Folder name prefix too messy? Method to batch delete left characters by specified keywords

The beginning content of multiple folders varies, making it impossible to organize them uniformly by deleting a fixed number of characters. In such cases, you can use a common keyword in the names as the starting point for truncation. This article uses START in the folder name as an example to explain how to use office software to batch add directories, select "all content to the left of a text string", set whether to keep the keyword, and complete subsequent processing. The article also covers practical considerations such as duplicate name conflicts, missing keywords, repeated occurrences, and path references.

After migrating data from old computers, consolidating files from multiple departments, organizing client delivery folders, or archiving historical projects, folder names often retain inconsistent prefixes. For example, some names start with Backup_, while others start with Client_, Invoice_, or Project_, and the truly useful naming part is located after START. Faced with this structure, if you open the rename box one by one and manually delete the prefixes, the steps are not only repetitive, but it is also difficult to ensure that every folder uses the same deletion boundary.

A more appropriate approach is to treat the commonly occurring keyword as the name truncation point: find START, delete everything to the left of START, and decide whether to keep START itself as needed. This method does not require the left-side prefixes to be the same length, so it is more suitable for complex directories than "uniformly deleting the first few characters."

The following will use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to demonstrate the specific process. It is an office software used for batch processing of documents and files, and its interface includes categories for file names, folder names, file organization, as well as tools for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, text, images, and more. This article only uses the "Folder Names" related functions shown in the screenshots, with the goal of processing multiple folder records at once and reducing mechanical renaming operations.

1. When is it suitable to delete folder name prefixes by keyword

To batch delete left-side characters by a specified keyword, the folder names need to have a relatively clear structure. The name can be understood as "invalid prefix + locating keyword + valid content." Taking the prefix Backup_, the keyword START, and the valid content tempFiles_END_Final as an example, the complete name is Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final. After processing, the name should become START_tempFiles_END_Final.

This method is suitable for the following tasks:

• Merging folders from multiple sources and removing markers added by source systems, departments, or personnel;
• Cleaning up dynamic prefixes written by backup software, export programs, or capture devices;
• Uniformly adjusting project directories to start from version keywords, date markers, or business codes;
• Organizing directories of images, audio, video, and design drafts, removing device names or temporary batch names;
• Applying unified naming rules to customer materials, contract archives, invoice batches, and report directories;
• Standardizing folder names before subsequent searching, sorting, or file organization.

It should be noted that the locating text does not necessarily have to be the English word START. In actual business scenarios, it can also be a Chinese word, a number marker, or other text that can reliably distinguish the name structure. However, no matter what content is filled in, you should ensure that it exists in the target folder names and can accurately represent the starting point of the part you want to keep.

2. Effect preview: from messy prefixes to a unified starting text

Before processing: inconsistent left-side prefix lengths

The image below shows the folder list before batch processing. Each name contains START, but the content to its left is different, so it is impossible to obtain accurate results by uniformly deleting a fixed number of characters.

For example:

• The left-side prefix of Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final is Backup_;
• The left-side prefix of Data_START_sampleChunk_END_Clean is Data_;
• The left-side prefix of Invoice_START_batch001_END_Paid is Invoice_;
• The left-side prefix of Project_START_alpha_END_Report is Project_.

These prefixes have different lengths, but they are all located to the left of START, so the same locating condition can be used for batch deletion.

After processing: all names uniformly start from START

After completing the task, the original prefixes are removed, and the folder names uniformly start from START. The batch, status, and purpose information to the right of START is still retained.

From the results, it can be confirmed that this rule did not delete START. For example, Client_START_2024Draft_END_Archive becomes START_2024Draft_END_Archive, not 2024Draft_END_Archive. That is to say, the deletion range is "to the left of START," not including START itself.

The unified names are more suitable for alphabetical sorting and also make it easier to identify directories later based on valid fields such as 2024Draft, alpha, batch001, debugInfo, and rawSet. The value of batch operations is not only saving clicks, but also ensuring that the same rule is executed across the same batch of records, reducing inconsistencies in standards caused by manual handling.

3. Operation steps: batch truncate folder names using a common keyword

Step 1: Open the folder name processing tool

After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , enter theFolder Namescategory in the left navigation bar. The main interface will display multiple functions related to folder renaming, including finding and replacing keywords, inserting text, adding prefixes and suffixes, case conversion, and deleting text from folder names.

This requirement is not to replace START with something else, nor to add a unified prefix to the names, but to delete all original characters to the left of START, so you should selectDelete text from folder names. After entering, the page will guide you step by step through record selection, processing option settings, save location settings, and starting the process.

Step 2: Add all folders to be processed

In the first stage, clickAdd Foldersand select the directories to be batch renamed. After adding successfully, the software will list the objects to be processed in a table, showing information such as folder names and their paths.

The example list contains 10 records, corresponding to folders starting with Backup, Build, Client, Data, Design, Invoice, Notes, Photo, Project, and Task. After adding, do not rush to the next step; use the list to perform a task scope check.

1. Check the record count:The bottom of the list shows 10 records, which should match the actual number of folders prepared for processing.
2. Check the name structure:Confirm that START exists in every name, and that the content to the left of START is indeed the part that needs to be deleted.
3. Check the paths:Folders with similar names may be located in different places, so avoid mistakenly selecting official materials or other project directories.
4. Remove irrelevant records:If a record should not participate in processing, you can use that row's action area to delete it from the current task.
5. Check name uniqueness:Determine in advance whether deleting the prefixes will produce two identical names.

After the check is complete, clickNextat the bottom of the page to proceed to processing rule settings.

Step 3: Set the operation type to "All content to the left of a text"

On the "Set Processing Options" page, you can see multiple operation types. For this example, selectAll content to the left of a text. After selecting this option, the software will determine the deletion range on the left based on the entered text, rather than mechanically deleting a fixed length from the beginning of the name.

After selection, enter START in the required "Text" input box. The processing logic can be summarized into the following three steps:

1. Find START in each folder name;
2. Use the position of START as the dividing point;
3. Delete all content to the left of the dividing point and keep the remaining name.

Taking Design_START_oldVersion_END_Approved as an example, after the software locates START, it will delete Design_ and obtain START_oldVersion_END_Approved. Even if another name has a prefix of a different length, such as Invoice_, it will be processed according to the same boundary rule.

Step 4: Correctly understand "Include this text"

Below the processing options, there is an "Include this text" switch. It determines whether the deletion range includes the locating text itself. In the screenshot, this switch is turned off, and the processed names still retain START, so for the example in this article it should remain off.

You can quickly judge using the following two goals:

• If you want Backup_START_tempFiles_END_Final to become START_tempFiles_END_Final: do not include START, and keep the switch off.
• If you want the name to no longer retain START: you need to adjust the "Include this text" option according to your actual goal, and first verify it using test folders.

This setting seems simple, but it directly determines the starting position of the new name. If START is mistakenly deleted along with the prefix, the final result will differ from the example, so before formal processing it is best to select a representative name and manually deduce the expected result.

Step 5: Enter the subsequent stages and execute batch processing

After completing the settings, clickNext. According to the top workflow, you next need to complete "Set Save Location," and then enter "Start Processing." On the subsequent pages, confirm the save or processing location according to the options actually displayed by the software. Do not execute directly based only on the default settings, especially when operating in formal project directories; make sure the path and task scope are accurate.

Before starting batch processing, you can copy two or three folders as test samples. The test names should ideally cover short prefixes, long prefixes, and different right-side content, such as Data_START_sampleChunk_END_Clean and Invoice_START_batch001_END_Paid. After the test succeeds, return to the full task and process the remaining directories.

After the task is complete, check the actual names in the file manager. The expected result is that all target folders start from START, while the content to the right of START retains its original order. Do not check only the first record; it is recommended to spot-check multiple items and verify that the number of folders is consistent with the number before processing.

4. Why locating by text is more reliable than deleting by character count

There are usually two approaches to batch removing folder name prefixes: one is to delete a fixed number of characters from the far left, and the other is to delete all content to the left of a specified text. The applicable conditions for the two are different.

If all prefixes are exactly the same length, for example, every folder starts with a six-digit date plus an underscore, then a fixed character count may be feasible. But in the example in this article, Backup_, Build_, Data_, Invoice_, and Project_ have different lengths. In this case, uniformly deleting five characters would leave some prefixes behind; uniformly deleting more characters could damage START.

Locating by text does not depend on prefix length and only cares about where START appears. As long as the name structure is stable, it can calculate the deletion boundary separately for each record. This is also an important principle when choosing an appropriate rule for batch renaming folders: process fixed structures by position, and process structures with variable length but fixed markers by keyword.

5. Common questions and operational precautions

1. Will the underscore to the left of START also be deleted

If the underscore is to the left of START, it belongs to "all content to the left of a text" and will be deleted together with the prefix. After processing, the name will start directly from START, with no underscore remaining at the far left.

2. Are folder names case-sensitive

The screenshot does not clearly show case-matching rules, so it cannot be assumed that start, Start, and START will definitely be treated as the same text. The safest approach is to enter the keyword exactly as it appears in the names to be processed and verify it with a small number of samples first.

3. What happens if a name does not contain the keyword

For folders that do not contain START, the deletion boundary cannot be determined according to the rule in this article. It is recommended to identify such entries in advance through the name column after adding records, remove them from the current task, and then process them separately according to their own structure.

4. What if a name contains two instances of START

When the keyword appears repeatedly, the deletion boundary may become ambiguous. It is recommended to use a longer and unique text combination, or test and process such special names separately rather than mixing them directly with ordinary records.

5. What conflicts may occur after deleting prefixes

If two folders are named A_START_Report and B_START_Report respectively, deleting the left-side content will result in START_Report for both. In the same parent directory, this will cause a name conflict. Before batch processing, predict the new names in advance, add distinguishing information if necessary, or process the related folders separately.

6. Will renaming affect shortcuts or reference paths

After folder names change, their paths will also change accordingly. Shortcuts, scripts, workbook links, Word document links, or other business programs that rely on the old paths may need to be updated. Therefore, before processing formal materials, confirm that the related files are closed and assess whether external path references exist.

7. Why is it recommended to back up and test first

Batch tools can significantly improve efficiency, but an incorrect rule will also act on multiple records at the same time. Through backup and small-batch testing, you can promptly discover incorrect keyword entry, incorrect "Include this text" settings, duplicate-name conflicts, or incorrect task scope selection. It is safer overall to expand the processing scope only after confirming that the sample results are correct.

6. Summary

When many folders have inconsistent prefix content and lengths, but a common keyword exists in their names, you can use "All content to the left of a text" as the batch deletion rule. The example in this article uses START as the locating point, and through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool adds multiple folders, selects the deletion type, enters the locating text, and turns off "Include this text," ultimately making all names uniformly start from START.

Compared with renaming one by one, this office software batch processing method reduces the repeated operations of searching for and deleting characters, and also allows the same batch of folders to follow a unified standard. In actual use, please back up important directories first, and check whether the keyword is unique, whether the results produce duplicate names, and whether the paths are referenced by other programs. It is recommended to copy a small number of folders as samples now, complete a test according to the workflow in this article, and then perform batch processing on the complete directories after the results meet expectations.