How to use the Regex Replace
- Write the pattern in Find — Regex is already on.
- Use
$1,$2(or$<name>) in Replace to reuse captured text. - Check the highlighted matches, then copy the result.
Capture groups in replacements
The preset turns ISO dates into day/month/year: (d{4})-(d{2})-(d{2}) → $3/$2/$1. Each pair of parentheses captures text you can put back in any order. Use $& for the whole match and
for a new line.
With Regex on, ^ and $ match the start and end of every line. Test complex patterns first in the Regex Tester, or get a plain-English explanation from the Regex Explainer.
Also searched as: regex find and replace, replace with regex online, regex substitution, capture group replace, regular expression replace.
Tools that pair well with the Regex Replace
- Find and Replace — Paste text and replace words or patterns — case-sensitive or not, whole words only, or with regular expressions and $1 capture groups.
- Find and Replace in Files — Drop many files — code, CSV, Markdown, HTML, JSON — and apply the same find-and-replace rules to all of them.
- Text Compare — Paste two versions of a text to see exactly what changed: added and removed lines and the changed words inside them, highlighted side by side or in one view.
- Markdown Table Generator — Build a table in a spreadsheet-like editor — or paste cells from Excel, Google Sheets or CSV — set column alignment and get a neatly aligned Markdown table (GitHub-flavored) or clean HTML.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use capture groups in the replacement?
Wrap parts of the pattern in parentheses and refer to them as $1, $2 … in Replace. Named groups (?…) can be used as $.
Does ^ match each line?
Yes — multiline mode is on, so ^ and $ match at every line break.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser.
Can I install Regex Replace as a web app and use it offline?
Yes. Regex Replace is an installable web app (PWA) — installed from your browser, not downloaded from an app store. Click Install app at the top of this page in Chrome or Edge (Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS) or on Android, use Share → Add to Home Screen on iPhone and iPad, or File → Add to Dock in Safari 17+ on a Mac. It then opens in its own window with its own icon, and because it runs entirely in your browser it keeps working offline. Firefox on desktop can’t install web apps. How installing works.