Find and Replace Text Online
Paste text, set a find and a replace, and get the result live. Optional regex, whole-word, and case-insensitive matching. Runs locally.
What this tool does
This is a find and replace text tool that runs entirely in your browser. Paste any
text, type a search term and a replacement, and the result updates live along with a
count of how many replacements were made. Three options refine the match:
case-insensitive ignores capitalization, whole word
matches only complete words, and use regex switches the find field to a
JavaScript regular expression with $1 backreferences in the replacement.
With regex off, your search term is treated literally, so special characters match
themselves. It works as a quick way to replace text online with no upload and no limits.
How to use it
Type or paste your text in the Text box, enter what you want to find
in Find, and enter the new text in Replace with. The
Result box updates on every keystroke and the counter shows the number
of replacements. For example, replacing Hello with Hi in
"Hello world. Hello there." gives "Hi world. Hi there." (2 replacements). Turn on
Whole word to skip matches inside longer words, or Use
regex for pattern matching. Click Copy result to grab the
output.
Common use cases
- Swapping a name, term, or placeholder across a block of pasted text.
- Cleaning up exported data by replacing separators, tags, or stray characters.
- Renaming a variable or string throughout a snippet before pasting it back.
- Reformatting with regex, for example reordering captured groups using $1 and $2.
- Stripping unwanted words by replacing them with an empty replacement field.
Common pitfalls
- Partial-word matches. A plain search for
catalso hits the "cat" inside "catalog". Turn on Whole word when you only mean standalone words. - Regex special characters. With regex on, characters like
.,(,*, and?are operators. Turn regex off to match them literally, or escape them with a backslash. - Dollar signs in replacements. With regex on,
$1means "capture group 1". To output a literal dollar sign in regex mode, write$$. With regex off, dollar signs are always literal. - Case matters by default.
Hellodoes not matchhellounless Case-insensitive is on.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find and replace text with this tool?
- Paste or type your text in the top box, type what you want to find, and type the replacement. The result updates live below as you type, along with a count of how many replacements were made. Nothing is uploaded; the work happens in your browser.
- What does the whole-word option do?
- Whole word wraps your search term in word boundaries so it only matches complete words. For example, replacing "cat" with "dog" in "cat catalog cat" while whole word is on yields "dog catalog dog" and leaves "catalog" untouched, because the "cat" inside "catalog" is not a standalone word.
- What is the difference between literal and regex matching?
- With "Use regex" off, the find field is treated as plain text, so characters like a dot or a parenthesis match themselves; a literal search for "a.b" does not match "axb". With regex on, the find field is a JavaScript regular expression, so "a.b" matches any single character between a and b. Turn regex on only when you want pattern matching.
- Can I use capture group backreferences like $1 in the replacement?
- Yes, when "Use regex" is on. Group 1 of your pattern is available as $1 in the replacement, group 2 as $2, and so on, so you can reorder captured parts. When regex is off, a dollar sign in the replacement is inserted literally and is not treated as a backreference.
- Why does my regex show an error?
- When "Use regex" is on, the tool builds a live regular expression and catches any syntax error, such as an unbalanced parenthesis or bracket. The exact browser message appears inline and the output is left blank until you fix the pattern. Turn regex off if you meant to search for those characters literally.
- Is my text sent to a server?
- No. The text, the search term, and the replacement never leave your browser. All matching and replacing runs on the native JavaScript engine on your machine, so the tool also works offline once the page has loaded.
Cite this tool
For academic, journalistic, or technical references. Pick a format:
Citations use 2026 as the publication year. Access date is left as a fillable placeholder where the citation style expects one.