How do I search for patterns only at specific line or column positions in Vim?

Explanation

Vim provides position-matching atoms that constrain where a pattern can match based on line numbers, column positions, or virtual columns. These atoms let you search within precise coordinates of your file — invaluable for structured data, fixed-width formats, or column-aligned text.

How it works

• \%23l — matches only on line 23
• \%>10l — matches only after line 10
• \%<50l — matches only before line 50
• \%10c — matches only at column 10
• \%>5c — matches only after column 5
• \%V — matches only inside the Visual area

Example

Find TODO only between lines 10 and 50:

/\%>10l\%<50lTODO

Highlight column 80 (to check line length):

/\%80v.

Only characters at exactly column 80 are highlighted

Tips

• \%V is especially useful for substitutions within a visual selection
• Use \%>79v. to highlight all characters beyond column 79
• Combine with :match: :match ErrorMsg /\%>80v.\+/ for persistent column warning
• \%'m matches at the position of mark m