How do I repeat my last substitution across the entire file?
g&
The g& command repeats the last substitute command across the entire file.
Category: search
How do I search and replace only whole word matches, not partial matches?
:%s/\<old\>/new/g
Wrapping your search pattern in \ word boundary anchors ensures that Vim only matches the exact whole word, preventing accidental replacements inside longer wor
How do I search and replace with confirmation for each match?
:%s/old/new/gc
Adding the c flag to a substitute command makes Vim pause at every match and ask you whether to replace it.
How do I use expressions in Vim's substitute replacement?
:%s/pattern/\=expression/g
Vim's substitute command supports expression replacements using \= in the replacement string.
How do I use normal regex syntax in Vim search without escaping everything?
/\v
Vim's default regex syntax requires backslashes before most special characters like +, (, ), {, and , which is the opposite of what most developers expect from
How do I search for a pattern across multiple files and navigate the results?
:vimgrep /pattern/ **/*.ext | copen
The :vimgrep command searches for a regex pattern across multiple files and populates the quickfix list with every match.
search #search #quickfix #ex-commands #navigation #productivity #grep
How do I search for a pattern that spans multiple lines?
/foo\_.*bar
Vim's default .
How do I search and replace text across multiple files in Vim?
:args **/*.py | argdo %s/old/new/gc | update
Vim can perform search-and-replace across multiple files without any plugins by combining the arglist with :argdo.
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #productivity #quickfix #arglist
How do I land the cursor a few lines above or below a search match?
/pattern/+3
Vim's search command accepts an offset after the pattern that shifts where the cursor lands relative to the match.
How do I search for text only within a visual selection?
/\%Vpattern
The \%V atom restricts a search pattern to only match inside the most recent visual selection.
How do I search for the word under the cursor without whole-word boundaries?
g*
The g command searches forward for the text under the cursor without adding word boundary anchors.
search #search #navigation #normal-mode #motions #productivity
How do I repeat the last substitute command quickly?
&
The & command in normal mode repeats the last :s substitution on the current line.
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #repeat #normal-mode
How do I reuse my last search pattern in a substitute command without retyping it?
:%s//new/g
Leaving the search field empty in a :s command tells Vim to reuse the last search pattern from / or .
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #regex #productivity
How do I visually select the next occurrence of my last search pattern?
gn
The gn motion searches forward for the next match of the last search pattern and visually selects it.
search #navigation #search #motions #normal-mode #repeat #editing
How do I use capture groups to rearrange text in a Vim substitute command?
:%s/\(pattern1\)\(pattern2\)/\2\1/g
Vim's substitute command supports capture groups that let you match parts of text, remember them, and rearrange or reuse them in the replacement.
How do I search for text in Vim?
/pattern
The /pattern command searches forward through the file for the given pattern.
How do I search backward for the word under the cursor?
#
The # command searches backward for the exact word under the cursor, jumping to the previous occurrence.
How do I search for the word under the cursor?
*
The command searches forward for the exact word under the cursor, jumping to the next occurrence.
How do I search and replace text only on the current line?
:s/old/new/g
The :s/old/new/g command replaces all occurrences of old with new on the current line only.
How do I search backward in Vim?
?pattern
The ?pattern command searches backward through the file for the given pattern, starting from the cursor position and wrapping around to the end of the file if n