Edit find in word

Find and replace text

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  1. Go to Home > Replace.

  2. Enter the word or phrase you want to replace in Find what.

  3. Enter your new text in Replace with.

  4. Choose Replace All to change all occurrences of the word or phrase. Or, select Find Next until you find the one you want to update, and then choose Replace.

  5. To specify only upper or lowercase in your search, select More > Match case. There are several other ways to search in this menu.

Match case

For other options, see Find and replace text

Find and replace basic text

In the upper-right corner of the document, in the search box Enter text to search for in the document, type the word or phrase that you want to find, and Word will highlight all instances of the word or phrase throughout the document.

To replace found text:

  1. Select the magnifying glass, and then select Replace.

    The Replace option is highlighted in the Search box

  2. In the Replace With box, type the replacement text.

  3. Select Replace All or Replace.

    Tips: 

    • You can also open the basic Find and Replace pane with the keyboard shortcut CONTROL + H.

    • When you replace text, it’s a good idea to select Replace instead of Replace All. That way you can review each item before replacing it.

You can find text with special formatting, such as bold or highlight, by using the Format menu.

  1. Select View > Navigation Pane.

    On the View tab, Navigation Pane is checked

  2. In the Navigation Pane, select the magnifying glass.

  3. Select Settings Screenshot of gear, and then select Advanced Find & Replace.

    In the Find and Replace box, Advanced Find and Replace is highlighted

    Notes: 

    • Select the arrow at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box to show all options.

    • Shows how to open the Format popup menu

  4. On the Format menu, select the option that you want.

    Shows the Format options

    If a second dialog box opens, select the options that you want, and then select OK.

  5. In the Find and Replace dialog box, select Find Next or Find All.

You can find and replace text with special formatting, such as bold or highlight, by using the Format menu.

  1. Select View > Navigation Pane.

    On the View tab, Navigation Pane is checked

  2. In the Navigation Pane, select the magnifying glass.

  3. Select Settings Screenshot of gear, and then select Advanced Find & Replace.

    In the Find and Replace box, Advanced Find and Replace is highlighted

  4. At the top of the dialog box, select Replace.

    Notes: 

    • Select the arrow at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box to show all options.

    • Shows how to open the Format popup menu

  5. On the Find what box, type the text that you want to find.

  6. On the Format menu, select the formatting that you want to find.

    Shows the Format options

    If a second dialog box opens, select the options that you want, and then select OK.

  7. Select in the box next to Replace with.

  8. On the Format menu, select the replacement formatting. If a second dialog box appears, select the formats that you want, and then select OK.

  9. Select Replace, Replace All, or Find Next.

  1. Select View > Navigation Pane.

  2. In the Navigation Pane, select the magnifying glass.

  3. Select Settings Screenshot of gear, and then select Advanced Find & Replace.

    In the Find and Replace box, Advanced Find and Replace is highlighted

    Notes: 

    • Select the arrow at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box to show all options.

    • Shows how to open the Format popup menu

  4. On the Special menu, select the special character that you want to find.

    Find special characters

  5. Select Find Next.

  1. Select View > Navigation Pane.

    On the View tab, Navigation Pane is checked

  2. In the Navigation Pane, select the magnifying glass.

  3. Select Settings Screenshot of gear, and then select Advanced Find & Replace.

    In the Find and Replace box, Advanced Find and Replace is highlighted

    Notes: 

    • Select the arrow at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box to show all options.

    • Shows how to open the Format popup menu

  4. At the top of the Find and Replace dialog box, select Replace and then select in the Find What box, but don’t type anything there. Later, when you select a special character, Word will automatically put the character code in the box for you.

    Note: Select the arrow at the bottom of the Find and Replace dialog box to show all options.
    Shows how to open the Format popup menu

  5. On the Special menu, select the special character that you want to find.

  6. Select in the Replace with box.

  7. On the Special menu, select the special character that you want to use as a replacement.

  8. Select Replace or Find Next.

  1. Select View > Navigation Pane.

    On the View tab, Navigation Pane is checked

  2. In the Navigation Pane, select the magnifying glass.

  3. Select Settings Screenshot of gear, and then select Advanced Find & Replace.

    In the Find and Replace box, Advanced Find and Replace is highlighted

  4. Select the Use wildcards check box.

    If you don’t see the Use wildcards check box, select Down arrow for more options.

  5. Select the Special menu, select a wildcard character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box.

    Using wildcards in the Find and Replace dialog box

  6. Select Find Next.

    Tips: 

    • To cancel a search in progress, press The Command button.+ PERIOD.

    • You can also enter a wildcard character directly in the Find what box instead of selecting an item from the Special pop-up menu.

    • To search for a character that’s defined as a wildcard character, type a backslash () before the character. For example, type ? to find a question mark.

    • You can use parentheses to group the wildcard characters and text and to indicate the order of evaluation. For example, search for <(pre)*(ed)> to find «presorted» and «prevented.»

    • You can search for an expression and use the n wildcard character to replace the search string with the rearranged expression. For example, type (Newman) (Belinda) in the Find what box and 2 1 in the Replace with box. Word will find «Newman Belinda» and replace it with «Belinda Newman.»

  7. To replace found text:

    1. Select the Replace tab, and then select the Replace with box.

    2. Select Special, select a wildcard character, and then type any additional text in the Replace with box.

    3. Select Replace All, Replace, or Find Next.

      Tip: When you replace text, it’s a good idea to select Replace instead of Replace All. That way you can confirm each replacement to make sure that it’s correct.

You can refine a search by using any of the following wildcard characters.

To find

Use this

For example

Any single character

?

s?t finds «sat» and «set.»

Any string of characters

*

s*d finds «sad» and «started.»

One of the specified characters

[ ]

w[io]n finds «win» and «won.»

Any single character in this range

[-]

[r-t]ight finds «right» and «sight» and «tight.»

Ranges must be in ascending order.

Any single character except the characters inside the brackets

[!]

m[!a]st finds «mist» and «most» but not «mast.»

Any single character except characters in the range inside the brackets

[!x-z]

t[!a-m]ck finds «tock» and «tuck» but not «tack» or «tick.»

Ranges must be in ascending order.

Exactly n occurrences of a character or expression

{ n}

fe{2}d finds «feed» but not «fed.»

At least n occurrences of a character or expression

{ n,}

fe{1,}d finds «fed» and «feed.»

A range of occurrences of a character or expression

{ n, n}

10{1,3} finds «10,» «100,» and «1000.»

One or more occurrences of a character or expression

@

lo@t finds «lot» and «loot.»

The beginning of a word

<

<(inter) finds «interesting» and «intercept» but not «splintered.»

The end of a word

>

(in)> finds «in» and «within,» but not «interesting.»

Word for the web lets you find and replace basic text. You can match case or fine whole words only. For more varied options, open your document in Word for the desktop.

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To open the Find pane from the Edit View, press Ctrl+F, or click Home > Find. Find text by typing it in the Search the document for… box. Word Web App starts searching as soon as you start typing.

Contents

  • 1 How do I search for a word in a word document 2010?
  • 2 How do I search all of my documents for a specific word?
  • 3 Where is the search box in word?
  • 4 How do I insert a search button in word?
  • 5 How do I search for a Word in a document in Windows 10?
  • 6 Can you search multiple Word documents at once?
  • 7 How do I find all Word documents in Windows 10?
  • 8 How do I get a search box?
  • 9 What we can search using find command?
  • 10 What is the shortcut key for spell check in word?
  • 11 Why is find command used in MS word?
  • 12 How do I search for a text string in Windows 10?
  • 13 How do I search for a specific file type in Windows 10?
  • 14 How do I search for text in command prompt?
  • 15 How do I search multiple documents?
  • 16 How do I search for a word document without opening it?
  • 17 What is the search box in Windows 10 called?
  • 18 Why can’t I use the search bar in Windows 10?
  • 19 Why is my search bar not working?
  • 20 How do I search for a file?

Searching with the Word 2010 Navigation pane
You can also use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+F. Clicking the Find button or pressing Ctrl+F summons the Navigation pane. In the Find What text box, type the text you want to find. While you type, matching text is highlighted in the document.

How do I search all of my documents for a specific word?

How to Search for words within files on Windows 7

  1. Open windows explorer.
  2. Using the left hand file menu select the folder to search in.
  3. Find the search box in the top right hand corner of the explorer window.
  4. In the search box type content: followed by the word or phrase you are searching for.(eg content:yourword)

Where is the search box in word?

At the top of your Microsoft Office apps on Windows you’ll find the new Microsoft Search box. This powerful tool helps you quickly find what you’re looking for, from text to commands to help and more.

How do I insert a search button in word?

Click Customize the Quick Access Toolbar > More Commands. In the Choose commands from list, click Commands Not in the Ribbon. Find the command in the list, and then click Add.

How do I search for a Word in a document in Windows 10?

Click the Cortana or Search button or box on the Taskbar and type “indexing options.” Then, click on Indexing Options under Best match. On the Indexing Options dialog box, click Advanced. Click the File Types tab on the Advanced Options dialog box. By default, all the extensions are selected, and that’s what we want.

Can you search multiple Word documents at once?

The easiest and most convenient tool for searching text in multiple Word files is SeekFast. With this tool, you can quickly and efficiently search for a combination of words or phrases in your documents, and the results are sorted by relevance, similar to search on Google, Bing, and other search engines.

How do I find all Word documents in Windows 10?

Search File Explorer: Open File Explorer from the taskbar or right-click on the Start menu, and choose File Explorer, then select a location from the left pane to search or browse. For example, select This PC to look in all devices and drives on your computer, or select Documents to look only for files stored there.

How do I get a search box?

If your search bar is hidden and you want it to show on the taskbar, press and hold (or right-click) the taskbar and select Search > Show search box. If the above doesn’t work, try opening taskbar settings. Select Start > Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

What we can search using find command?

You can use the find command to search for files and directories based on their permissions, type, date, ownership, size, and more. It can also be combined with other tools such as grep or sed .

What is the shortcut key for spell check in word?

F7
Open the document you want to check for spelling or grammar mistakes, and then press F7. You can also use the ribbon to start the check. Press Alt+R to open the Review tab, and then press C, 1 to select the Check Document option.

Why is find command used in MS word?

The Find command lets you enter a word. Each time you push the Enter/Return button on your keyboard or click the Find button, that word will be found and highlighted in the text on the Web page you are reading. This makes it very easy to find the keyword you are looking for without having to scan long passages.

How do I search for a text string in Windows 10?

If you’d like to always search within file contents for a specific folder, navigate to that folder in File Explorer and open the “Folder and Search Options.” On the “Search” tab, select the “Always search file names and contents” option.

How do I search for a specific file type in Windows 10?

Click Start and then go to File Explorer by expanding the Windows system folder. You can also simply type File Explorer in the Search bar. Click the View tab in File Explorer. Check File name extension box.

How do I search for text in command prompt?

How to Use the Find Command to Search in Windows

  1. Open the Command Prompt Window with Administrative Privileges.
  2. Switches and Parameters for the find Command.
  3. Search a Single Document for a Text String.
  4. Search Multiple Documents for the Same Text String.
  5. Count the Number of Lines in a File.

How do I search multiple documents?

Search inside multiple PDFs at once

  1. Open any PDF in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat.
  2. Press Shift+Ctrl+F to open the Search panel.
  3. Select the All PDF Documents in option.
  4. Click the dropdown list arrow to show all drives.
  5. Type the word or phrase to search.

How do I search for a word document without opening it?

Open File Explorer (aka Windows Explorer). Navigate to the folder containing the documents. Click in the search box in the upper right corner, below the ribbon. Enter the word you want to search for, then press Enter.

What is the search box in Windows 10 called?

Cortana is getting separated from the Windows 10 search bar, with Microsoft’s assistant getting a separate spot in the taskbar. The new functionality was released today in Windows 10 Build 18317 (19H1), the latest version of Microsoft’s Insider Preview in the so-called Fast ring.

Why can’t I use the search bar in Windows 10?

One of the reasons why Windows 10 search isn’t working for you is because of a faulty Windows 10 update. If Microsoft hasn’t released a fix just yet, then one way of fixing search in Windows 10 is to uninstall the problematic update. To do this, return to the Settings app, then click ‘Update & Security’.

Why is my search bar not working?

Use the Windows Search and Indexing troubleshooter to try to fix any problems that may arise.In Windows Settings, select Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Under Find and fix other problems, select Search and Indexing. Run the troubleshooter, and select any problems that apply.

How do I search for a file?

Work

  1. Introduction.
  2. 1Choose Start→Computer.
  3. 2Double-click an item to open it.
  4. 3If the file or folder that you want is stored within another folder, double-click the folder or a series of folders until you locate it.
  5. 4When you find the file you want, double-click it.


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This wikiHow teaches you how to use Microsoft Word’s «Find and Replace» feature to look up words in your document, as well as how to replace instances of a word with another word.

  1. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 1

    1

    Open a Microsoft Word document. Either double-click a Word document, or open Word and then select the document from the list of recently opened documents if applicable.

  2. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 2

    2

    Place your cursor at the beginning of the document. Click to the left of the first word in your document to place the cursor there. «Find and Replace» will only search for words after the cursor.

    • If you only want to search for words in a specific section of text (rather than the whole document), highlight that section instead.

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  3. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 3

    3

    Click the Home tab. It’s in the upper-left section of the Word ribbon, which is the blue strip at the top of the window.

  4. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 4

    4

    Click Find. This option is on the far-right side of the toolbar in the «Editing» section. Doing so will open a search bar on the left side of the window.

  5. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 5

    5

    Type in a word you wish to find and press Enter. This will highlight instances of the word you searched for in the document.

  6. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 6

    6

    Click or . These arrows are below the right side of the search bar. Clicking these arrows will jump to the next (or previous) instance of your word.

    • You can also click one of the results in the middle of the sidebar.
  7. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 7

    7

    Click

    Android 7 Dropdown

    . It’s on the far-right side of the search bar. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.

  8. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 8

    8

    Click Replace. This option is in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Find and Replace window.

  9. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 9

    9

    Type a word into the «Replace with» field. This field is near the bottom of the Find and Replace window. You should use a word you with which you intend to replace the «Find what» word.

  10. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 10

    10

    Click Replace all. It’s at the bottom of the Find and Replace window. This will replace each instance of the word you typed into «Find what» with the word you typed into the «Replace» field.

    • For example, entering «Banana» in the «Find what» field and then entering «Plantain» in the «Replace with» field and clicking Replace all would replace the word «banana» with «plantain» in your whole paper (or the selected section).
    • If you would rather replace some, but not all, instances of a word, you can click Replace instead to go word-by-word. You may need to click the beginning of the paper again before doing so.
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  1. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 11

    1

    Open a Microsoft Word document. Either double-click a Word document, or open Word and then select the document from the list of recently opened documents if applicable.

  2. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 12

    2

    Place your cursor at the beginning of the document. Click to the left of the first word in your document to place the cursor there. «Find and Replace» will only search for words after the cursor.

    • If you only want to search for words in a specific section of text (rather than the whole document), highlight that section instead.
  3. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 13

    3

    Click the Home tab. It’s on the far-left side of the Microsoft Word ribbon, which is the blue strip at the top of the Word window.

  4. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 14

    4

    Click the search bar. It’s on the far-right side of the Microsoft Word ribbon.

  5. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 15

    5

    Type in a word you wish to find and press Return. This will highlight instances of the word you searched for in the document.

  6. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 16

    6

    Click or . These arrows are on the right side of the search bar. This will cycle through the different areas of your paper in which your typed word appears.

  7. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 17

    7

    Click

    Android 7 Dropdown

    . It’s to the right of the magnifying glass icon that’s on the left side of the search bar. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.

  8. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 18

    8

    Click Replace. This option is in the drop-down menu. Clicking Replace opens a left-hand sidebar.

  9. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 19

    9

    Type a word into the «Replace With» field. It’s near the top of the FIND AND REPLACE sidebar. You should use a word you with which you intend to replace the searched word.

  10. Image titled Use "Find" and "Find and Replace" Features in Microsoft Word Documents Step 20

    10

    Click Replace All. It’s below the «Replace With» field. This will replace each instance of the word you searched for with the word you typed into the «Replace» field.

    • For example, if your searched word was «spumoni» and you meant to write «neopolitan», typing «neopolitan» into «Replace With» and click Replace All would remove «spumoni» from the paper and replace it with «neopolitan».
    • If you would rather replace some, but not all, instances of a word, you can click Replace instead to go word-by-word. You may need to click the beginning of the paper again before doing so.
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Add New Question

  • Question

    How do I clear the «Find and Replace» box when I am finished?

    Community Answer

    You can get there by pressing the «ctrl+alt» button on the keyboard. Remove the box by clicking the «x» or «close» button on the upper right corner of the box.

  • Question

    What are some uses for find and replace?

    Community Answer

    Say, for example, you are writing a document and reference a character by the name of Ann, only to find out that Ann’s name is actually spelled «Anne». Now, instead of tediously going through the entire document, finding each instance of «Ann» and changing it to «Anne» (with the possibility of missing an instance, leaving you with an inconsistent document), you can simply find all instances of «Ann» and replace with «Anne» and it will delete all cases of «Ann» and insert «Anne» in its place. The find and replace also goes beyond simple characters such as above, as it can apply to miscalculated numerical values.

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Video

  • In addition to text, you can use the Find and Replace dialog to search for and replace formatting and special characters.

  • You can bring up the Find and Replace section by press Ctrl+H (PC) or Command+H (Mac).

  • If your document is lengthy, the find and replace search may take a while. You can cancel the search at any time by pressing the «ESC» key on your keyboard.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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  • Always save your work before using Find and Replace in case you accidentally mess up your document.

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Working with documents or spreadsheets on your computer or laptop, you can instantly find and edit text and data without manually combing through printed or handwritten pages. Word provides a very convenient «find and replace» feature that allows you to use wildcards and even find similar words.

Find and replace

To help you in finding some text in the document, Word offers two different options:

   1.   Using the Navigation pane:

Like in the most popular applications, to find a text in the document, you can use the Ctrl+F shortcut. That combination opens the Navigation pane in Microsoft Word:

Navigation pane in Word 365

If you have any text in the Clipboard or selected text in the document, it will automatically be shown in the search text box. You can type or insert any text you want to find and click Enter to show the results.

To see the next result, click Shift+F4, or use the Navigation pane and Next and Previous buttons for easy navigating between the next or previous results.

For example:

Buttons in Navigation pane Word 365

   2.   Using the Find and Replace dialog box:

To open the Find and Replace dialog box, do one of the following:

  • On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click the Find list and then choose Advanced Find…:

    Advanced Find in Word 365

  • Click Ctrl+H,
  • On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click the Replace button:

    Replace button in Word 365

For example:

Find next in Find and Replace dialog box Word 365

Word will show the next found result.

Advanced find and replace

To show the advanced find and replace options, do the following:

  • On the Navigation pane, click the arrow down on the right side of the search text box and choose Options… in the list:

    Navigation Options in Word 365

    Word opens the Find Options dialog box:

    Find Options in Word 365

  • In the Find and Replace dialog box, click the More >> button (it doesn’t matter, which tab do you open: Find or Replace):

    More Options in Find and Replace dialog box Word 365

    Word added several options that you can use to refine the search criteria:

    Options in Find and Replace dialog box Word 365

The advanced find and replace options:

  • Match case — Find and replace words that only match specific capitalization. For example, you can find one «Wolf» and 11 words «wolf» in the document.
  • Find Whole words only — Avoid partial matches. For example, if you want to find «puff», Word doesn’t show the words «puffed».
  • Use wildcards — Get partial matches. See Using wildcards for more details.
  • Sounds like (English) — Find and replace words that sound like others. For example, «there», «their», and «three».
  • Find all word forms (English) — Find and replace all verb tenses. For example, type «find», and Word will return «finds», «finding», and «found».
  • Match prefix — Works with other settings to find and replace words with common prefixes or beginnings. For example, «be» returns «best» and «because».
  • Match suffix — Works with other settings to find and replace words with common suffixes or endings. For example, «id» returns «said» and «did».
  • Ignore punctuation characters — Ignore differences in hyphenation.
  • Ignore white-space characters — Ignore spacing between characters.

The Format button — Find and replace page formatting options like Font types or colors, Paragraph formatting (left, right, center), or highlighted words.

The Special button — Find and replace page and character elements such as Em dashes, tabs, or Section Breaks. See Replacing special characters for more details.

The No Formatting button — Turn off formatting selections.

Highlight search results

On the Navigation pane, enter what you want to find in the search box to highlight all occurrences of the searching in the document and display them on the Results page of the Navigation pane:

Navigation pane results in Word 365

If you use the Find and Replace dialog box, Word highlights only the next found result. To highlight all results, click the Reading Highlight button and choose Highlight All:

Highlight All search results in Word 365

For example:

Example of Find and Replace in Word 365

While editing large documents in Microsoft Word, you want tools that will help you find and replace certain text. Here are a couple of keyboard shortcuts that will allow just that.

When you are editing a large document in Microsoft Word, you want simple and easy ways to help your editing process. One such tip is to use keyboard shortcuts to find and replace text in the document. That’s right; Keyboard Shortcuts aren’t just for Windows 10.

Here is a look at the keyboard shortcuts you need to know to do just that.

While you’re in a large Word document, you can easily find text by hitting Ctrl + F. Then, type the word or phrase you’re looking for in the navigation pane. When the word or phrase you are looking for is found, each instance will be highlighted in the document. Just this step alone makes it much easier to manage the specific text you’re looking for.

Find Text

If you want to find and replace text in a Word document, use the key combo Ctrl + H. That will bring up the “Find and Replace” dialog box. Then type in the word or words you’re looking for and what to replace them with. Then click the “Replace All” button.

Find and Replace

Word will go through and replace the text. When complete, it will display the following message letting you know the task is complete. Click OK.

Find and Replace Complete

Use the Ctrl + F keyboard shortcut to find the text that was replaced. Looks good!

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