Find And Replace Formatting In Google Docs (Simple Guide)

If you’re an avid user of Google Docs, you’ve probably already discovered the time-saving benefits of the “find and replace” feature. 

However, did you know that Google Docs has another feature called “select all matching text,” which enables you to find and replace formatting?

By utilizing the “select all matching text” feature, you can quickly modify font styles, sizes, colors, and other formatting elements within your document.

find and replace formatting google docs

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the step-by-step process of finding and replacing formatting in Google Docs.

Using “Select all Matching Text” in Google Docs

Step 1: Open your desired document in Google Docs.

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 01

Step 2: Right-click on a word that have the formatting you want to find and replace.

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 02

Step 3: In the contextual menu, hover your cursor over “format options.”

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 03

Step 4: From the secondary menu, select “Select all matching text.”

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 04

This feature will identify all sections of your document that share the same text style, including font, size, color, bolding, italics, underline, and strikethrough. However, it won’t consider paragraph styles like line spacing or alignment.

Step 5: Once all the matching text has been selected, any changes you make to the formatting of the text will apply to all selected instances.

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 05
Both words had their bold formatting removed and were simultaneously replaced with an underline.

Step 6: If you wish to remove the formatting from the selected text, simply right-click on any of the selected items and choose the “clear formatting” option from the contextual menu.

find and replace formatting in google docs Step 06

Key Takeaways 

The select all matching text feature in Google Docs is a powerful tool that allows you to swiftly locate and replace specific formatting elements, such as font size, color, and style, throughout your entire document, saving you time and effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Open the document where you want to find the italics formatting.
  2. Highlight the first word or sentence that is formatted in italics.
  3. Right-click on the highlighted text and hover your mouse pointer over the “format options” menu option.
  4. From the slide-out menu, click on the “select all matching text” option.

By following these steps, you’ll quickly find all instances of italicized text in your Google Docs document.

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