Find & Replace
Replace repeated words, phrases, or labels across a block of text in one pass with optional case-sensitive matching.
Tool guide
About Find and Replace
Find & Replace searches a block of text for a chosen string and replaces matching instances with another value. It supports case-sensitive or case-insensitive matching and an optional whole-word mode, making it useful for repeated edits across a draft or list.
Find & Replace saves time when the same exact word or phrase needs to change in many places. You provide the source text, the text to find, and the replacement, then choose whether case matters and whether the match should be a whole word. The tool works on the text you paste into it, so it cannot update the original file by itself.
How to use this tool
- 1Paste the text to edit, type the phrase or word to find, and enter the replacement text. Leave the replacement blank if you want to remove matches.
- 2Choose whether capitalization should matter and whether the search should match whole words rather than partial text.
- 3Select Replace All and review the modified output carefully before copying it over the original.
Main features explained
01Replace every match
The Replace All action uses a global search and replaces every matching instance in the input. If the search field is empty, the source text is returned unchanged so an empty search does not insert replacement text between characters.
02Case-sensitive or case-insensitive
Ignore Case can match capitalization variations, while Match Case distinguishes them. In ignore-case replacement, the replacement string is used as entered; the tool does not automatically preserve each match's original capitalization.
03Partial phrase or whole word
Partial mode can match a search string inside a larger word. Whole Word wraps the escaped search in word-boundary markers, which is useful for many English words but may behave differently with punctuation, underscores, or non-English letters.
04Literal search text
Search characters are treated literally rather than as a regular expression. A dot, bracket, or asterisk is searched as that character, making ordinary replacement safer for users who do not work with regex syntax.
How it works
The tool searches the entered text using the selected case and whole-word settings, then replaces all matches with the replacement string. It performs literal text replacement rather than a regular-expression search, so special regex symbols are treated as ordinary characters.
A quick example
If you find `color` and replace it with `colour` in case-insensitive mode, matching forms such as `Color` may also be replaced while preserving the text around them according to the replacement behavior.
Worked examples
Replace a phrase without matching capitalization
Before
The color is blue. COLOR can vary by screen.
After
The colour is blue. colour can vary by screen.
With Ignore Case, both forms match. The replacement text has the capitalization you typed, so sentence starts may need a manual correction.
Avoid replacing a substring
Before
A cat catalog is on the table.
After
A dog catalog is on the table.
Searching `cat` in whole-word mode targets the standalone word. Partial mode could also change the start of `catalog`.
When it is useful
Update repeated labels, correct a recurring spelling, change a term across notes, or remove a repeated phrase from a text block.
Updating a product or project name
Replace an old label across pasted notes or a draft. Search for a specific phrase, and use whole-word matching if the old name could also appear inside other words.
Correcting a repeated typo
A recurring misspelling can be changed in one pass. Search for the exact misspelled form and inspect the result to ensure a similar but valid word was not changed.
Removing repeated wording
Leave the replacement field empty to remove the matched text. This can clean a repeated prefix or unwanted phrase, but check spaces and punctuation around the removed section afterward.
Changing a term in a code sample
A literal replacement can rename a repeated token in a pasted sample. It does not understand code syntax, comments, quoted strings, or variable scope, so compile or run code in its proper environment after editing.
Tips for a better result
- Make a copy before a large Replace All operation. The tool returns transformed text, but it cannot restore the original after you copy over it.
- Use a longer, more specific phrase when a short search could occur inside unrelated words.
- After case-insensitive replacement, check headings and sentence starts because the replacement's capitalization is applied consistently.
- For multiple different changes, run one replacement at a time and review after each pass. Later searches can match text inserted by earlier replacements.
- If you need pattern matching, capture groups, or formatting preservation, use a text editor designed for regular expressions or rich documents.
Technical details and limits
Always review context after a global replacement. A short search term can change unintended words in partial mode, and replacement can alter capitalization or punctuation. The tool does not understand grammar, document formatting, or text outside the pasted input.
The result depends on the text and options you provide. Keep a copy of the original when formatting matters, and review the output before using it in a document, site, or application. This guide describes the tool's behavior; it does not replace proofreading or checking a platform's own requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Does it replace only the first match?
It is labeled Replace All and replaces all matching instances in the input.
Can I search with regular expressions?
No. The search is a text string, not a regex pattern.
What does whole-word mode do?
It aims to match a standalone word rather than a substring inside a longer word; check the result for punctuation edge cases.
Does it replace only the first match?
No. Replace All changes every match in the pasted input.
Can I use a blank replacement to delete text?
Yes. Leave Replace With empty to remove the matched characters, then review nearby spaces and punctuation.
Does it support regular expressions?
No. Special characters are escaped and searched literally.
Will it keep the original capitalization of each match?
No. It inserts the replacement value as typed. For example, replacing `color` with `colour` can make a formerly capitalized `Color` lowercase.
What does whole-word matching mean here?
It uses word boundaries around the search text. This is helpful for many English words, but underscores and some scripts may not follow the boundary you expect.
Can it edit a Word or Google Docs file directly?
No. Copy the text into the tool and then copy or download the result for use in your document.