What is Text Highlighter?

Text Highlighter is a powerful tool that enables you to highlight multiple keywords in your text using different colors. Unlike simple find functions, each keyword can have its own color and matching rules, making it easy to visually distinguish different types of content.

Whether you're proofreading a document, analyzing text patterns, or searching for specific terms, this tool helps you quickly identify and navigate through all occurrences with precision and efficiency.

Who Should Use This Tool?

Writers and Editors

Find overused words, check for consistency, or identify specific phrases during proofreading

Students and Researchers

Highlight key terms, names, or concepts in study materials for better comprehension

Developers

Search for patterns using regex, find variable names, or analyze code output efficiently

Content Creators

Check keyword usage, identify repeated phrases, or review SEO content optimization

Key Capabilities

Highlight multiple keywords simultaneously with different colors
Set individual matching options for each keyword (case-sensitive, whole word, regex)
Navigate between matches with keyboard shortcuts
Copy all highlighted text with one click
Keywords are saved automatically for your next session

Your Text Stays Private

100% Privacy Guaranteed: All text processing happens entirely in your browser with zero data transmission.

No Uploads

Your text never leaves your device

No Server Processing

Everything runs locally in JavaScript

No Tracking

We don't collect any usage data or text content

How to Use Text Highlighter

Add Your Text

Paste or type your text into the main text area on the left. You can also use the Paste button to quickly paste from your clipboard.

Add Keywords

Type a keyword in the input field
Select a highlight color from the color palette (or click + for a custom color)
Press Enter or click the + button to add the keyword

Each keyword appears as a tag below the input. You can add as many keywords as you need, each with its own color.

Customize Matching Options

Click on a keyword tag to expand its options:

Aa (Case Sensitive) - Only match exact letter case. "Test" won't match "test"
↔ (Whole Word) - Only match complete words. "test" won't match "testing"
.* (Regex) - Use regular expression patterns for advanced matching

Navigate Matches

Use the navigator at the bottom to move between matches:

Click ◀ or press Ctrl+↑ to go to the previous match
Click ▶ or press Ctrl+↓ to go to the next match

The current match is highlighted with a visible outline, and the text area automatically scrolls to show it.

Copy Results

Click Copy Matches to copy all unique matched text to your clipboard. This is useful for extracting all instances of your keywords.

Pro Tips: Use different colors for different categories of keywords, enable "Whole Word" to avoid partial matches, and remember that your keywords are automatically saved for your next visit.

Features

Multi-Color Highlighting

Assign different colors to different keywords, making it easy to visually distinguish between categories. Choose from 8 preset colors or pick any custom color using the color picker.

Traditional Find

Single Color

All matches look the same
Hard to distinguish categories
Limited visual organization

Text Highlighter

Multi-Color System

Each keyword has unique color
Easy category identification
8 presets + custom colors

Per-Keyword Matching Options

Unlike traditional find tools, each keyword can have its own matching rules. These options can be combined for precise control.

Case Sensitive

Match exact letter case when needed. "Test" won't match "test"

Whole Word

Avoid matching partial words or substrings. "test" won't match "testing"

Regex Mode

Use powerful regular expressions for advanced pattern matching

Regex Support

Enable regex mode for advanced pattern matching. When enabled, a quick reference guide appears showing common patterns:

Common Regex Patterns

\d+                  Match numbers
\w+@\w+\.\w+         Match email patterns
https?://\S+         Match URLs
[A-Z][a-z]+          Match capitalized words

The navigator shows how many matches were found and lets you jump between them. Use keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+↑/↓) for faster navigation. The current match is highlighted with an outline for easy identification.

Statistics

The stats panel provides real-time insights:

Keywords Added Track count

Total Matches Found Live count

Each keyword tag also shows its individual match count for detailed analysis.

Copy Matches

Extract all highlighted text with one click. The tool copies unique matches only, making it easy to collect all instances of your keywords without duplicates.

Persistent Keywords

Your keywords and their settings are automatically saved to your browser. When you return to the tool, your keywords will be restored exactly as you left them.

Auto-Save Enabled: All keyword configurations are preserved in browser local storage for seamless workflow continuity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many keywords can I add?

There's no fixed limit. You can add as many keywords as you need. However, for best performance with very long texts, consider keeping the number of keywords reasonable to maintain optimal processing speed.

What happens if keywords overlap?

When two keywords would match overlapping text, the first match takes precedence. The overlapping portion is highlighted with the color of whichever keyword matched first in the text.

How do I remove a keyword?

Hover over the keyword tag and click the × button that appears on the right side. To remove all keywords at once, click the × button in the Keywords panel header.

Why isn't my regex pattern working?

Make sure you've enabled regex mode (.*) for that specific keyword. Check that your pattern is valid JavaScript regex syntax. If the pattern has errors, no matches will be highlighted but no error message is shown. Test simple patterns first before using complex ones.

Tip: Start with basic patterns like \d+ or \w+ to verify regex mode is working before attempting complex expressions.

Are my keywords saved?

Yes, keywords and their settings are automatically saved to your browser's local storage. They will be restored when you return to the tool. Clearing your browser data will remove saved keywords.

Can I use this on mobile devices?

Yes, the tool is fully responsive and works on tablets and smartphones. On smaller screens, the controls panel appears above the text area for easier access and optimal touch interaction.

Is my text stored or sent anywhere?

No. All processing happens entirely in your browser. Your text is never uploaded to any server. Only your keyword settings are saved locally in your browser.

Privacy First: Zero data transmission ensures complete confidentiality of your content.

What's the difference between "Whole Word" and regular matching?

With "Whole Word" enabled, the keyword "test" will only match the complete word "test", not partial matches like "testing", "contest", or "tests". This uses word boundary matching to ensure complete words only.

Text	Regular Match	Whole Word Match
"test"	Match	Match
"testing"	Match	No Match
"contest"	Match	No Match

Can I export the highlighted text?

You can use "Copy Matches" to copy all matched text (unique values) to your clipboard. For the full text with highlighting, you can select and copy directly from the text area.