How to batch delete the content to the right of specified text in folder names? Renaming method that preserves the delimiter

When a large number of folder names all contain a fixed separator, and to the right of the separator there is status text that is no longer needed, such as Final, Release, or Archive, renaming them one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions or accidental deletions. This article uses END as the anchor text and introduces how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to import multiple folders at once, select "all content to the right of a certain text", and decide whether to keep END through the "include this text" toggle. After the operation is completed, the main folder names and the anchor text are retained, while the suffixes on the right are removed uniformly, making it suitable for project archiving, data organization, and standardizing historical directories.

In project archiving, client data organization, design deliverable handoff, or daily office file management, we often encounter a batch of folders with similarly structured names. For example, each folder name contains a fixed text "END" in the middle, and to its right there are status suffixes such as Final, Release, Archive, Approved, Paid. As materials move to the next stage, these suffixes may no longer serve a purpose and need to be removed uniformly.

If there are only two or three folders, manual renaming is not difficult; but when the number of folders reaches dozens, hundreds, or even more, deleting the content to the right of a specified text one by one creates a large amount of repetitive work. Manual operation may also cause missed changes, inconsistent deletion positions, or accidental damage to the main part of the name. This article will introduce how to use the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to batch delete all content to the right of a certain text in folder names while retaining the specified text used as the boundary marker.

This example uses "END" as the locating text. Before processing, a name may look like "Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final", and after processing it becomes "Backup_START_tempFiles_END". In other words, the software finds END and uniformly deletes the underscore and subsequent content to its right, while END itself is retained.

Applicable scenarios

This method of batch modifying folder names is suitable for directories whose names have a common marker or a unified delimiter rule. As long as the same text that can be used for locating exists in every folder to be processed, that text can be used to determine the deletion boundary.

• Project data archiving: Delete status descriptions such as Final, Done, and Approved to the right of END in folder names, making archive directories more concise.
• Client file organization: Retain the client name, project number, and fixed delimiter, and delete temporary notes or workflow information to the right of the delimiter.
• Design and photography asset management: Batch remove stage suffixes such as Approved, Edited, and Review to avoid inconsistent naming lengths among similar directories.
• Standardization of financial and administrative materials: Delete status texts such as Paid, Checked, and Completed that are no longer needed, and unify the format of historical folders.
• Data directory cleanup: Retain batch numbers and fixed boundary characters, and delete environment names, version names, or descriptions to the right of the boundary.

Note that this article deals with folder names, not deleting files within folders, nor deleting content in Word, Excel, PDF, or other documents. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is a batch processing software designed for office scenarios, and what is used here is its folder name processing capability, with the core purpose of reducing mechanical and repetitive renaming operations.

Preview of results: What changes before and after processing

Before processing: Different suffixes exist to the right of the specified text

The image below shows the folder list before processing. Each name contains "END", but the content to the right of END is different, including texts such as Final, Release, Archive, Clean, Approved, Paid, Public, Edited, Report, and Done.

Although the suffix contents are different, they share the same structural feature: they are all located to the right of END. Therefore, there is no need to enter Final, Release, or Archive separately, nor to perform an operation for each suffix. You only need to set END as the locating text.

Take a few of the names as examples:

• Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final
• Build_START_debugInfo_END_Release
• Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive
• Invoice_START_batch001_END_Paid

The expected goal is to retain the main name to the left of END and END itself, and uniformly delete all characters to the right of END. Because the content on the right includes the connecting underscore, that underscore will also be deleted together with the suffix on the right.

After processing: The main name and END are retained

The result after batch processing is shown in the image below. Each folder still retains its original main name and END, while the suffix to the right of END has disappeared.

For example, "Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive" becomes "Client_START_2024Draft_END", and "Project_START_alpha_END_Report" becomes "Project_START_alpha_END". Suffixes of different lengths are all deleted according to the same rule, without the need to judge the number of characters one by one. This is also why locating by a specified text is more reliable than fixed deletion of a certain number of characters at the far right.

Operation steps: Batch delete all content to the right of a specified text

Step 1: Enter the "Delete text in folder names" feature

Open HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , and select "Folder Name" in the function category on the left. After entering the corresponding tool list, find and click "Delete text in folder names".

The purpose of selecting this feature is to enter the configuration process for batch deletion rules in folder names. The screenshot also shows tools such as find and replace, insert text, add prefix and suffix, and case conversion, but the current need is to delete content after a specified position, so you should enter "Delete text in folder names" instead of using ordinary find and replace.

After entering the feature page, the interface guides the operation in the order of "Select records to process", "Set processing options", "Set save location", and "Start processing". Configuring according to the process can reduce the probability of missing parameters during batch renaming.

Step 2: Batch add folders that need to be renamed

On the "Select records to process" page, click "Add Folder" in the upper right corner to add the directories to be renamed to the task list. After adding, the interface will display information such as sequence number, name, path, creation time, and modification time.

A total of 10 records are added in the screenshot. At this point, you should focus on checking the "Name" and "Path" columns to confirm that the imported items are the target folders, not directories with the same name but located elsewhere. If any record is added by mistake, you can use the delete icon in the corresponding "Operation" column to remove it from the current task; this step only adjusts the pending list, making it easier to correct the selection before execution.

It is recommended to spot-check several folder names before continuing to confirm that they do contain the locating text END. If some directories do not contain END, their naming structure is inconsistent with the current rule and should be handled with caution. If necessary, remove them from the current list first and analyze them separately before proceeding. After confirming that the records are correct, click "Next" at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: Select "All content to the right of a certain text"

After entering the "Set processing options" page, select "All content to the right of a certain text" under "Operation type". This option means that the software will use the text entered by the user as the boundary and delete all characters appearing to the right of that text, rather than deleting only a fixed number of characters at the far right.

Then enter END in the required "Text" input box. The input should match the actual characters in the folder name, including the letters and their case. Do not enter the underscore after END together, unless your actual goal is to use "END_" as the complete locating text.

In the screenshot, the "Include this text" switch is off. Combined with the final result, it can be seen that in this state, the software deletes all content to the right of END but does not delete END itself, so the processed name ends with END. This exactly meets the requirement of "retaining the delimiter and deleting the suffix after the delimiter".

The rule in this example can be summarized as:

• Operation type: All content to the right of a certain text;
• Text: END;
• Include this text: Off;
• Expected result: Retain END, delete the underscore and all suffixes to the right of END.

After confirming the parameters, click "Next", continue to complete the save location setting according to the interface flow, and start processing in the final step. Since the subsequent pages belong to "Set save location" and "Start processing" in the workflow, during actual operation you should carefully read the prompts on the current interface and confirm the task parameters and target location before executing.

Step 4: Complete processing and verify the results

After the task ends, open the processed folder location and compare whether the names meet expectations. It is recommended to check at least the first, middle, and last items in the list, and pay special attention to names with longer original suffixes or multiple underscores.

In this example, the content to the right of END in all 10 folders has been deleted, and the main part has not changed. During batch verification, you can check three key points: whether END still exists, whether the right side of END has been cleared, and whether the project name and number to the left of END are intact.

Why manual renaming one by one is not recommended

Manual modification may seem direct, but the more folders there are, the more obvious the cost of repetitive operations becomes. Each directory requires entering the renaming state, locating END, selecting the content on the right, deleting it, and confirming. When the name is long, it is also easy to misread the position and accidentally delete part of the main text.

After establishing a unified rule through office software, users only need to import the folders and set the parameters once, and the software can apply the same rule to the entire task list. For dozens or hundreds of directories, this approach can significantly reduce mouse and keyboard operations and keep the processing results consistent. Especially when the suffixes on the right have different lengths and different contents but the same boundary, batch deletion by locating text is more suitable than deletion by character count.

Common questions and precautions

1. Should "Include this text" be turned on or off?

If you want to continue retaining END after processing, you should turn off "Include this text" as shown in the screenshot example. If the business goal also includes deleting the locating text itself, adjust it according to the interface options. However, before batch execution, be sure to verify with a small number of test directories first, because retaining END and deleting END produce different results.

2. After entering END, why should I check the case?

The English text in folder names may appear in different forms such as END, End, or end. To avoid rule mismatch or incomplete processing coverage, the input should be based on the actual names. If the existing directories are inconsistent in case, it is recommended to organize the list first and process different forms in batches.

3. What should I do if END appears multiple times in a folder name?

When the same text appears multiple times in one name, the deletion boundary may not match intuition. The screenshot does not show the specific rule for multiple matches, so it cannot be assumed directly that the software will definitely use the position of the first or last occurrence. A safer approach is to copy a small sample first, test to confirm the result, and then add all folders.

4. Do all folders have to have exactly the same suffix?

No. In this example, suffixes such as Final, Release, and Archive are different, but they are all located to the right of END. The software locates by END rather than by suffix content, so different suffixes can be processed in the same task.

5. Do I need a backup before processing?

Batch renaming affects multiple records at the same time. For important project directories, it is recommended to create a backup first, or copy a small number of folders for testing. In particular, confirm whether the names are referenced by other programs, scripts, shortcuts, or business systems to avoid invalidating the original paths after renaming.

6. Can this method be used to process Word, Excel, or PDF file names?

The screenshots and workflow in this article correspond to the "Folder Name" feature, so this tutorial only explains batch folder renaming. Whether files such as doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, and pdf use the same entry should be determined according to the corresponding file name tools and the actual interface of the software. The folder workflow should not be directly equated with the file renaming workflow.

Summary

When a large number of folders all need to have the content to the right of a fixed text deleted, the most important thing is to find a stable naming boundary. In this example, END is used as the locating text. Through the "Delete text in folder names" feature of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , selecting "All content to the right of a certain text" and turning off "Include this text" ultimately achieves the effect of retaining END and deleting all suffixes to its right.

This batch processing method does not require every suffix to be exactly the same, and is especially suitable for cleaning status descriptions of different lengths such as Final, Release, Archive, and Approved. In actual use, it is recommended to back up important directories first, import a small number of samples to verify the rule, and then batch add all folders. After confirming that the text, switch status, and pending paths are correct, you can start processing, thereby reducing the repetitive work of renaming one by one and making office data directories more unified and easier to search and maintain.