Tutorial on batch processing for simultaneously deleting text and numbering keywords in multiple xlsx spreadsheets

Deleting repetitive text keywords and numbered content across multiple xlsx files one by one is highly inefficient. This article demonstrates how to simultaneously delete text and numbered keywords in Excel cells using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , such as batch clearing out Mandatory and 46060. The tutorial explains the function entry point, file import, processing scope, exact search, keyword list, and saving steps with screenshots, and summarizes precautions for batch operations to help users complete data cleaning more safely.

Many office workers encounter situations where a folder contains multiple Excel spreadsheets, each with some unwanted text or numbers. For example, a status field might uniformly display "Mandatory," and a region code might repeatedly appear as "46060." You may simply want to delete these values, not the entire rows of data, and without changing other content in the spreadsheet. Modifying files one by one is not only time-consuming but also makes it easy to miss entries in certain xlsx files.

This tutorial focuses on "deleting text and number keywords from multiple xlsx spreadsheets simultaneously," highlighting how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool for batch find and delete operations. This software is a batch processing tool for office documents, suitable for handling repetitive tasks in common files like Excel, Word, and PDF. This article's examples focus on Excel files, using the "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel" function to replace specified keywords with nothing, thus achieving a batch deletion effect.

Applicable Scenarios: Why Mixed Text and Number Cleanup Is Ideal for Batch Processing

Keywords in Excel are not necessarily just text; they can also be numbers, codes, classification values, or fixed digits. In practice, these two types of content often appear together. For instance, a roster might contain both status terms and region codes; a product sheet might have brand labels and old classification codes; a statistical table might include descriptive text and invalid numbers generated during system import.

If this content is spread across multiple Excel files, manual processing presents three problems. First, opening files one by one is time-consuming. Second, repeatedly entering search criteria can easily lead to typos. Third, it's difficult to ensure consistent rules are applied to every file after processing. The advantage of batch processing is setting the rules centrally once and then applying them to multiple files.

• Suitable for batch deleting fixed text, such as Mandatory, Draft, Old, Invalid, etc.
• Suitable for batch deleting numbers or codes, such as 46060, classification codes, region codes, etc.
• Suitable for uniformly cleaning multiple xlsx files, reducing manual copying and replacing.
• Suitable for clearing specified content within cells while preserving the table structure and other data.

It's important to note that the approach demonstrated here is "deleting keyword content," not deleting entire rows containing the keyword. Therefore, if your goal is to clear values from certain cells, this method is very suitable; if the goal is to delete rows based on conditions, you'll need to use other types of data sorting features.

Result Preview: Comparing Excel Data Before and After Processing

Before processing, the Excel table has two obvious items needing cleanup: multiple rows in column A contain "Mandatory," and multiple rows in column D contain "46060." These two areas are highlighted with red boxes in the screenshot. Cleaning these repeated values in just the visible area might not be too difficult, but if the entire workbook has more rows, more sheets, or even multiple files, manual deletion becomes tedious.

After processing, cells that originally displayed "Mandatory" are cleared, and cells that displayed "46060" are also blank. The headers, hospital names, city names, and other numbers remain. This result is excellent for continued analysis because the row and column positions haven't undergone large-scale changes, and the main body of data remains complete.

The before-and-after comparison shows that batch deleting keywords does not necessarily affect other content. As long as the keyword list is set accurately, the software processes the target content precisely. For users who need to keep the spreadsheet format and only clean partial values, this is a more reliable approach than manually deleting entire columns or rows.

Operational Steps: From Importing Files to Deleting Keywords

Step 1: Open the Excel Tools Panel

After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first select "Excel Tools" on the left. The interface will display multiple Excel-related functions, such as adding password protection, removing password protection, format conversion, etc. This task involves processing keywords within file content, so select "Find and Replace Keywords in Excel."

The purpose of this step is to enter the functional module capable of batch finding content in Excel. The description on the function card indicates it supports batch finding and replacing keywords in Excel file content. Deleting keywords can be achieved by replacing them with nothing, so there's no need to look for a separate delete entry.

Step 2: Add Multiple xlsx Files to the Processing List

After entering the function page, the first stage is to select the records to process. Above the interface are buttons like "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," and "More." For a small number of files, use "Add Files"; for multiple files concentrated in one folder, using "Import Files from Folder" is more convenient.

In the screenshot, the processing list already contains 3 xlsx files, showing the file path and extension. Users are advised to pay special attention to the "Path" column, as files with the same name might be located in different folders. After confirming the record count and file scope are correct, click "Next" at the bottom. If files that shouldn't be processed are mixed in, delete the corresponding records first to prevent the batch operation from affecting the wrong files.

Step 3: Limit the Processing Scope to Cell Text

Entering the second stage, "Set Processing Options," first configure the Excel options. In the screenshot, "Processing Scope" has "Cell Text" checked. This means the software will search and process keywords within cell content. Since the example keywords "Mandatory" and "46060" are both located inside cells, this setting meets the requirements.

In the same area, you can also see options like "Worksheet Sheet Name" and "Text on Shapes in Worksheet," but they are not checked in the screenshot. The advantage of this is processing only the spreadsheet data itself, without altering sheet names or graphical object text. When batch deleting keywords, the more specific the processing scope, the lower the chance of unintended modifications.

Step 4: Confirm Cell Types and Formula Processing Settings

In the screenshot, "Target Cell Formula Type" is set to "No Limit," "Processing Method for Cells Containing Formulas" is set to "Calculated Value of Formula," and "Target Cell Data Type" has "Text" checked. These settings are intuitive for common text cleanup tasks: the software will search based on the displayed or calculated text value of the cell.

If your target numbers are stored as text in Excel, for example, codes with leading zeros, or exported content flagged with a green indicator in the top-left corner, checking the text type is usually more appropriate. In the screenshot, the numbers in column B have a green marker, suggesting they might be text-formatted numbers in Excel. When dealing with number-type keywords, it's best to first determine their actual type in the spreadsheet to avoid mismatches due to differences between number and text formats.

Step 5: Use Exact Find and Enter the Keywords to Delete

In the "Set Keyword Options" section, the screenshot shows "Exact Text Find" selected. This means the software will perform an exact match based on the entered keywords. The "Keyword List to Find" on the left contains "Mandatory" and "46060," each on a separate line. The "Replacement Keyword List" on the right is empty, with a prompt stating "Leave blank for deletion."

This is the most crucial setting of this tutorial: to delete something, write it in the left list; to replace it with nothing, keep the right list empty. During processing, the software will remove these keywords from the Excel file. A mix of text and numbers can also be handled together in a single keyword list.

For more stable results, it is advisable not to input too many untested keywords at once. Start by entering two or three of the most typical items, test the processing results on a small batch of files, and after confirming the effect is correct, expand the keyword list to process more files.

Step 6: Proceed to Save Location and Start Processing

Once settings are complete, click "Next." The progress bar shows subsequent stages: "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing." During the save location stage, it is recommended to select a new output directory to save the processed Excel files. This prevents overwriting the original files and facilitates comparison between before and after versions.

After entering the start processing stage, the software will automatically execute batch find-and-replace according to the file list and keyword list. Once processing is complete, open the output files to check. Focus specifically on the columns that originally contained "Mandatory" and "46060" to confirm this content has been deleted; simultaneously, check if other key fields remain intact.

Frequently Asked Questions and Notes

1. Can text and numbers be placed in the same keyword list?

Yes. The screenshot shows "Mandatory" (text) and "46060" (a number) entered together. As long as both are target content for deletion, they can be added line by line to the "Keyword List to Find." However, be aware that numbers in Excel might be stored in two ways—as text or as numbers—so checking the format with a sample before processing is recommended.

2. Why not fill in the replacement keyword list?

Because the goal here is deletion, not replacement with another word. The interface prompt states "Leave blank for deletion," so keeping the right side empty is correct. If you fill in other content, the software will replace the found keyword with that content instead of clearing it.

3. Is a backup necessary before batch processing?

A backup is recommended. Batch processing is highly efficient, but rule-setting errors can quickly impact multiple files. The safest method is to keep the original files, output the processed results to a new folder, and only use them for official work after confirming they are correct.

4. What if keywords are not deleted?

Check several aspects: is the keyword spelling exactly identical? Are there leading or trailing spaces? Is the cell content a formula result? Does the data type match the settings? Is the target content located outside the cell? According to the screenshot, if the target is inside a cell, "Cell Text" should be checked. If the target is in a worksheet name or shape text, you need to re-evaluate the processing scope.

5. How to avoid deleting content that shouldn't be deleted?

Try to use exact text find and input the complete keyword. Be especially cautious with short words or short codes, as they might appear in other valid content. Testing first, then running in batch, is a safer habit when processing office files.

Summary: Making Keyword Cleanup for Multiple Excel Files More Efficient

The key to simultaneously deleting text and number keywords from multiple xlsx spreadsheets lies in unifying the repetitive find-and-replace rules. Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can import multiple Excel files, set the cell text scope, choose exact find, enter the keywords to delete, and leave the replacement field blank. The software then processes the files in batch according to the rules, helping users reduce the repetitive work of opening and modifying each file individually.

If you are organizing a batch of Excel, xlsx, or xls spreadsheets and need to delete fixed text, numbers, status terms, or invalid fields, you can follow the steps in this article to first validate using a sample file, then execute processing for the entire batch. This not only saves time but also makes the batch cleanup results more consistent and reliable.