Whether you’re managing a small list of contacts or a massive dataset, Excel’s Find and Replace tool can save you valuable time. Instead of manually scrolling through rows and columns, you’re able to quickly search for specific data or update it all at once.
How to Find Values in Excel
With Excel’s Find function, you can locate whatever you need quickly, no matter how large your workbook is. Here’s how to access the tool.
When the Find window appears, you can do a basic search by simply inserting what you want to find. However, if you’d like more options to refine your search, clickOptions ».
With this expanded view, you get more search options. For instance, you can limit your search to the active sheet or expand it across the entire workbook by using theWithindropdown. If you’d like an exact match in terms of upper or lowercase letters, ticking theMatch casecheckbox would be super helpful.
Once you’ve set your search preferences, clickFind Nextto scroll through each occurrence of the value one at a time orFind Allto view a list of all the occurrences in one place.
How to Replace Values in Excel
It’s equally easy to replace what you find with something else. Simply clickHome>Find & Select>Replace, or pressCtrl + Hin your Excel workbook to launch the Replace tool. On the off chance that these tools aren’t working, there are a number ofsimple fixes for Find and Replace not working in Microsoft Excel.
Just like the Find tool, you’re able to specify a value or text you want to find, but with the addition of aReplace withfield, where you’ll input the new value or text. Also, clickingOptions »here will offer you more search options.
For instance, I clicked theFormatbutton beside theReplace withoption to select a new font, font style, and font size. My changes are applied in the image below.
Once you’re ready to search and replace, clickReplaceto swap out the first occurrence of the value, one at a time. This gives you control over each replacement. Alternatively, clickReplace Allto update all instances of the value across your worksheet or workbook in one click.
Have you accidentally replaced too much? No worries. you may undo your recent replacements by pressing Ctrl + Z immediately after an individual replacement or a Replace All operation.
It’s a good idea to double-check your data before saving the changes, just in case you need to undo them.
