Move around in a document

Some of the content in this topic may not be applicable to some languages.

Do any of the following:

Scroll through a document

Scroll through a document

After scrolling, click where you want to start typing, and then do any of the following:

Scroll up one line
Click the up scroll arrow
Scroll down one line
Click the down scroll arrow
Scroll up one screen
Click above the scroll box
Scroll down one screen
Click below the scroll box
Scroll to a specific page
Drag the scroll box
Scroll left
Click the left scroll arrow
Scroll right
Click the right scroll arrow
Scroll left beyond the margin, in normal view
Hold down SHIFT and click the left scroll arrow .

Tips

Scroll through two parts of a document simultaneously by splitting the window

  1. Point to the split box at the top of the vertical scroll bar.

    Split box

  2. When the pointer changes to Double-headed arrow, drag the split bar to the position you want.

Notes

Go to a specific location

Go to a specific page, table, or other item

  1. On the Edit menu, click Go To.
  2. In the Go to what box, click the type of item.
  3. Do one of the following:

Browse to the next or previous page, table, or other item of the same type

  1. On the vertical scroll bar, click Select Browse Object .
  2. Click the item you want.

    For example, if you want to browse to the next page, click Browse by Page .

  3. To go to the next or previous item of the same type, click Next or Previous .

Return to a previous editing location

Microsoft Word keeps track of the last three locations where you typed or edited text.

Note   You can also use this feature to return to a previous location after saving your document.

Find text

Use Microsoft Word to find and replace text, formatting, paragraph marks, page breaks, and other items. You can extend your search by using wildcards and codes.

Find text

You can quickly search for every occurrence of a specific word or phrase.

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find.
  2. In the Find what box, enter the text that you want to search for.
  3. Select any other options that you want.

    To select all instances of a specific word or phrase at once, select the Highlight all items found in check box, and then select which portion of the document you want to search in by clicking in the Highlight all items found in list.

  4. Click Find Next or Find All.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Replace text

You can automatically replace text ù for example, you can replace "Acme" with "Apex."

  1. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
  2. In the Find what box, enter the text that you want to search for.
  3. In the Replace with box, enter the replacement text.
  4. Select any other options that you want.

    For Help on an option, click the question mark , and then click the option.

  5. Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Find and replace specific formatting

You can search for and replace or remove character formatting. For example, find a specific word or phrase and change the font color, or find specific formatting such as bold and remove or change it.

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find.
  2. If you don't see the Format button, click More.
  3. In the Find what box, do one of the following:
    • To search for text without specific formatting, enter the text.
    • To search for text with specific formatting, enter the text, click Format, and then select the formats you want.
    • To search for specific formatting only, delete any text, click Format, and then select the formats you want.
  4. Select the Highlight all items found in check box to find all instances of the word or phrase, and then select which portion of the document you want to search in by clicking in the Highlight all items found in list.
  5. Click Find All.

    All instances of the word or phrase are highlighted.

  6. Click Close.
  7. On the Formatting toolbar, click buttons to make changes. For example, select a different font color, click Bold , and then click Italic .

    The changes you make are applied to all the highlighted text.

  8. Click anywhere in the document to remove highlighting from the text.

Find and replace paragraph marks, page breaks, and other items

You can easily search for and replace special characters and document elements such as page breaks and tabs.

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
  2. If you don't see the Special button, click More.
  3. In the Find what box, do one of the following:
    • To choose the item from a list, click Special, and then click the item you want.
    • Type a code for the item directly in the Find what box.
  4. If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
  5. Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

    Tip

    For a quick way to find items such as graphics or comments, click Select Browse Object on the vertical scroll bar, and then click the item you want. You can click Next or Previous to find the next or previous item of the same type.

Find and replace noun or adjective forms or verb tenses

You can search for:

Singular and plural noun forms

For example, replace "apple" with "orange" at the same time that you replace "apples" with "oranges".

All adjective forms

For example, replace "worse" with "better" at the same time that you replace "worst" with "best".

All tenses of a root verb

For example, replace "sit" with "stand" at the same time that you replace "sat" with "stood".

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
  2. If you don't see the Find all word forms check box, click More.
  3. Select the Find all word forms check box.
  4. In the Find what box, enter the text you want to find.
  5. If you want to replace the text, enter the replacement text in the Replace with box.
  6. Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.
  7. If the replacement text is ambiguous, click the word that best matches the meaning you want.

    For example, "saw" can be both a noun and a verb; click "saws" to replace nouns, or click "sawing" to replace verbs.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Notes

Search by using wildcards

Use wildcards to find and replace

For example, use the asterisk (*) wildcard to search for a string of characters ("s*d" finds "sad" and "started").

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.
  2. If you don't see the Use wildcards check box, click More.
  3. Select the Use wildcards check box.
  4. Enter a wildcard character in the Find What box. Do one of the following:
    • To choose a wildcard character from a list, click Special, click a wildcard character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box.
    • Type a wildcard character directly in the Find what box.
  5. If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
  6. Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Notes  

Wildcards for items you want to find and replace

To find:

Any single character
Type ?
For example, s?t finds "sat" and "set".
Any string of characters
Type *
For example, s*d finds "sad" and "started".
The beginning of a word
Type <

For example, <(inter) finds "interesting" and "intercept", but not "splintered".

The end of a word
Type >
For example, (in)> finds "in" and "within", but not "interesting".
One of the specified characters
Type [ ]

For example, w[io]n finds "win" and "won".

Any single character in this range
Type [-]
For example, [r-t]ight finds "right" and "sight". Ranges must be in ascending order.
Any single character except the characters in the range inside the brackets
Type  [!x-z]

For example, t[!a-m]ck finds "tock" and "tuck", but not "tack" or "tick".

Exactly n occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n}

For example, fe{2}d finds "feed" but not "fed".

At least n occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n,}

For example, fe{1,}d finds "fed" and "feed".

From n to m occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type {n,m}

For example, 10{1,3} finds "10", "100", and "1000".

One or more occurrences of the previous character or expression

Type @

For example, lo@t finds "lot" and "loot".

Notes

Search by using codes

Use codes to find and replace

For example, type ^p to find a paragraph mark.

  1. On the Edit menu, click Find or Replace.

  2. If you don't see the Special button, click More.

  3. Enter a code in the Find What box. Do one of the following:
    • To choose a code from a list, click Special, click a character, and then type any additional text in the Find what box.
    • Type a code directly in the Find what box.
  4. If you want to replace the item, enter what you want to use as a replacement in the Replace with box.
  5. Click Find Next, Replace, or Replace All.

    To cancel a search in progress, press ESC.

Codes for items you want to find and replace

As specified, some codes work only if the Use wildcards option is on or off.

Codes that work in the Find what or Replace with box

To specify:

Paragraph mark (
Type ^p (doesnÆt work in the Find what box when wildcards are on)
Tab character ()
Type ^t
ANSI or ASCII characters
Type ^0nnn, where nnn is the character code
Em dash ( ù )
Type ^+
En dash ( û )
Type ^=
Caret character
Type ^^
Manual line break ()
Type ^l
Column break
Type ^n
Manual page break 
Type ^m (also finds or replaces section breaks when wildcards are on)
Nonbreaking space ()
Type ^s 
Nonbreaking hyphen ()
Type ^~ 
Optional hyphen ()
Type ^- 

Codes that work in the Find what box only (when wildcards are on)

Graphic
Type ^g

Codes that work in the Find what box only (when wildcards are off)

Any character
Type ^?
Any digit
Type ^#
Any letter 
Type ^$
Footnote mark
Type ^f
Endnote mark 
Type ^e
Field 
Type ^d
Section break
Type ^b
White space 
Type ^w (any combination of regular and nonbreaking spaces, and tab characters)

Codes that work in the Replace with box only

Windows Clipboard contents
Type ^c
Contents of the Find what box
Type ^&
Notes

Navigate by using the Document Map or a table of contents

Navigate by using the Document Map

Document headings must be formatted with built-in heading styles in order to display in the Document Map.

  1. On the View menu, click Document Map.
  2. Select the level of headings to display. Do any of the following:

    • To display all headings at a specific level or below, right-click a heading in the Document Map, and then click a number on the shortcut menu. For example, click Show Heading 3 to display heading levels 1 through 3.

    • To collapse the subordinate headings under an individual heading, click the minus sign (-) next to the heading.

    • To display the subordinate headings under an individual heading, click the plus sign (+) next to the heading.

  3. Click a heading in the Document Map you want to navigate to. The insertion point in the document will move to the selected heading.

  4. When you're through, click Document Map on the View menu to close the pane.

Tip

You can also close the Document Map by double-clicking the resize bar at the right edge of the pane.

Navigate by using a table of contents

A table of contents is a list of the headings in a document. You can use a table of contents to get an overview of the topics discussed in a document. If you are creating a document for the Web, you can put the table of contents in a Web frame so that you can easily navigate through the document.

You can create a table of contents using the built-in heading styles and outline-level formats in Microsoft Word. If you want to use your own formatting for headings, apply custom heading styles. To use additional options for customizing the table of contents, you can use fields. For example, you can use fields to omit page numbers from part of the table of contents.

After you've specified the headings to include, you can choose a design and build the finished table of contents. When you build a table of contents, Word searches for the specified headings, sorts them by heading level, and displays the table of contents in the document.

Ways to view a table of contents

When you display a document in print layout view, the table of contents includes page numbers along with the headings. When you switch to Web layout view, the headings are displayed as hyperlinks so that you can jump directly to a topic. To quickly navigate through a document as you view it in Word, consider using the Document Map.