Find and replace text and other data

in a Word document
Applies To: Word 2016 Word 2013 Word 2010 Word 2007 Word Online
Word Starter 2010

Word offers several options for locating specific content in your document. You can search for and
replace items such as text, images, captions, bookmarks, or certain types of formatting such as
paragraphs or page breaks. You can use the Go To command to go to a particular instance of content in
your document, and you can also extend your search by using wildcards, codes, or regular expressions
to find words or phrases that contain specific characters or combinations of characters.

Notes: 

Word Online currently includes only basic find and replace features. Open your document
in the Word desktop application to use the advanced find and replace features, such as
finding objects, finding formatting, using Go To, and using wildcards, codes, and regular
expressions.

Some of the content in this topic may not be applicable to some languages.

Find and replace

Find text

Find and replace text

Find images, tables, comments, and other objects

Find and replace specific formatting

Find and replace paragraph breaks, tabs, page breaks, and other items

Find by using Go To
Find by using Go To

Go to a specific page, table, heading, line, or other item

Search by using wildcards

Search by using wildcards to find specific letters

Use wildcards to search for text. For example, you can use the asterisk (*) wildcard to search for a string
of characters (for example, "s*d" finds "sad" and "started").

1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click the arrow next to Find, and then click Advanced
Find.

2. Select the Use wildcards check box.

If you don't see the Use wildcards check box, click More.

3. Do one of the following:

To choose a wildcard character from a list, click Special, click a wildcard character, and then type any
additional text in the Find what box. For more information, see the table Wildcards for items you want to find
and replace, below.

Type a wildcard character directly in the Find what box. For more information, see the table Wildcards for
items you want to find and replace, below.

4. If you want to replace the item, click the Replace tab, and then type what you want to use as a
replacement in the Replace with box.