How to batch delete all content to the left of specified text in folder names

When a large number of folder names contain the same marker text, but the left side of the marker also includes project names, department names, or temporary prefixes, renaming them one by one is both time-consuming and error-prone. This article uses START as the anchor text and explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch delete everything to the left of START in folder names while preserving START and the names to its right, and describes the specific approach with before-and-after results, complete steps, and notes.

When organizing project materials, archiving business files, or receiving external data, you often encounter a batch of folder names with similar structures but different prefixes. For example, folders may start with Backup_, Build_, Client_, or Project_, all share a unified START marker in the middle, and the name that needs to be retained long-term comes after it. If you manually delete the content to the left of START one by one, the operation is not only repetitive, but when there are many folders, it is also easy to delete too few characters, accidentally delete the marker, or produce inconsistent naming formats.

The core problem this article solves is: how to batch delete all content to the left of a specified text in many folder names. In the example, START is used as the anchor text, and after processing, START itself and the content to its right are retained. The entire process is completed using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . This is a batch processing software designed for everyday office scenarios. It can import multiple folders at once and process names through unified rules, reducing mechanical repetitive renaming work.

1. Applicable Scenarios

This method of batch renaming folders is suitable for situations where names contain fixed separator text or business markers. As long as multiple folders all contain the same text, that text can be used as the anchor to uniformly clean up the unnecessary content to its left.

• Clean up source prefixes: Folders submitted by different people contain name, department, device, or channel prefixes, and you want to retain them starting from the unified marker.
• Organize project archive directories: Historical directories contain classification words such as Backup, Build, Client, and Project at the front, and now only START and the subsequent business name need to be retained.
• Standardize batch folder names: Batch-exported directories contain temporary batch numbers, but during formal archiving, all content to the left of the anchor text needs to be deleted.
• Name cleanup after data migration: Folders copied from other systems contain source identifiers, and you want to quickly convert them into a unified naming structure.
• Reduce manual renaming: When dozens or hundreds of folders use the same deletion rule, setting it once and executing it in batches through office software is more efficient.

It should be noted that this function processes folder names. If you need to organize the names of doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, pdf, txt, or image files, you should confirm that you are using the corresponding file name processing function and not confuse files with folders.

2. Effect Preview: What Changes Before and After Processing

1. Folder Names Before Processing

Before processing, a batch of folders all contain START, but the content to their left is different. For example:

• Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final
• Build_START_debugInfo_END_Release
• Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive
• Data_START_sampleChunk_END_Clean
• Project_START_alpha_END_Report

What actually needs to be deleted is the content to the left of START, such as Backup, Build, Client, Data, and Project. The screenshot below shows the actual directory state before processing, and the red marks indicate the name prefixes that are about to be removed uniformly.

Although these prefixes have different lengths, there is no need to calculate the character count for each one. As long as every folder contains START, unified deletion can be performed according to the position of the specified text, which is more suitable for names with inconsistent lengths than truncating by a fixed number of characters.

2. Folder Names After Processing

After batch processing is completed, the content to the left of START is deleted, while START itself and the text to its right continue to be retained. The processing results include:

• START_2024Draft_END_Archive
• START_alpha_END_Report
• START_batch001_END_Paid
• START_debugInfo_END_Release
• START_privateText_END_Public

From the results, it can be seen that the originally different-length left prefixes have disappeared uniformly, and all names now start from START. The text to the right, such as 2024Draft, alpha, batch001, and debugInfo, has not been changed, indicating that this rule only affects the area to the left of the specified text.

3. Operation Steps: Batch Delete the Content to the Left of START

Step 1: Enter the Folder Name Processing Function

Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and in the left function category, select "Folder Name". After entering the function list, find and click "Delete text in folder names". This function is used to batch delete characters, text, or specific ranges of content from folder names according to specified conditions.

The purpose of this step is to enter the correct batch renaming module. The screenshot also shows functions such as find and replace, insert text, add prefix and suffix, and case conversion, but the current requirement is not to replace START, nor to add new content, but to delete all characters to the left of START, so "Delete text in folder names" should be selected.

Step 2: Add the Folders That Need Batch Processing

After entering the function page, click "Add Folders" in the upper right corner to add the directories that need to be renamed to the task list. After adding, the software will display information such as serial number, name, path, creation time, and modification time.

Before continuing, it is recommended to check the list row by row:

1. Confirm that the added items are the folders that need to be renamed, not unrelated directories.
2. Confirm that START, which is used as the anchor, exists in each name.
3. Check the paths to avoid selecting directories with the same name but different locations.
4. If there are mistakenly added records, use the delete icon in the corresponding row's operation area to remove them from the task list.

In the screenshot, a total of 10 records have been added. The advantage of the batch tool is that the rule only needs to be configured once and can be applied to all folders in the list at the same time, without having to click, edit, and confirm each one individually in File Explorer.

Step 3: Enter Processing Option Settings

After confirming that the folder list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom of the page to enter "Set Processing Options". In "Operation Type", select "All content to the left of a text". This option uses the input text as the anchor point and deletes the name content to the left of the anchor point.

Enter START in the "Text" input box. The text entered here must actually exist in the folder names, and letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols should all be consistent with the original names. In the example names, START uses uppercase English letters, so it should also be entered as uppercase START according to the screenshot.

Step 4: Decide Whether to Retain the Anchor Text

There is also an "Include this text" switch in the settings area. In the example screenshot, this switch is turned off, so the deletion range only includes the content to the left of START and does not include START itself. The final result will start from START, for example:

Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final → START_tempFiles_END_Final

If the business goal is to delete START together as well, so that the result starts from the content after it, you need to adjust the deletion range according to the "Include this text" option in the interface. However, the processing result shown in this article explicitly retains START, so the settings should remain consistent with the screenshot.

Step 5: Continue to Complete the Save Location and Processing Flow

After the rule settings are completed, click "Next". The flow at the top of the interface shows that "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing" remain. Continue according to the page wizard, confirm the output or save arrangement for the processing result in the save location step, and then enter the start processing stage to execute the task.

Because batch renaming will directly affect subsequent directory retrieval and file references, before officially starting, check three things again: whether the task list is correct, whether the operation type is "All content to the left of a text", and whether the text is filled in as START. Starting the processing only after confirming these is correct can reduce the risk of batch misoperation.

Step 6: Check the Final Names

After processing is completed, open the corresponding directory and check the folder names. Focus on confirming the following results:

• Whether the left prefix of each folder has been deleted.
• Whether START is retained as expected.
• Whether the name content to the right of START is complete.
• Whether there are unprocessed folders or abnormal names that do not contain START.

After spot-checking confirms that everything is correct, use these directories for archiving, transfer, uploading, or subsequent office workflows.

4. Why Manual Renaming One by One Is Not Recommended

When the number of folders is small, manual modification may seem sufficient, but as the number of directories increases, the cost of repetitive operations rises rapidly. Each folder requires steps such as selecting it, entering rename mode, locating START, deleting the left characters, and confirming the name. When prefix lengths are inconsistent, you cannot simply copy the same deletion action.

After using office batch processing software, you only need to set START as the common anchor text, and the software can apply the same rule to multiple directories in the list. This way, there is no need to calculate the character count of each prefix or repeatedly copy and paste names. It is especially suitable for batch archiving, periodic data organization, and directory standardization before project delivery.

5. Common Questions and Precautions

1. Why did some folders not change?

First check whether the folder name actually contains START. Also pay attention to differences in capitalization, spaces, and full-width versus half-width characters. For example, Start, start, and START are written differently, so the anchor text should be entered according to the actual name.

2. Will START also be deleted?

This depends on the "Include this text" setting. In the example in this article, this option is turned off, so only the content to the left of START is deleted and START is retained. When setting rules, do not only look at the operation type; also check whether this switch matches the goal.

3. What if multiple STARTs appear in a name?

If the anchor text appears multiple times in the same name, the actual deletion boundary may not match expectations. Before batch execution, such special directories should be filtered first, tested using a small number of copies, and only after confirming the anchor result should all data be processed.

4. Can Chinese anchor text be entered?

From the functional logic, the anchor basis is "a certain text", and in actual use, it should be based on what the interface supports and the actual content in the folder. Whether entering Chinese, English, or numeric combinations, ensure that the text exactly matches the original name, and perform small-scale verification first.

5. Is a backup necessary before the operation?

It is recommended to keep backups of important directories, especially when folders may be referenced by other documents, shortcuts, scripts, or business systems. After folder renaming, existing reference paths may need to be updated simultaneously. Backup is useful not only for preventing name rule configuration errors, but also for comparing differences before and after processing.

6. How to avoid batch renaming errors?

Do not process all official data from the very beginning. You can copy two or three representative folders, including names with short prefixes, long prefixes, and special characters, and verify the rule first. After the test results match expectations, import the complete directory for batch processing.

6. Summary

The key to batch deleting all content to the left of a specified text in folder names is to find the anchor text shared by multiple names. In this example, START is used as the boundary. In HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select "Delete text in folder names", then set "All content to the left of a text", and keep "Include this text" turned off. This deletes the left prefix of START while retaining START and the name to its right.

Compared with manual renaming one by one, this batch processing method can significantly reduce repetitive clicking and character editing, and avoid omissions caused by different prefix lengths. It is recommended to back up important directories first and test with a small number of folders. After confirming the processing effect, add the complete task list and start batch execution.