Find and replace text styles

Last updated on Jun 2, 2026

Learn how to use the Find/Change dialog box to swap paragraph or character styles across your Adobe InDesign document.

Update text formatting by replacing one style with another throughout your InDesign document. This approach ensures consistency and eliminates manual formatting errors when redesigning or correcting applied styles.

Select Edit > Find/Change.

Leave Find what and Change to options as blank and select the Specify attributes to find icon next to Find Format.

Select Style Options within the Find Format Settings dialog box.

Adobe InDesign Find Format Settings dialog showing Style Options with Character Style and Paragraph Style dropdown fields.

Set the Character Style or Paragraph Style you want to apply in the Find Format Settings dialog box.

Select OK.

Select the Specify attributes to change icon next to Change Format in the Find/Change dialog box. To remove previously applied format criteria, select the Clear specified attributes icon in the Find/Change dialog box.

Select the Paragraph Style or Character Style you want to apply in the Change Format Settings dialog box, then select OK.

Select Find Next, Change, Change All, or Change/Find to find and replace your text styles.

Select Done.