How to batch delete characters between START and END in folder names? Multi-directory unified renaming tutorial

For a large number of folders containing fixed markers such as START and END, if you only want to remove the temporary numbering, version descriptions, batch names, or note text between the two markers, you can use office software to perform rule-based batch renaming. This article uses complete examples to explain how to import multiple folders, set the left and right positioning text, control whether to keep START and END, and check the effects before and after processing. It also introduces common considerations such as case sensitivity, underscores, duplicate names, and path changes.

Teams often write version, batch, processing stage, or internal notes into folder names when preserving project materials for a long time. For example, "Design_START_oldVersion_END_Approved" is used to indicate that an old version has been approved, and "Invoice_START_batch001_END_Paid" is used to record the invoice batch and payment status. This type of naming is convenient for identification during a project, but after entering the archival stage, temporary fields such as oldVersion and batch001 in the middle may no longer have value to retain.

When there are only three to five folders in a directory, manual renaming is not difficult; however, if a shared drive, project drive, or historical backup contains a large number of similar directories, deleting the characters between START and END one by one creates a great deal of repetitive work. If a user selects one underscore too few or too many even once, the final name may not conform to the standard. This article will demonstrate how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch clean the middle fields in folder names while retaining START, END, and the valid information at both ends of the name.

HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is a batch processing software designed for daily office work and document organization. Its value is not just changing one name at a time, but allowing users to first establish unified rules and then apply those rules to multiple records. For users who frequently maintain Word documents, docx or doc files, Excel spreadsheets, PDF materials, and their parent folders, this approach can significantly reduce mechanical operations.

Applicable scenarios: Which folders can be located by two text markers

Before using the "all content between two text strings" rule, first determine whether the names to be processed share a common structure. An ideal name can be summarized as:

Fixed name prefix + left marker + content to be deleted + right marker + fixed name suffix

In this example, the left marker is START, and the right marker is _END. Although the content to be deleted varies, it is all placed between these two markers, so it is suitable for unified processing.

• Clean up temporary descriptions such as debugInfo, sampleChunk, and removeThis in test directories.
• Delete draft years, internal version numbers, or development branch names from project names.
• Remove stage notes when archiving customer, design, image, invoice, and task folders.
• Organize directory names exported from legacy systems and delete redundant fields enclosed by fixed labels.
• Standardize the naming format of department shared directories, making names shorter and easier to browse and search.

If each folder uses different left and right markers, or if there are no clear boundaries, it is not appropriate to directly apply the same rule. In that case, first group the items by naming structure and then create tasks separately to avoid expanding the matching range.

Preview of results: Before and after batch renaming

Folder names before processing

From the screenshot before processing, it can be seen that all 10 folders contain START and END markers, but the middle fields differ significantly, including tempFiles, debugInfo, 2024Draft, sampleChunk, oldVersion, batch001, privateText, rawSet, alpha, and removeThis.

These text strings vary in length, and some also contain numbers. If the method of "deleting a fixed number of characters" is used, it is difficult for one rule to cover all names; if find and replace is used instead, a separate setting is needed for each type of middle content. By comparison, determining the start and end points based on two fixed text strings is more suitable for such variable-length content.

Folder names after processing

After batch processing is completed, the variable fields in the middle have disappeared, while the name prefix, START, END, and suffix status are still retained.

Specific changes include:

• Build_START_debugInfo_END_Release → Build_START_END_Release
• Data_START_sampleChunk_END_Clean → Data_START_END_Clean
• Notes_START_privateText_END_Public → Notes_START_END_Public
• Photo_START_rawSet_END_Edited → Photo_START_END_Edited

The final result shows that this rule deletes the content between two text strings, but does not also delete the left and right positioning text. After processing, START and _END together form START_END, which is also consistent with the expected result in the screenshot.

Operation steps: Use office software to batch clean folder names

Step 1: Enter the corresponding tool from "Folder Name"

After starting HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , find "Folder Name" in the left navigation bar. Open that category, and in the function card select "Delete Text in Folder Name".

The purpose of selecting this function is to process the name string of the folder. The interface also contains tools such as "Find and Replace Keywords in Folder Names", "Insert Text in Folder Names", and "Add Prefix and Suffix to Folder Names", but they solve different problems. This example is not replacing a known piece of text with another piece of text, but deleting content of uncertain length between two fixed markers, so the text deletion function should be selected.

Step 2: Import all folders to be processed and check their paths

After entering the task page, you are currently in the first stage, "Select Records to Process". Click "Add Folder" and select the directories that need to be renamed uniformly. After adding them, the software will display the names and paths in the list, making it convenient for users to check each item.

In the example task, 10 records are added, all located under a test path on drive D. The list also shows creation time and modification time, which can help determine whether the correct directories have been selected. Before formally proceeding to the next step, it is recommended to complete the following checks:

1. Confirm that the number of records matches the number of folders to be processed.
2. Confirm that the paths belong to the target directory, to avoid selecting folders with similar names but different purposes.
3. Confirm that each name contains both boundaries, START and _END.
4. If a record should not be processed, click the delete icon to the right of that record to remove it from the task list.

After confirming the list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom of the page. This step does not require users to set naming rules one by one, but allows the subsequent unified options to apply to multiple records in the current task.

Step 3: Set the deletion type to content between two text strings

After entering "Set Processing Options", select "All Content Between Two Text Strings" in the "Operation Type" area. This option is suitable for situations where the middle text is not fixed and the length is inconsistent, but the boundary markers are unified.

Fill in the parameters according to the example names:

• Text on the left:START
• Text on the right:_END

Here, "left" and "right" are relative to the content to be deleted. Taking "Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive" as an example, the part to be deleted is "_2024Draft", START is located to its left, and _END is located to its right. The software identifies the character range to be cleaned based on this.

When filling in the boundaries, do not focus only on the visible English words; also pay attention to underscores and spaces. In the example, the right side is entered as "_END", indicating that the underscore is included in the right positioning text. This allows END to be retained after processing and produces the START_END structure. If the boundary input does not match the original name, some records may not match as expected.

Step 4: Set whether to include START and END

Below the left and right text input boxes, the interface provides "Include left text" and "Include right text" respectively. This example requires START and END to be retained, so both switches are not enabled. Ultimately, only the text between them is deleted.

These two switches can be understood as expansion options for the deletion range:

• Left inclusion not enabled: START is retained.
• Right inclusion not enabled: _END is used as the boundary, in which END will be retained, and the final result matches the example.
• If the actual task requires deleting the boundary itself, the corresponding options should be adjusted according to requirements after testing.

Because the boundary switches affect all added records, it is not recommended to enable them casually without a clear idea of the preview. It is better to first manually write out a target name in the form of "before processing → after processing", and then set the options accordingly.

Step 5: Enter the subsequent stages and execute the processing

After completing the rule settings, click "Next". From the process flow at the top of the page, it can be seen that there are still "Set Save Location" and "Start Processing" stages. Continue following the prompts on the software page to complete the subsequent settings, and perform a final confirmation before starting processing.

After the task is completed, go to the original folder location to view the results. Focus on confirming whether the variable text in each name has been removed, whether START and END are retained, and whether the business status before and after the name is intact. For batch renaming tasks, checking the first record, a middle record, and the last record is more reliable than looking at only one sample.

Frequently asked questions and precautions

Do boundary texts need to be case-sensitive?

When setting them, always enter the text exactly according to the original name, including English letter case. Even if the file system is case-insensitive in some cases, you should not rely on such differences. If START, Start, or start all exist in the names, it is recommended to process them separately first to ensure the rules are clear.

Why is the right text entered as "_END" instead of "END"?

Because the target structure in the original names contains an underscore. Including the underscore in the right boundary can more accurately determine the deletion endpoint and produce the START_END result shown in the screenshot. In actual operation, use your own folder names as the basis, and do not mechanically copy the example parameters.

Will docx, xlsx, pptx, or PDF files inside the folders be affected?

This tutorial performs batch modification of folder names, not deletion of internal file content. Materials such as doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, and PDF inside the folders will still remain in those folders. However, renaming a folder changes its full path. If Word document links, Excel external references, shortcuts, or business programs record the old path, they may need to be updated later.

What should I do if there is a risk of duplicate names after processing?

The middle fields may originally serve as unique identifiers. For example, after deleting A and B, "Project_START_A_END_Report" and "Project_START_B_END_Report" will both become "Project_START_END_Report". Therefore, before starting processing, check based on the target results whether duplicate names may occur. If there is a risk, you can retain necessary numbers, or first use another naming method to establish unique identifiers.

Is it recommended to directly process official business directories?

It is not recommended to directly batch modify the only copy of important directories without testing. A prudent approach is to first prepare a small number of copies or test folders, and use the same naming structure to verify the parameters. After confirming that the left and right boundaries, inclusion options, and final underscore counts are all correct, then process the official task.

What should I do if multiple pairs of START and END appear in a name?

If multiple pairs of boundaries appear repeatedly in the same name, the deletion range may not be easy to determine by visual inspection alone. Such names should be tested separately first, and should not be mixed into the same batch task with ordinary names that have only one pair of boundaries. The premise of batch processing is that the rules are stable, not that more records are always better.

Summary

Batch deleting the characters between START and END is most suitable for cleaning temporary versions, batches, notes, and internal code names in folder names. During operation, first enter "Delete Text in Folder Name", add and check the target folders, then select "All Content Between Two Text Strings" and fill in START and _END. If you want to retain the boundary markers, do not enable the options to include the left and right text.

HeSoft Doc Batch Tool transforms the repetitive work of changing names one by one into unified rule-based processing, reducing manual positioning and input. It is recommended to first select two or three test folders and complete the entire process according to the parameters in this article; after confirming that the processing results meet the naming standards, add the remaining directories to complete the batch organization.