Highlight Patterns in Text
Highlight every part of the text that matches a regular expression. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
0 chars · 0 lines
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Highlight Patterns in Text
- 1. Paste the text to scan. Paste the passage you want to examine into the input pane, ready to have parts matching a pattern visually marked in place.
- 2. Enter the pattern and case rule. Type your pattern into Regular expression, and toggle Case sensitive to control whether the match distinguishes uppercase from lowercase letters.
- 3. Review the highlighted result. Review the rendered text where every part matching your pattern is visually highlighted, making structural matches like numbers or codes easy to spot.
When to use Highlight Patterns in Text
Highlight Patterns in Text marks every part of a passage that matches a regular expression you provide. Reach for Highlight Patterns in Text when you need a visual sense of where a structural pattern, not just a fixed word, occurs in a document.
- Spotting every phone number in a document. A long document mixes phone numbers with other text, and highlighting a phone number pattern shows visually where every one appears without extracting them separately.
- Auditing a codebase snippet for a naming pattern. You're checking whether variable names follow a required pattern, and highlighting matches in a pasted code snippet shows compliant and non-compliant names at a glance.
- Reviewing where dates appear throughout a report. A report references multiple dates in varying formats, and highlighting a date pattern helps a reviewer quickly confirm every date mentioned is accounted for.
Examples
Highlight numbers
Input
order 42, item 7
Output
42 and 7 highlighted
About the Highlight Patterns in Text tool
Highlight Patterns in Text runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Highlight every part of the text that matches a regular expression. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's Text Tools section, 211 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with 2 settings, including Regular expression and Case sensitive, and the result refreshes the moment you change one. A worked example further down the page shows exactly what the tool produces for a real input.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Highlight Patterns in Text free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Is it safe to paste sensitive or confidential data?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
How much text can I process at once?
There is no fixed limit. Because the work happens on your own device rather than on a shared server, the practical ceiling is your machine's memory, which comfortably handles inputs far larger than typical online tools allow.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
Can I save what the tool produces?
Yes. Use the download or copy controls in the output panel to keep the rendered result once it looks the way you want.