Open the Find and Replace dialog

The fastest way to search and replace in Word is to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+H (Mac). This opens the Find and Replace dialog box directly. You can also reach it through the menu: click the Home tab, then in the Editing group on the right side of the ribbon, click Replace.

The dialog box has two main text fields. The top field is labeled Find what: — this is where you type the text you want to search for. The second field is Replace with: — this is where you type what you want to replace it with. Leave the Replace with field empty if you want to delete the search text instead of replacing it.

Key Takeaways

  • Use Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+H (Mac) to open Find and Replace when ready, or go to Home tab and click Replace.
  • Type the text you want to find in the "Find what" field and the replacement text in the "Replace with" field.
  • Click "Replace All" to change every instance at once, or "Replace" to change one at a time and review each match.
  • Use "More Options" to search by formatting, whole words only, or case-sensitive matches if you need precision.
  • Always review at least a few replacements before using Replace All, especially with common words that might appear in unexpected places.

Replace one instance or all at once

After you type your search term and replacement text, you have two choices. Click Replace to change just the first match Word finds. The dialog stays open, and Word highlights the next match so you can decide whether to replace it or skip it. This is the safer approach when you are not completely sure the search term appears only where you want it.

Click Replace All to change every match in the document at once. Word will tell you how many replacements it made. This is faster when you are confident the search term should be replaced everywhere — for example, if you are changing a company name throughout a report. Be cautious with very common words; replacing every instance of "the" with something else, for example, will affect your entire document.

Use More Options for precise searches

Click the More Options button (or Options on Mac) to reveal additional search settings. The Match case checkbox makes the search case-sensitive, so searching for "Word" will not match "word" or "WORD". This is useful when you need to replace a capitalized term but leave lowercase versions alone.

The Find whole words only checkbox prevents partial matches. Without it, searching for "cat" will also match "catalog" or "scatter". With it checked, only the standalone word "cat" is found. The Use wildcards option lets you search using pattern codes, but that is an advanced feature most everyday users do not need.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most frequent error is clicking Replace All without reviewing a single match first. If your search term is common or you are unsure of the exact wording, use Replace instead and check the first few results. This takes an extra minute but prevents replacing text you did not intend to change.

Another mistake is forgetting to clear the Find and Replace fields between searches. If you searched for "2023" and replaced it with "2024", then open Find and Replace again without clearing the fields, those old terms are still there. Always delete the text in both fields before starting a new search, or the old search will run again.

Do not assume Word found every match just because it says "Search key not found." This message appears only after Word has looped through the entire document once. If you started your search in the middle of the document, Word may have missed matches above your starting point. Close the dialog and use Ctrl+Home to jump to the beginning of the document, then search again.

How to undo a Replace All if something went wrong

If you clicked Replace All and the results are not what you expected, when ready press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) to undo. Word will reverse all the replacements at once. This works as long as you have not made other edits or closed the document since the replacement.

If you have already closed the document, the undo is no longer available. This is why reviewing a few replacements before using Replace All is worth the extra time — it is much faster than manually fixing dozens of unwanted changes.

Search and replace with formatting

You can search for or replace text based on its formatting, not just its content. Click More Options, then look for a Format button (the exact location varies by Word version). Click it and choose the formatting you want to search for — bold, italic, a specific font, a heading style, and so on.

For example, you could search for all bold text and replace it with the same text in regular weight, or find all instances of a particular style and change them to a different style. This is especially useful when cleaning up a document that has inconsistent formatting. Set up your search term, click Format to specify the formatting you want to find, then set up your replacement text and its formatting separately.

Search and replace across multiple documents

The standard Find and Replace dialog searches only the document you have open. If you need to search and replace across multiple documents at once, you can open them all in Word, then use Find and Replace with the Search dropdown set to All Open Documents (this option appears in the More Options section on some Word versions).

Alternatively, open each document one at a time and run the same search and replace in each. This is slower but gives you more control and lets you review changes in each file separately. Keep a list of the documents you have already updated so you do not miss any.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I search for a line break or paragraph mark?

Yes, but you need to enable wildcards or use a special code. In the Find what field, type ^p to represent a paragraph break (the mark that appears when you press Enter). Some versions of Word also let you click a Special button to insert these codes without typing them manually. This is useful if you need to remove extra blank lines or combine paragraphs.

What if Find and Replace is not finding text I know is in the document?

Check whether you have accidentally filtered the document or hidden text. Also verify that you are not searching for a word that appears only in headers, footers, or comments — the standard Find and Replace searches the main document body by default. If you need to search headers and footers, look for a Search Options or More Options section that lets you specify where to search.

Can I replace text with a line break?

Yes. In the Replace with field, type ^p (or use the Special button if available) to insert a paragraph break. For example, you could find a comma and replace it with a paragraph break to split a list onto separate lines. Test this on a copy of your document first, since it changes the document structure.

Does Find and Replace work the same way in Word Online?

Word Online has a simpler Find and Replace tool. Use Ctrl+H to open it, but you will see fewer options — no wildcards, no formatting search, and no Replace All button in some versions. For complex replacements, open the document in the desktop version of Word instead.

How do I search for special characters like asterisks or question marks?

If you are using wildcards, these characters have special meaning, so you need to escape them with a backslash. For example, search for \* to find an actual asterisk. If wildcards are turned off, you can search for these characters normally. Check the More Options section to see whether wildcards are enabled.