What is find and replace?
Find and replace is one of the most fundamental text editing operations — but most text editors only work on files already open in them. ServoDev's find-and-replace tool works on any text you paste into it, with three matching modes: plain string (fast and literal), regex (JavaScript RegExp syntax for pattern matching), and whole-word (only matches where the search term is surrounded by word boundaries). All three support optional case-sensitive matching. The output shows a replacement count so you always know exactly how many substitutions were made.
How to use this tool
- 1 Paste your text into the Input panel.
- 2 Type the text to find in the Find field and the replacement in the Replace with field (leave blank to delete matches).
- 3 Toggle options: Case-sensitive to require exact capitalisation, Regular expression to use a full JS regex pattern, Whole word to only match standalone words.
- 4 The output updates live, and the header shows how many replacements were made.
Frequently asked questions
What regex syntax does this support?
It uses JavaScript's built-in RegExp with the global flag (all occurrences) and optional case-insensitive flag. This means you can use all standard regex features: character classes [a-z], quantifiers +*?, anchors ^$, groups (abc), and backreferences $1 in the replacement string.
Can I use capture groups in the replacement?
Yes — use $1, $2, etc. in the replacement field to insert captured groups. For example, find (\w+)@(\w+) and replace with $2/$1 to swap the parts around an @.
What does "Whole word" do?
When checked, the search term is wrapped in \b word-boundary anchors, so "log" matches "log" but not "login" or "catalog". It has no effect when "Regular expression" is also checked.
Why do I see an error banner?
This appears when Regular expression mode is active and the pattern is syntactically invalid (e.g. unmatched parentheses). The tool shows the JS error message so you can fix the pattern.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. All find-and-replace runs locally in your browser using native JavaScript string and regex methods.