How to Search and Replace Text in Elementor

Introduction

Need to update text across multiple Elementor pages? Whether you’re changing a phone number, updating pricing, or fixing typos site-wide, searching and replacing text in Elementor doesn’t have to be tedious.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn three methods to search and replace text in Elementor—from manual editing to powerful plugins that save hours of work.

What you’ll learn:

Manual search and replace within Elementor
Using WordPress database plugins safely
Bulk editing with specialized Elementor tools
Best practices to avoid breaking your site

Why You Need to Search and Replace Text in Elementor

Common scenarios where search and replace becomes essential:

Business Information Updates – Phone numbers, addresses, email addresses
Pricing Changes – Update prices across product pages
Brand Rebranding – Change company names or product names
Fixing Typos – Correct spelling mistakes across multiple pages
URL Updates – Change links after domain migration
Legal Text – Update terms of service or privacy policy references

The Problem: Elementor stores content in the WordPress database as JSON, making manual search and replace tricky without the right tools.

Method 1: Manual Search Within Elementor (Small Scale)

When to Use This Method

Updating 1-5 pages
You know exactly which pages need changes
Simple text replacements

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Access Elementor Navigator

Edit your page with Elementor
Click the Navigator icon (bottom left) or press Ctrl+I (Windows) or Cmd+I (Mac)
Use the search bar at the top of Navigator

Step 2: Use Browser Search

Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac)
Type your search term
Browser will highlight all instances
Click through each result and edit manually

Step 3: Save and Repeat

Update each instance
Click “Update” to save changes
Repeat for each page

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros:

No plugins needed
Complete control over changes
Preview changes immediately

❌ Cons:

Time-consuming for multiple pages
Can’t search across all pages at once
Risk of missing instances

Method 2: Using Better Search Replace Plugin (Recommended)

Better Search Replace is a free plugin that safely searches and replaces text in your WordPress database, including Elementor content.

Installation

Go to Plugins → Add New
Search for “Better Search Replace”
Click “Install Now” then “Activate”

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Access the Plugin

Navigate to Tools → Better Search Replace

Step 2: Configure Your Search

In the “Search/Replace” tab:

Search for: Enter the text you want to find
- Example: (555) 123-4567
Replace with: Enter the new text
- Example: (555) 987-6543
Select tables: Check these for Elementor content:
- wp_posts (main content)
- wp_postmeta (Elementor data)
- wp_options (site settings)

Step 3: Run in Dry Run Mode First

⚠️ CRITICAL: Always test first!

Check “Run as dry run?” checkbox
Click “Run Search/Replace”
Review the results (shows what WOULD change)
If results look correct, uncheck dry run and run again

Step 4: Execute the Real Replace

Uncheck “Run as dry run?”
Click “Run Search/Replace”
Check the results counter
Verify changes on your live site

Important Settings

Case Sensitivity:

Checked: “Hello” won’t match “hello”
Unchecked: Matches regardless of case

Table Selection: For Elementor content, ALWAYS include:

wp_posts – Page/post content
wp_postmeta – Elementor widget data

Real-World Example

Scenario: Changing business phone number across site

Search for: (555) 123-4567
Replace with: (555) 987-6543

Tables:
☑ wp_posts
☑ wp_postmeta
☐ wp_options (unless phone is in site settings)

☑ Run as dry run? (first time)

Method 3: Database Search and Replace Script (Advanced)

For developers comfortable with phpMyAdmin or command line.

Using phpMyAdmin

Step 1: Export Backup

Go to phpMyAdmin
Select your database
Click “Export” → “Go”

Step 2: Run SQL Query

-- Search in wp_posts
UPDATE wp_posts
SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content, 'old-text', 'new-text');

-- Search in wp_postmeta (Elementor data)
UPDATE wp_postmeta
SET meta_value = REPLACE(meta_value, 'old-text', 'new-text');

⚠️ Warning: This method has NO undo. Always backup first!

Using WP-CLI (Command Line)

# Dry run first
wp search-replace 'old-text' 'new-text' --dry-run

# Execute replacement
wp search-replace 'old-text' 'new-text'

# Target specific table
wp search-replace 'old-text' 'new-text' wp_postmeta

Best Practices for Safe Search and Replace

Before You Start

✅ Create a complete backup (database + files)
- Use UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or your host’s backup tool
- Download backup to your computer
✅ Run on staging site first
- Test the replacement on a copy of your site
- Verify everything works before touching production
✅ Use dry run mode
- Always test with dry run enabled
- Review exactly what will change

During Replacement

✅ Be specific with search terms
- Bad: Searching for “btn” might match “submit-btn-2”
- Good: Search for ” btn ” (with spaces) or “btn-primary”
✅ Check case sensitivity
- Decide if “Hello” and “hello” should both match
- Use case-insensitive for most text replacements
✅ Select correct tables
- Elementor: wp_posts and wp_postmeta
- Site-wide: All tables

After Replacement

✅ Clear all caches
- Elementor cache: Elementor → Tools → Regenerate CSS
- Plugin cache: WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, etc.
- Browser cache: Hard refresh with Ctrl+Shift+R
✅ Test thoroughly
- Check affected pages in Elementor editor
- View pages on frontend
- Test forms and buttons
- Check mobile view
✅ Keep backup for 30 days
- In case you discover issues later

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Not Using Dry Run

What happens: Accidentally replace wrong content, break site Solution: ALWAYS run dry run first

Mistake 2: Partial Word Matches

Example: Searching for “press” replaces “WordPress” → “WordPold” Solution: Include spaces or use whole word matching

Mistake 3: Forgetting to Clear Cache

What happens: Changes don’t appear, think it failed Solution: Clear Elementor CSS and all caches

Mistake 4: Wrong Tables Selected

What happens: Changes don’t apply to Elementor content Solution: Always include wp_postmeta for Elementor

Mistake 5: Replacing URLs Without Serialization

What happens: Breaks serialized data in database Solution: Use plugins that handle serialization (Better Search Replace does this)

Troubleshooting

Changes Not Showing Up

Problem: Ran replacement but don’t see changes

Solutions:

Clear Elementor CSS: Elementor → Tools → Regenerate CSS & Data
Clear site cache plugin
Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R)
Check if you selected correct tables
Verify search term was exact match

Some Instances Missed

Problem: Some occurrences weren’t replaced

Possible causes:

Different character encoding – Copy text directly from site
Hidden characters – Extra spaces, line breaks
HTML entities – & vs &
Case sensitivity – Toggle this setting

Site Broke After Replace

Problem: Pages showing errors or blank

Immediate fix:

Restore from backup IMMEDIATELY
Check what tables were affected
Contact host if database corrupted

Prevention:

Always backup before running
Test on staging first
Use dry run mode

Advanced Tips

Tip 1: Regular Expressions (Regex)

Some plugins support regex for pattern matching:

# Find all phone numbers
\(\d{3}\) \d{3}-\d{4}

# Find all email addresses
[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}

Plugin recommendation: Search Regex plugin supports this

Tip 2: Bulk Replace Multiple Terms

Create a spreadsheet of replacements:

Old Text	New Text
Old Company	New Company
old-logo.png	new-logo.png
2023	2024

Run each replacement sequentially with dry run.

Tip 3: Replace in Specific Post Types Only

Use WP-CLI for precision:

# Only pages
wp search-replace 'old' 'new' --include-post-types=page

# Only Elementor templates
wp search-replace 'old' 'new' --include-post-types=elementor_library

Recommended Plugins

1. Better Search Replace (Free)

Best for: Most users, safe and simple
Download: WordPress.org
Pros: Dry run mode, handles serialization, user-friendly

2. Search Regex (Free)

Best for: Advanced users needing regex
Download: WordPress.org
Pros: Powerful pattern matching, replace in specific locations

3. WP Migrate DB (Free/Pro)

Best for: URL replacements after migrations
Download: WordPress.org
Pros: Handles serialized data perfectly

Conclusion

Searching and replacing text in Elementor doesn’t have to be scary. By following these methods and best practices, you can safely update content across your entire site in minutes instead of hours.

Quick Recap:

✅ Backup first, always
✅ Use Better Search Replace for most cases
✅ Run dry run before real execution
✅ Clear all caches after changes
✅ Test thoroughly

Next Steps:

Install Better Search Replace plugin
Create a backup of your site
Try a simple replacement on staging site
Clear Elementor cache and verify

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will search and replace break my Elementor designs? A: Not if you use proper tools like Better Search Replace that handle serialized data. Always backup and use dry run mode first.

Q: Can I undo a search and replace? A: Only if you have a backup. There’s no built-in undo, which is why backing up is critical.

Q: Does search and replace work with Elementor Pro templates? A: Yes! Elementor Pro templates are stored in the same database tables (wp_posts and wp_postmeta).

Q: How do I replace text in Elementor popups? A: Same process—popups are stored as post type “elementor_library” in wp_posts and wp_postmeta.

Q: Can I search and replace images? A: Yes, but you’re replacing the image URLs, not the actual images. See our guide on replacing image URLs after migration.

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