# Find and replace in a document

> Find words in a PlexiiDocs document, step through each match, and replace one or all of them, matching case, whole words or a regular expression.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-find-and-replace
Section: Office > PlexiiDocs
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

Find and replace looks through the whole document for a word or phrase, highlights every match and takes you from one to the next. You can replace the matches one at a time or all at once, and narrow the search to exact case, whole words or a pattern.

## Before you start

- **Plans.** Find and replace is on every plan.

## Open find

Do any of these:

- Press `⌘` `F` on a Mac (`Ctrl` `F` on Windows) while you are typing in the document.
- Click **Find & replace** (the magnifying glass) in the toolbar.
- Choose **Edit** > **Find and replace**.

A small panel opens at the top right of the document, with the cursor in **Find**.

## Find text

1. Type what you are looking for in **Find**. Every match in the document is highlighted as you type.
2. The count beside the box shows which match you are on and how many there are, such as **2/7**.
3. Press `Enter`, or click the down arrow, for the next match. Press `Shift` `Enter`, or click the up arrow, for the previous one.

When there are no matches, the count shows **0/0**.

### Narrow the search

Tick any of these under the box:

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Case** | Matches capital and small letters exactly, so "Plan" does not find "plan". |
| **Whole word** | Finds the word on its own, so "plan" does not find "planning". |
| **.\* Regex** | Treats what you type as a regular expression, a pattern such as `Q[1-4]` to find Q1 to Q4. |

**Whole word** is greyed out while **Regex** is ticked. If a pattern cannot be read, the box turns red and the count says **regex!** until you fix it.

## Replace text

1. Find the text as above.
2. Click **Replace** under the box. A second row opens.
3. Type the new text in **Replace with**.
4. Then:
   - Click **Replace** to change the highlighted match and move to the next one.
   - Click **All** to change every match at once.

Replacing can be undone with `⌘` `Z` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `Z` on Windows.

## Close find

Press `Esc` in the **Find** box, or click the **×**. The highlights go away.

## Common questions

**Find did not find a word I can see.**
Check that **Case** and **Whole word** are not narrowing the search, and that **Regex** is off unless you meant to use a pattern.

**Can I search every document at once?**
Find and replace works in the document you have open. To find a document by its words, use the command palette. See [The command palette](https://plexiidesk.com/help/command-palette).

## Related tasks

- [PlexiiDocs overview](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-overview)
- [Format text and use styles](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-format-text-and-styles)
- [Suggest edits with track changes](https://plexiidesk.com/help/docs-track-changes)
- [The command palette](https://plexiidesk.com/help/command-palette)