Compress Each Subfolder Separately with 7-Zip

Compressing multiple folders individually can be tedious when done manually through a graphical interface. This guide demonstrates how to automate 7-Zip using the command line across Windows Command Prompt, PowerShell, and Linux Bash. By running a simple loop script, you can automatically scan a directory, iterate through each individual subdirectory, and compress each one into its own standalone .7z or .zip archive.

Prerequisites

Ensure 7-Zip is installed on your system. On Windows, the default installation path is typically C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe. You can either call the executable using its full path or add the 7-Zip installation directory to your system's PATH environment variable.

Method 1: Windows Command Prompt (CMD)

Command Prompt One-Liner

Open Command Prompt, navigate to the parent folder containing your subdirectories using the cd command, and run the following command:

for /d %X in (*) do "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a "%X.7z" "%X"

In a Batch Script (.bat)

If you are saving the command inside a .bat file, double the percent signs (%%X):

@echo off
for /d %%X in (*) do (
    "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a "%%X.7z" "%%X"
)
pause
  • /d: Limits the loop to directories only.
  • %X: Represents the current folder name in the loop.
  • a: Tells 7-Zip to add files to an archive.
  • "%X.7z": Sets the output archive name to match the folder name. Change .7z to .zip if you prefer standard ZIP archives.

Method 2: Windows PowerShell

PowerShell offers a modern and flexible approach using the Get-ChildItem cmdlet. Open PowerShell, navigate to your target directory, and execute:

Get-ChildItem -Directory | ForEach-Object {
    & "C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a "$($_.Name).7z" "$($_.FullName)"
}
  • -Directory: Ensures only folders are retrieved, ignoring loose files in the root folder.
  • ForEach-Object: Iterates through each folder returned.
  • &: The call operator used to execute the 7-Zip binary.
  • $($_.Name).7z: Uses the folder's name for the archive.
  • $($_.FullName): Supplies the full path of the source directory.

Method 3: Linux / macOS (Bash)

If you are using Linux or macOS with p7zip installed, use a Bash for loop:

for d in */; do
    7z a "${d%/}.7z" "$d"
done
  • */: Matches all subdirectories in the current path.
  • ${d%/}: Strips the trailing slash from the directory name so the resulting archive is named foldername.7z instead of foldername/.7z.