How to Use Word Wildcards to Add or Remove Square Brackets
Question details
The user needs to use Find and Replace with wildcards to batch add, remove, or modify square brackets around specific text in a document.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a large document where formatting requires adding square brackets to certain terms or cleaning up unwanted square brackets without losing the enclosed text.
- Observed behavior
- Manual bracket addition or removal is tedious and time-consuming. The user wants to automate this process using wildcard expressions in the Find and Replace tool.
Before starting, ensure you have the 'Use wildcards' option enabled in the Find and Replace dialog box, as standard searches will not recognize these special regular expressions.
Remove Square Brackets While Preserving Enclosed Text
Use this wildcard combination to strip the outer square brackets from text while keeping the words inside perfectly intact.
This method utilizes advanced wildcards to capture the text inside the brackets and rewrite it without the brackets. The parentheses in the Find box create a group, which is then referenced in the Replace box.
Press Ctrl + H on your keyboard to open the Find and Replace dialog box in Word.
Click the 'More >>' button to expand the search options, and check the box next to 'Use wildcards'.
In the 'Find what' field, type exactly: \[(?@)\]
In the 'Replace with' field, type exactly: \1
Click 'Replace All' to remove the brackets throughout your document while preserving the text inside.
Add Square Brackets Around Specific Text
Use this basic Find and Replace trick to quickly enclose known words or phrases within square brackets.
Remove All Square Brackets in the Document
If you want to delete every single square bracket character regardless of what is inside them, use this specific wildcard set.
Master Find and Replace with WPS Writer
WPS Writer fully supports advanced Find and Replace features, including powerful wildcard configurations. This allows you to quickly batch-edit brackets, complex formatting, and text with ease.
- 1. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open the document you wish to edit.
- 2. Access Find and Replace: Press Ctrl + H on your keyboard to bring up the Find and Replace dialog.
- 3. Enable Wildcards: Click 'Options' to expand the menu and check the 'Use wildcards' option.
- 4. Batch Replace: Enter your wildcard strings and click 'Replace All' to format your brackets instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Find and Replace not recognizing my wildcards?
You must check the 'Use wildcards' box under the 'More' options in the Find and Replace dialog. If this box is unchecked, Word treats characters like asterisks, question marks, and brackets as literal text rather than special wildcard commands.
Can I use wildcards to add brackets specifically to negative currency amounts?
Yes. For example, to find negative currency amounts and bracket them, you can find '- (£[0-9,.]{1,})' and replace it with '[\1]' using wildcards. Always review the results, as trailing punctuation might sometimes be included.
Are wildcard searches in Word case-sensitive?
Yes, once the 'Use wildcards' option is enabled, the search instantly becomes strictly case-sensitive. If you want to capture both uppercase and lowercase letters, you must use specific ranges in your brackets, such as [A-Za-z].
How do I preserve brackets around numbers but remove them from text?
You can use the wildcard find expression '\[([!£0-9,.]@)\]' and replace it with '\1'. This targets text inside brackets while explicitly ignoring numbers, decimals, and currency symbols.
