How to find and replace in Vim

Type :%s/old/new/g and press ↵ to replace every old with new in the whole file. Add c after the g to be asked at each match.

By Jai Pandya · Updated 4 November 2026

Try it here

Rename qty to quantity

Every qty in the file becomes quantity, with one command: :%s/qty/quantity/g and ↵.

Replace every qty with quantity

1const qty = order.qtyquantity = order.quantity;

1const price = order.price;

2const total = price * qty;

3log(`total for ${qty}: ${total}`);

NORMALLoading the editor…0.0s1:1

This editor needs a keyboard. Read on, and play it at your computer.

Type	Replaces
`:s/old/new/` `↵`	the first `old` on the current line
`:s/old/new/g` `↵`	every `old` on the current line
`:%s/old/new/g` `↵`	every `old` in the file (`%` means every line)
`:%s/old/new/gc` `↵`	every `old` in the file, asking at each: `y` yes, `n` no, `a` all the rest, `q` stop
`:%s/old/new/gi` `↵`	every `old`, `Old` or `OLD`: `i` ignores case
`:5,12s/old/new/g` `↵`	only on lines 5 to 12
`:'<,'>s/old/new/g` `↵`	only in the lines you selected (press `:` in Visual mode and Vim types the range for you)
`:%s/\<old\>/new/g` `↵`	only the whole word `old`, not `bold` or `older`
`:%s/old//g` `↵`	deletes every `old` (an empty replacement)

Before

let id = 1;

const idx = id + 1;

const ids = [id, idx];

:%s/\<id\>/userId/g↵

let userId = 1;

const idx = userId + 1;

const ids = [userId, idx];

With \< and \> only the word id changes; idx and ids are left alone

Slashes, ampersands and new lines

The slashes are separators, so a slash in your text would end the pattern early. Use another separator instead: :%s#/usr/local#/opt#g works the same way with #.

Two characters are special in the replacement. & stands for whatever matched, so :%s/TODO/[&]/g turns TODO into [TODO]; write \& for a literal ampersand. And \r inserts a line break (\n would insert a null character).

Choosing each match by eye: * and cgn

When you want to look at every match before changing it, there's a way without the command line. Put the cursor on the word and press * to search for it, then cgn to change the next match and type the new word, Esc, and from then on . changes the next one and n skips one. It's the confirm flag, done with two keys per match.