How do I run a command on all open buffers at once?

Explanation

:bufdo executes an Ex command in each open buffer in sequence, cycling through every buffer in the buffer list. It is the quickest way to batch-edit all files you currently have open in Vim without touching files on disk that you haven't opened.

How it works

• :bufdo {cmd} — switch to each buffer and run {cmd}
• Vim visits every listed buffer (those shown in :ls), runs the command, and moves to the next
• Unlisted buffers (e.g., help pages, quickfix windows) are skipped

Common patterns:

" Substitute in all open buffers and save each one
:bufdo %s/foo/bar/ge | update

" Re-indent all open buffers
:bufdo normal gg=G | update

" Remove trailing whitespace everywhere
:bufdo %s/\s\+$//e | update

The e flag on :substitute suppresses the "pattern not found" error when a buffer doesn't contain the pattern. The | update saves only buffers that were actually modified.

Comparison with similar commands

Tips

• Use :set hidden before running :bufdo so Vim can switch buffers without requiring each to be saved first.
• After running :bufdo, use :wa to write all modified buffers in one command if you prefer not to pipe | update.
• To preview without saving, omit | update and review diffs with :ls and :b {n}.