Find and replace text in Word for Mac
Command-F moves focus to Word for Mac’s document search. Control-H opens Find and Replace. These are Microsoft’s documented Mac bindings; do not assume a Windows command changes simply by replacing Control with Command.
Microsoft Word · Reviewed 2026-11-05 · Review method
Platform, keyboard and verification notes
- Scope
- Microsoft Word · Microsoft Word desktop for Mac; Mac section of Microsoft documentation checked 5 November 2026. Not Word for the web.
- Keyboard and customization
- English documentation and US-style key names. Punctuation and function keys can differ on other layouts.. These are documentation-backed defaults, not a hands-on test. App settings, operating-system shortcuts, extensions and keyboard layout can change what happens. Check focus and the current app menu or shortcut settings when a binding differs.
- Review basis
- Documentation reviewed 2026-11-05 by Codex — source and editorial review; no runtime test. These bindings were not tested in a running app for this guide.
Mac shortcuts for this workflow
| Action | Keys | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Find document text | Command-F | Move to the Search in Document box. Source ↗ |
| Find and Replace pane | Control-H | Inspect search, replacement and scope before applying a change. Source ↗ |
| Go To | Command-Option-G | Navigate to a document location through the Go To dialog. Source ↗ |
Search before replacing
Find a distinctive occurrence and inspect its surrounding sentence before deciding to replace every match. A project name can appear in body text, quotations or examples with different meanings. Replacement is a content change, so a successful match is not enough evidence that all occurrences should receive the same edit.
Inspect the replacement scope
Use the pane’s visible options to understand what will be searched and changed. Start with one replacement when you are uncertain, then examine the result and undo if necessary. Do not use a global replacement as a quick way to revise a document whose terminology changes by section or whose quoted material must remain accurate.
Distinguish a location from a phrase
Go To is useful when you know a page or other document location, while Find is useful when you know wording. Practice both on a disposable document containing several labelled sections. Note that function-key alternatives can require Fn on a MacBook, and customized Office or macOS shortcuts can override a default without making the feature itself unavailable.
Sources and corrections
- Keyboard shortcuts in Word — Microsoft Support, Mac section — checked 2026-11-05
Found a mismatch? Email pashaseenainc@gmail.com with your app version, macOS version, keyboard layout and the command. Please leave personal document names out.
Keep going
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