Search & Replace

The Search & Replace page provides a visual interface for bulk search and replace operations across multiple repositories with automatic merge request creation.

Caution

All replacements create merge requests. Changes are never committed directly to the main branch. This ensures all changes go through proper review.

Accessing Replace

Navigate to the Replace page from the main navigation.

How It Works

1. Enter your search pattern and replacement text

2. Click Preview to see all matches

3. Review the changes - each match shows the before/after diff

4. Click Execute to create merge requests with the changes

Search Pattern

The search pattern field supports Zoekt query syntax:

oldFunction lang:go repo:myorg/api

Available Filters

Filter	Example	Description
repo:	repo:myorg/api	Filter by repository
lang:	lang:typescript	Filter by language
file:	file:*.go	Filter by file pattern
case:yes	FOO case:yes	Case-sensitive search
case:no	foo case:no	Case-insensitive (default)
-repo:	-repo:test	Exclude repository
-file:	-file:*_test.go	Exclude files

Options Panel

Click More options to access additional filtering:

Option	Description
File patterns	Glob patterns to filter files (e.g., *.go, *.ts)
Repositories	Filter to specific repos (comma-separated)
Limit	Maximum number of matches (0 = unlimited)
MR/PR title	Custom title for the merge request

Note

File patterns and repository filters apply locally to the preview results. This ensures only files matching your criteria are included in the replacement, even if the search query returns matches from other files.

URL Sharing

Replace parameters are encoded in the URL for easy sharing:

http://localhost:3000/replace?q=oldFunction&replace=newFunction&files=*.go&repos=myorg/api

Share the URL with teammates to let them preview or execute the same replacement.

Read-Only Mode & Personal Access Token

Read-Only Repositories

When repositories are in read-only mode (managed via sync from code hosts), the replace feature requires a Personal Access Token (PAT) to create merge requests on your behalf. A banner at the top of the page indicates when read-only mode is active.

If you attempt to execute a replacement with read-only repositories, a modal will prompt you for your personal access token:

1. Generate a PAT from your code host (GitLab, GitHub, etc.) with api or repository write permissions
2. Enter the token in the modal
3. The token is used only for the current session and is not stored in your browser
4. The token is used to authenticate the MR creation on your behalf

Security

For security reasons, your token is kept in memory only for the current session. You will be prompted to enter it again if you close or refresh the page.

Preview Results

After clicking Preview, you’ll see:

• Match count - Total number of matches found
• File count - Number of files with matches
• Grouped results - Matches organized by repository and file
• Line preview - Each match with the replacement highlighted

Diff View

Each match shows:

• Old text struck through in red
• New text highlighted in green

Execute Replacement

Once you’re satisfied with the preview:

1. Click Execute (N matches) button
2. Confirm the action in the dialog
3. A background job is queued
4. Merge requests are created for each repository with changes

Note

If the search pattern or options change after preview, the Execute button is disabled until you preview again. This ensures consistency between what you see and what gets replaced.

Examples

Rename a Function

Search: getUserById
Replace: findUserById
Files: *.go, *.ts

Update Import Path

Search: github.com/old-org/package
Replace: github.com/new-org/package

Version Bump

Search: "version": "1.0.0"
Replace: "version": "2.0.0"
Files: package.json

Case-Sensitive Replacement

Search: FOO case:yes
Replace: BAR

Tips

Tip

Use the File patterns option to narrow down replacements to specific file types, avoiding unintended changes in documentation or test files.

Tip

For regex patterns, use the query syntax directly: /pattern/ in the search field.

Tip

The MR title defaults to “Replace X with Y” - customize it for clearer PR descriptions.

Next Steps

• Search Interface - Learn the query syntax
• Jobs - Monitor replace job progress
• API Replace - Programmatic access