---
title: "Text Find & Replace"
description: "Find and replace text online with regex support, case sensitivity, whole word matching, and real-time match highlighting. Like sed for the browser."
url: https://findutils.com/text/text-find-replace/
category: text
---

# Text Find & Replace

Find and replace text online with regex support, case sensitivity, whole word matching, and real-time match highlighting. Like sed for the browser.

**Use this tool:** [Text Find & Replace](https://findutils.com/text/text-find-replace/)

## Programmatic access

- REST id `text-find-replace`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/text-find-replace/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/text-find-replace/)
- MCP tool `text_find_replace` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/text-find-replace/)

## Why Use Our Text Find & Replace?

Whether you need to clean up data, fix typos in bulk, or perform complex pattern-based replacements, our tool handles it all in your browser. It supports plain text search, regex patterns, case-sensitive matching, and whole-word matching. Real-time highlighting shows you exactly what will be replaced before you commit. Think of it as sed for the browser — no terminal required, no data uploaded to any server.

## Tips for Effective Find and Replace

- Use whole word mode when replacing common short words like 'or', 'an', or 'it' to avoid changing parts of longer words like 'orange' or 'sanitize'.
- Leave the replacement field empty to delete all matches. This is the fastest way to strip unwanted characters, tags, or patterns from text.
- In regex mode, use capture groups with parentheses and reference them as $1, $2 in the replacement field to rearrange or restructure matched text.
- Enable case sensitive mode when working with code to distinguish between variables like 'Name' and 'name' or constants like 'MAX_SIZE' and 'max_size'.
- Preview highlighted matches before clicking Replace All to confirm the pattern matches exactly what you expect, especially with complex regex patterns.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I use regular expressions?

Yes, toggle the Regex mode to use full JavaScript regular expression syntax. Capture groups ($1, $2) work in the replacement field.

### Is my text uploaded to a server?

No, all processing happens entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server, making it safe for sensitive text.

### What is whole word matching?

Whole word matching only finds the search term when it appears as a complete word, not as part of another word. For example, searching 'cat' won't match 'category'.

### Can I replace with nothing to delete matches?

Yes, leave the Replace field empty to delete all matches. This is useful for stripping unwanted characters or patterns from text.

### Does this tool require a signup?

No. It works with no signup, and no usage limits. All processing happens client-side in your browser.

### What regex features are supported?

The tool supports full JavaScript regex syntax including character classes, quantifiers, anchors, lookaheads, lookbehinds, capture groups, backreferences, and flags. You can use patterns like \d+ for digits, [A-Z] for uppercase letters, or complex expressions with alternation and grouping.

### Can I use capture groups in the replacement?

Yes. Wrap parts of your regex pattern in parentheses to create capture groups, then reference them in the replacement field as $1, $2, $3, and so on. For example, find (\w+)@(\w+) and replace with $2:$1 to swap the parts around the @ symbol.

### How do I replace only the first occurrence?

Click the Replace First button instead of Replace All. This substitutes only the first match found in the text, leaving all other occurrences unchanged. You can click it repeatedly to step through matches one at a time.

### Is there a character or file size limit?

There is no hard character limit. The tool runs in your browser, so performance depends on your device. Texts up to several hundred thousand characters work smoothly on modern browsers and devices.

### How is this different from find and replace in a text editor?

This tool works instantly in your browser without opening any software. You can paste text from any source, perform the replacement, and copy the result. It also provides real-time match highlighting and a match counter that most basic text editors lack, plus full regex support that many editors do not include.

## Related Tools

- [Regex Tester](https://findutils.com/developers/regex-tester/)
- [Diff Checker](https://findutils.com/text/diff-checker/)
- [Case Converter](https://findutils.com/text/case-converter/)
- [Text Line Sorter](https://findutils.com/text/text-line-sorter/)
- [Word Counter](https://findutils.com/text/word-counter/)
- [Duplicate Line Remover](https://findutils.com/text/duplicate-line-remover/)
- [Character Counter](https://findutils.com/text/character-counter/)
- [Text Summarizer](https://findutils.com/text/text-summarizer/)