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Find and replace

Search the script, step through matches, and replace one or all — including a character's name across every cue and line of dialogue.

1 min readUpdated

Find is the same idea as in every editor; the detail worth knowing is that it understands the script's structure, so renaming a character changes the cue and the lines that mention her without touching a word that happens to share letters.

  1. Open find

    Press ⌘F. A bar appears above the page with a search box and a match count.

    The find bar above the page: the search box (1), Next match (2), and the Replace toggle (3) that opens the second field.
    The find bar above the page: the search box (1), Next match (2), and the Replace toggle (3) that opens the second field.
  2. Type what you are looking for

    Matches highlight as you type. Press ↩ to move to the next match, and ⇧+↩ to go back. Toggle Match case and Whole word from the bar when a name is also an ordinary word.

  3. Switch to replace

    Press ⌘⌥F to open the replace field, or select the Replace toggle at the left of the bar. (On Windows and Linux the same bar also answers ⌃+H.)

  4. Replace one, or all

    Replace changes the current match and moves on; Replace all changes every match at once. Replacing all is a single undo, so ⌘+Z takes the whole thing back.

  5. Close the bar

    Press ⎋. The highlights clear and the cursor stays where you left it.

What next

  • The cast list

    Every speaking character in the script, with how much they say and where — and a rename that changes every cue at once.

    Concept · 1 min read

  • Keyboard shortcuts

    Every shortcut in Plot, for macOS and for Windows and Linux, grouped by what it does.

    Reference · 1 min read

What writers have asked about this — open the request to follow it.