Find & Replace FAQs
Search queries
Can I replace more than one word or phrase at a time?
Yes, you can add up to 20 query terms to a single job.
Because you can only process one job at a time, it may be more efficient to replace several words in the same job. However, this may make understanding the results screen and reports more difficult.
What if I want to exclude specific instances of a word from being replaced?
You can consider removing a variation from your search query list, or editing the site in sections.
Can I exclude certain variations of a word from being replaced?
Yes. If you search for “Apple” you will find instances of “Apple” and variations such as “apple” or “Apples”. However, these variations would not be replaced unless you include them in the query.
Can I see how many times the word or phrase exists, and on which pages?
Yes, the system will show you an approximate list of pages. Once the word has been bulk replaced, an exact number of pages and instances affected will be available.
Can I download a report of where and how often a word or phrase appears on my site?
Yes. After you click the Find Instances button, Find & Replace will find all instances of the queries you have entered. You can download this information as an Excel report, which will include the page path and page ID to show where the queried term(s) were found.
Once the Replace job is complete, you can download a report that will show the page ID, URL, number of instances, and what words were found and replaced. This report will also show any pages where the instances were not replaced, and the reason they were skipped.
The first downloadable report (viewable after you click Find Instances) will show every variation of the query terms, but the completed job report only shows the variations that were replaced (the terms that match the query exactly). We recommend you analyze the first report for greater visibility of other variations that you might consider including in the job.
Can I bulk replace a page title?
No. Because of SEO and redirects, the complexity around replacing page titles would require a separate effort. We may consider adding this capability later.
Can attributes such as URL be changed inside of content?
No. Attributes are not currently indexed, and there is no way to find them without indexing. Adding an index is fairly complex and will require a reevaluation of indexing, which may happen in the future.
Can I find and replace style, scripts, and pre tags?
No.
Can I bulk edit DekiScript or Expressions?
No. DekiScript and Expressions are ignored by Find & Replace because the changes are literal and syntax validations are not applied. Allowing these to be bulk edited creates an unacceptable risk to your site’s functionality, so we opted to exclude them.
Can I select which parts of a site to edit?
Yes. For example, you can search page summaries or page body content, and select specific Guide or Category pages and their sub-pages to include or exclude from your search.
How does Find & Replace affect Content Reuse?
Find & Replace changes will be made to the source content, and only the source content will appear in the Find query results.
How does Find & Replace affect Global Variables?
Find & Replace and Global Variables can be used together. Because variables are not indexed, Find & Replace will not run on anything you have set as as a global variable.
Functionality and reporting
You cannot run a Find & Replace job and an Import / Export job at the same time.
Can I do more than one Find & Replace at a time?
No, only one Find & Replace job can run at a time, but you can run a job with several words at once.
Can I submit a job and be notified when it is finished?
Yes. If you leave a job in progress, an email will be triggered once the job is completed. You will be able to access the recent jobs log by clicking the View recent jobs link in the email.
Do I have to wait on the Find & Replace screen while the job is processing?
No, you can start the process and navigate away from the screen. When you come back, you can access the recent jobs log by clicking the View recent jobs link on the Find & Replace screen and you will be able to see your progress, including how many instances were updated (once the job is finished).
Can I save my progress and return to it later?
If you start the process (enter words to find), then leave the screen, your progress will not be saved. Once the replace phase has begun, you can leave. When you return later, you can access the recent jobs log by clicking the View recent jobs link in the Find & Replace screen and you will be able to see your progress.
Can I see who performed a Find & Replace, and on which words?
Yes.
What pages or sections will not be updated?
Drafts and pages that are locked for editing will not be updated.
Will the system let me know which pages were not updated so I can update them manually?
Yes. You can review instances that were not updated in the completed job report.
Can Find & Replace jobs timeout?
Yes, 11 hours and 30 minutes is the maximum duration of any job.
Troubleshooting
Remember, page titles, URLs, hyperlinks, DekiScript, HTML character entities, attributes, classifications, tags, attachment file names, and page settings (except for the page summary) cannot be edited.
I know a word is used on my site but nothing comes up when I search for it.
Be sure you enter something in the Replace with: field for that query term.
Find & Replace found instances of a word but replaced 0.
Ensure the spelling and case match exactly.
apple, Apple, apples, and apple's are all different words. If you searched for apple, the other variations will be found but only apple will be replaced.