Search and replace is a software feature that finds specified text or a pattern and substitutes it with new text. You provide the text to find, enter its replacement, and choose whether to change one match or every match covered by the search settings.
How search and replace works
The feature has two parts: a search term identifies what to look for, and replacement text specifies what to put in its place. In Microsoft Word, these fields are labeled “Find what” and “Replace with.”
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Replace changes a match one at a time. Replace All changes every match that qualifies under the current settings. The second option is faster for consistent edits, but a broad search can catch text you did not intend to change. Microsoft recommends using individual replacements when you need to review each match before editing it.
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What determines which text matches
Search settings shape the result. Depending on the application, you may be able to distinguish uppercase and lowercase letters, match an entire spreadsheet cell, search with wildcards or regular expressions, or include formatting in the search. A literal search looks for the text as entered; a pattern search can match a wider class of text. Not every application offers the same options.
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- Case matching: decides whether capitalization must match.
- Whole-cell matching: in spreadsheet tools, can require the cell contents to equal the search term rather than merely contain it.
- Wildcards or regular expressions: let a pattern stand for text that varies, subject to the application’s syntax.
- Search scope: may limit the operation to a selection, sheet, workbook, or document, depending on the software.
How it differs across common tools
Microsoft Word
In Word, open Home > Editing > Replace, fill in “Find what” and “Replace with,” then choose Replace or Replace All. Word also supports options such as case matching, formatting searches, and wildcard searches. Its wildcard example can find two name parts in the order “Newman Belinda” and use 2 1 as the replacement to produce “Belinda Newman.” See Microsoft’s Word find-and-replace guidance for details.
Microsoft Excel
Excel’s Find and Replace can search a selected range, a worksheet, or a workbook, with options including case matching and matching entire cell contents. Excel also has functions with “replace” in their names, but they work differently from the interactive Find and Replace command:
REPLACEchanges a specified number of characters starting at a specified position in a text string; it does not search for a matching phrase.REGEXREPLACEreplaces text that matches a regular-expression pattern.
For the interface and function distinctions, see Microsoft’s Excel find-or-replace instructions and Excel’s REPLACE function documentation.
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Docs and Sheets both offer find-and-replace controls and regular-expression search. In Sheets, the replacement field can use capture groups from a regular expression. In Docs, regex-style formatting entered in the replacement field is treated as literal text rather than as capture-group substitution. Google documents RE2 as the regular-expression engine for these features, so syntax and behavior are not necessarily identical to other regex tools. See Google’s find-and-replace guidance.
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JavaScript
In JavaScript, String.prototype.replace() returns a new string rather than modifying the original string. If its search pattern is a plain string, it replaces only the first matching occurrence. To replace all matches, use a regular expression with the g flag or use replaceAll(). The details are documented in the MDN reference for String.prototype.replace().
When to use Replace All—and when to review matches
Use Replace All when the target is distinctive, the intended scope is clear, and every matching instance should receive the same change. For example, it can efficiently update a repeated term in a document. Choose individual replacements when a short or common search term may appear in different contexts, or when you need to confirm each change.
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- Check the search term and replacement text for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
- Confirm the search scope and any case, whole-cell, wildcard, regex, or formatting options.
- Use the single-match control first if you are unsure how broadly the pattern will match.
- Use Replace All only after the matches are appropriately narrow for the intended edit.
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