, or click "Import files from folder" to import all spreadsheets from a specific folder at once.

In the screenshot, three xlsx files have been added: product_list.xlsx, team-participant-list.xlsx, test.xlsx. The list also shows information like file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. The purpose of this list is to allow users to confirm which files will participate in the batch process, avoiding accidental processing of irrelevant files. If you add something mistakenly, you can use the delete icon to the right of the corresponding row to remove it; if there are many files, you can also use the "Filter" and "Sort" options in the interface for assisted viewing.

After confirming the file list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the processing option settings. It is recommended to double-check the paths before formal processing, especially when batch-importing from a folder, to ensure there are no workbooks in the folder that should not be processed.

Step 3: Set the processing scope, specifying to process only cell text

On the "Set processing options" page, you must first determine the processing scope. In the screenshot, "Cell Text" is checked, while "Worksheet Sheet Name" and "Text on shapes in the worksheet" are not. This means the software will focus on processing the text content inside the Excel cells, not modifying worksheet names or text within graphical objects.

This step is crucial. If your keywords appear in the cell content, such as table data, numbers, statuses, or notes, you should check "Cell Text". If you only want to delete certain words within the cells of the table, it is not recommended to check irrelevant scopes, to avoid broadening the processing targets. The screenshot also shows settings related to worksheet names, column name conditions, formula cells, and data types. For common text cleaning tasks, keeping settings similar to the screenshot is fine: process cell text, use exact text search for the search mode, and select text for the data type to be processed.

Step 4: Enter the content to be deleted into the keyword list and leave the replacement content empty

In the "Set Keyword Options" area below, you can see the "Keyword List to Find" and the "Replaced Keyword List". In the screenshot, the left keyword list has two entries: Mandatory and 46060; the right replaced keyword list is empty, with a note stating "Leave blank to delete". This is the core setting for batch deleting keywords.

That means the software will search for the keywords listed on the left in the added Excel files. If no corresponding replacement content is filled in on the right, the matched content will be deleted or cleared. In the example, "Mandatory" is cleared, and "46060" is also cleared. For multiple keywords, you can fill in one per line, which is convenient for maintenance and checking.

Here, users are advised to pay attention to two points. First, the keywords should be as accurate as possible. If you choose "Exact Text Match", you should enter the complete target content to avoid mismatches due to extra spaces, case differences, or different preceding/following characters. Second, if what you want to delete is a numeric code but it might exist as text or number format in Excel, you need to pay attention to the "Data type of cells to process" setting. The screenshot shows "Text" is checked, which is suitable for processing content saved as text.

Step 5: Set the save location and start processing

After completing the keyword and processing scope settings, click "Next" to enter "Set Save Location". This stage is for determining where the processed files will be saved. Although the screenshot doesn't show the expanded save location page, the progress bar clearly indicates a "Set save location" step. For safety, it is recommended to save the processed results to a new folder to avoid confusion with the original files. This way, even if you find the keyword settings don't meet expectations, you can return to the original files and re-process.

After confirming the save location, proceed to "Start Processing". The software will execute batch Find and Replace on the multiple Excel workbooks according to the previously selected file list and keyword rules. After processing is complete, open the generated files for spot-checking, focusing on whether the keyword columns, headers, formula areas, and other important data meet expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions and Notes

1. Does deleting keywords delete the entire row of data?

From the post-processing screenshot, you can see the result is that the target content in the cell becomes blank, while data in other columns still exists. Therefore, this function is suitable for deleting the specified keyword itself, not deleting entire rows or columns. If you need to delete a whole row, you need to use other functions related to row/column filtering or organization.

2. Can I delete multiple different keywords at once?

Yes. The screenshot already demonstrates entering two keywords, Mandatory and 46060, simultaneously. In actual use, you can fill in the words, numbers, or phrases to be deleted line by line in the "Keyword List to Find". As long as the replaced keyword list is empty, it is equivalent to batch deleting all these items.

3. Can both xlsx and xls files be processed?

The sample file extension in the screenshot is xlsx. The function name is oriented towards Excel files and is typically applicable to common Excel spreadsheet scenarios. Before actual processing, it is recommended to test with a small number of xlsx and xls files first to confirm format compatibility and processing effects, before performing large-scale operations.

4. How to avoid accidentally deleting similar content?

It is recommended to prioritize using "Exact Text Match" as in the screenshot and enter the complete keyword. If a word might only be part of another word, you need to be cautious. For example, when deleting a number, confirm that the number won't appear in other valid fields; when deleting an English word, pay attention to whether it will affect normal expression in longer texts.

5. Why is some content not deleted after processing?

Common reasons include: hidden spaces before or after the keyword, case mismatches, cell data type mismatching the settings, or the target content being in formula results, shape text, or worksheet names rather than in ordinary cell text. If this happens, you can first check the real content of the target cell in Excel, then adjust the processing scope and keywords.

Conclusion: Reducing repetitive Find and Replace with batch processing

Batch deleting keywords from many Excel spreadsheet files is essentially a high-frequency, repetitive, and error-prone office task. With the help of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can centralize operations that originally required opening files and performing Find and Replace one by one into a single workflow: select the function, add files, set the cell text scope, fill in the keywords to delete, save, and start processing.

For people who need to clean up a large number of xlsx and xls spreadsheets, this batch processing method can significantly reduce manual operation time and improve result consistency. It is recommended to back up the original files before formal processing and verify the effect with a small sample; after confirming there are no errors, then execute the batch delete keywords operation on the entire batch of Excel files.