Save Hours of time by Using Find and Replace Feature
While working with Excel sheets that have thousands of rows, is just time-consuming and inefficient to slowly scan through every single line to fix a name, update some value, or apply some formatting. So the Find and Replace tool in Microsoft Excel has become a key data tool for the professional and beginners alike.
You can use it to fix typos, swap product codes, or replace formulas across multiple sheets in seconds.
🔍 How to Use Microsoft Excel's Find and Replace Feature
- Hit Ctrl + H (or Cmd + Shift + H on Mac) and instantly get the Find and Replace dialog box.
- In the Find what field, type the text, number, or formula you want to look for.
- In the Replace with field, type what you want to use as the replacement.
- Click either Replace (for a single instance) or Replace All (for all instances).
Example:
Say your dataset contained multiple entries where the abbreviation “NY” would have to be changed to “New York.”
You just enter:
- Find what: NY
- Replace with: New York
Click on Replace All and any and all instances of “NY” are instantly updated.
🧠 Advanced Find and Replace Tips
Find in formulas: You can search for certain cell references or function names within formulas to update them at once.
Use wildcards:
- * replace multiple characters
- ? replaces a single character.
Search within values or formulas from the choice of scanning the worksheet or the whole workbook.
⚙️ Practical Use Cases
- Replace pepper pop domain of emails (e.g., @olddomain.com -> @newdomain.com)
- Fix naming inconsistency (e.g., "Acct." -> "Account")
- Edit cell references in the formula across sheets
- Change inventory code in bulk
- Change register of units (e.g., "kg" -> "kilograms")
💡 Expert Tips for Best Results in Excel
- Always have a backup saved before you perform a Replace All on big files.
- One may want to use Find next before Replace as a preview of what will be changed.
- Pair with Excel Filters or Go To Special to carry out rather targeted edits.
- Use conditional formatting to spotlight the cells that will be affected by the editing afterwards.
Related Excel Data-Cleaning Tools
- Various TEXT implementations such as TRIM, SUBSTITUTE and CLEAN
- Power Query for mass text transformations
- Flash Fill for pattern-based text entry
Once you master Find and Replace, Excel allows an enormous uplift in productivity. Be it fixing typos, or transforming full workbooks, this one feature gives you the liberty to work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence in mere clicks.
🎓 Learn More with Other Levels
Take your Excel skills to the next level:
-
🌐 Visit our Other Levels Website
-
📺 Watch free tutorials on our Other Levels YouTube Channel, and learn Microsoft Excel from beginner to advanced.
✍️ Other Articles, Tips & Tricks you would like:
- Experience the Power of CONCAT Function in Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts to Boost Productivity
- Use VLOOKUP Function Like a Pro in Microsoft Excel
Share:
Easily Analyse Data with Microsoft Excel's Data Analysis Toolpak
Use 3D references in Excel to Combine Data from Multiple Sheets