What Find and Replace Does
Find and Replace updates repeated text across a document, snippet or dataset. Enter the text to find, the replacement value and run the operation. The tool reports how many matches were replaced and lets you copy or download the result. It is useful for renaming variables, updating URLs, fixing repeated typos, changing placeholder values or reformatting exported content.
Matching Options
- Case sensitive: match only the exact capitalization.
- Whole word: avoid replacing fragments inside longer words.
- Regular expression: use patterns, groups and advanced matching.
When regular expression mode is enabled, the replacement supports capture groups such
as $1 and $2. Invalid patterns are reported immediately
instead of silently producing a broken result.
Regex Replacement
A regex can match patterns rather than literal text, for example replacing dates, trimming repeated whitespace or extracting values with capture groups. Test the pattern in the Regex Tester first, then apply it here. Keep a copy of the original text because a broad pattern can change more than expected.
Common Workflows
Use it to change date formats, rename identifiers in configuration files, replace old domains in exported content, or standardize labels before publishing. Avoid replacing short strings without checking matches first; a short string can appear inside longer words or URLs. The match count helps you confirm the scope before applying the change.
Safety Tips
- Start with a small sample and verify the result.
- Use “Whole word” for short terms that could appear inside other words.
- Enable case sensitivity when capitalization matters.
- Escape special regex characters if you mean them literally.
- Keep a backup of the original content.
Replacement Safety
Replacement strings are literal unless regex mode is enabled. In regex mode, dollar signs have special meaning for capture groups, so escape them when you need a literal dollar sign. Preview the match count, test on a small sample and keep a copy of the original before applying a broad replacement.
Limitations
- Regex behavior depends on the JavaScript engine and the flags you use.
- Replacement strings treat dollar signs specially in regex mode.
- Very broad patterns can replace more text than intended.
- The tool does not provide undo; work on a copy.
Privacy
All matching and replacement happen locally in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, which makes the tool appropriate for private drafts and internal documents. Combine it with Text Minifier to clean whitespace and with Remove Duplicate Lines to deduplicate the final list.
Related Tools
Test patterns with the Regex Tester, compare the result with Text Diff, or clean up spacing with Text Minifier.