Guides · Updated October 2026

How to find and replace text in Gmail

Gmail has no find and replace in the compose window. Here is how to replace a word, a name or a price in a draft in two seconds.

Gmail’s compose window has no find and replace. If you reuse a template and need to change a client name, a date or a price in five places, you are left doing it by hand – and usually miss one.

The quick way

1. Install the free SwapText extension.
2. Click inside the body of your draft.
3. Press Alt + Shift + R (or click the SwapText icon).
4. Type the word to find and its replacement. The counter shows how many matches there are.
5. Press Enter. Every match is replaced, and bold, links and other formatting stay as they were.

Made a mistake? Click Undo and the draft goes back exactly as it was.

Useful options

• Whole word – replace “Ann” without touching “Annual”.
• Match case – replace “Apple” the company, not “apple” the fruit.
• Saved lists (Pro) – keep a list like Q3 => Q4, 2025 => 2026 and run it on every template with one click.

Is it safe?

SwapText only runs when you open it, only on that tab, and the text never leaves your browser.

SwapText adds find & replace to every text box in Chrome – Gmail, WordPress, forms and more. Free, with one-click undo.

Add SwapText to Chrome