Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 30, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
When Sarra uses the Find and Replace feature in Word and clicks on the Replace button, Word makes the change and automatically moves to the next occurrence of whatever she is searching for. She would like the program to make the change and not move to the next occurrence, but keep visible where the change was made.
If you use the Replace tab of the Find and Replace dialog box, then there is no way to do this; clicking the Replace button does the replace and automatically displays the next occurrence of whatever you are searching. There is, however, a rather simple workaround. Follow these general steps:
This isn't the only workaround, however. You can also follow these similar steps:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10600) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Keeping a Replace Operation Displayed.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
If you have a document that contains optional hyphens (special characters that mark where a word can be split between ...
Discover MoreFinding and replacing text when the text being searched for has mixed formatting can be a challenge. You may, however, ...
Discover MoreThe Find and Replace capabilities of Word can be used to add HTML tags to your document text. This is easier to do than ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments