Create multiple folders and subfolders from a list of data in Excel
Suppose you have a list of staff names within a worksheet range and aim to create individual folders for each to store their information. Manually creating each folder can be time-consuming. However, there are efficient methods to expedite this process. In this guide, I'll share several approaches to quickly generate folders based on the specified cell values.
Create folders based on cell values
Create folders and subfolders based on cell values with VBA code
Create folders based on cell values
In this section, we'll explore various methods in detail, offering comprehensive step-by-step instructions to swiftly and effortlessly create folders based on a list of cell values.
Create folders from a list by using MD command and Notepad
Turning a list from Excel into folders using the MD command and Notepad is a smart trick that mixes easy batch scripting with Excel's knack for keeping things organized. This method is great for making lots of folders quickly, without having to do it all by hand. Here's a step-by-step guide to accomplish this task:
Step 1: Use the MD command to create formulas
Copy or enter the following formula into a blank cell next to your first cell value (B1, for instance), and then, drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to all your list items.
="MD "&A1
Step 2: Copy and paste the formulas into a Notepad file
- Press Ctrl + C to copy the cells with the MD command formula.
- Open Notepad and press Ctrl + V to paste the commands into a new file.
Step 3: Save the Notepad file as .bat file
Click Save as from the File tab in the Notepad, in the Save as dialog box, choose a directory where you want to create multiple folders, and then give a name for this file with a .bat extension. Finally, click Save button. See screenshot:
Step 4: Double click the .bat file to generate multiple folders
- Close the Notepad file, navigate to the folder you previously save the .bat file.
- Now, witness the magic: double-click on the file, and you will see multiple folders being created all at once. See the demo below:
Create folders from a list by using powerful tool – Kutools for Excel
With the powerful Kutools for Excel’s Create Folders from Cell Contents feature, you can now easily and quickly create folders from an Excel list. But it doesn't stop at just basic folders; Kutools also allows you to create complex structures with multi-level subfolders in one go. Just a few simple steps can transform data from Excel into an organized folder system, significantly boosting your productivity.
After installing Kutools for Excel, please click Kutools Plus > Import / Export > Create Folders from Cell Contents to open the Create Folders from Cell Contents dialog box:
- Select the cell values you want to create folders based on;
- Then, click the button to specify the destination folder you want to save the folders;
- Finally, click OK button.
Result:
Kutools will process the list from your sheet and create a folder for each entry in the specified destination. Navigate to the destination folder to see the result. See screenshot:
- This useful feature also can help to create folders along with their subfolders as you need. To do this, you should enter the desired folder and subfolder names into the cells, using the backslash sign (\) to separate each level. The contents of each cell will act as a guide for setting up the desired structure of folders and subfolders.
Then, apply the Create Folders from Cell Contents feature, all folders along with their subfolders will be created successfully. See screenshot: - To apply this feature, please download and install Kutools for Excel first.
Create folders from a list by using VBA code
Using VBA code in Excel can transform the tedious task of creating folders from a list into a quick, automated process. This section will show you how to apply VBA code to generate folders.
Step 1: Open the VBA module editor and copy the code
- Hold down the ALT + F11 keys in Excel, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
- Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.
VBA code: Create folders based on a list of cell valuesSub CreateFoldersFromSelection() 'Updateby Extendoffice Dim FolderPath As String Dim Cell As Range Dim SelectedRange As Range Dim FolderName As String On Error Resume Next Set SelectedRange = Application.InputBox("Select the range with folder names", "Kutools for Excel", Type:=8) If SelectedRange Is Nothing Then Exit Sub On Error GoTo 0 With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker) .Title = "Select the destination Folder" .AllowMultiSelect = False If .Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub FolderPath = .SelectedItems(1) & "\" End With For Each Cell In SelectedRange FolderName = FolderPath & Cell.Value If Cell.Value <> "" And Not FolderExists(FolderName) Then MkDir FolderName End If Next Cell End Sub Function FolderExists(ByVal Path As String) As Boolean On Error Resume Next FolderExists = (GetAttr(Path) And vbDirectory) = vbDirectory On Error GoTo 0 End Function
Step 2: Execute the code
- After pasting this code, please press F5 key to run this code. In the prompt box, select the cell values you want to create folders from. And then, click OK.
- Then, in the following Select the destination Folder window, specify the destination path to output the created folders. And then, click OK button, see screenshot:
Result:
After executing the VBA code, head over to the destination directory to view the outcome. There, you will find the newly created folders, each corresponding to an item from your Excel list. see screenshot:
- If there are duplicate entries in the cells, running the code will result in only one folder being created for those duplicates.
- If you find yourself using this code frequently, consider saving your workbook in Excel Macro-Enabled workbook format. This action preserves the code within the workbook, allowing you to directly execute it in future without the need to re-enter or re-import the code.
Create folders and subfolders based on cell values with VBA code
Occasionally, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to generate not just folders, but also their corresponding subfolders, all based on the data within Excel cells. To achieve this task, here, I will introduce a VBA code.
Step 1: Prepare the data
First, you should enter the data as following screenshot shown, place the main folder names in the first column and the names for the subfolders in the second column.
Step 2: Open the VBA module editor and copy the code
- Hold down the ALT + F11 keys in Excel, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
- Click Insert > Module, and paste the following code in the Module Window.
VBA code: Create folders and subfolders based cell valuesSub CreateFoldersAndSubfoldersWithUserInput() 'Updateby Extendoffice Dim Rng As Range Dim Cell As Range Dim basePath As String Dim fldrPicker As FileDialog Dim FolderPath As String, subfolderPath As String On Error Resume Next Set Rng = Application.InputBox("Select the range of cells (two columns: one is folder column, another s subfolder column):", "Kutools for Excel", Type:=8) If Rng Is Nothing Then Exit Sub On Error GoTo 0 Set fldrPicker = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker) With fldrPicker .Title = "Select the Base Folder Path" .AllowMultiSelect = False If .Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub basePath = .SelectedItems(1) End With If Right(basePath, 1) <> "\" Then basePath = basePath & "\" For Each Cell In Rng.Columns(1).Cells If Not Cell.Value = "" Then FolderPath = basePath & Cell.Value If Not FolderExists(FolderPath) Then MkDir FolderPath If Not Cell.Offset(0, 1).Value = "" Then subfolderPath = FolderPath & "\" & Cell.Offset(0, 1).Value If Not FolderExists(subfolderPath) Then MkDir subfolderPath End If End If Next Cell End Sub Function FolderExists(FolderPath As String) As Boolean On Error Resume Next FolderExists = (GetAttr(FolderPath) And vbDirectory) = vbDirectory On Error GoTo 0 End Function
Step 3: Execute the code
- After pasting this code, please press F5 key to run this code. In the prompt box, select the cell values you want to create folders from. And then, click OK.
- In the following popped-out window, specify the destination path to output the created folders. And then, click OK button, see screenshot:
Result:
After executing the VBA code, go to the destination directory to view the outcome. You will find that the folders and their respective subfolders, as dictated by the cell values, have been successfully created as following screenshot shown:
- This code is only available to create only the main folders and their first-level subfolders.
- If you find yourself using this code frequently, consider saving your workbook in Excel Macro-Enabled workbook format. This action preserves the code within the workbook, allowing you to directly execute it in future without the need to re-enter or re-import the code.
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