Find and Replace Tool

Last update: 4/22/2026 · 3 min read

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IN THIS ARTICLE

Albato includes the Find and Replace tool, which lets you find values from previous steps and replace, delete, or modify them.

For example, you can use it to:

• fix formatting issues (e.g., correct phone numbers or remove extra symbols)
• replace outdated values with new ones (e.g., update statuses or tags)
• remove unnecessary characters or text
• standardize data before sending it to another app

It works similarly to the find-and-replace feature in Excel.

How it works

Let's say you receive leads from Facebook Lead Ads and want to save them to Google Sheets. One of the fields contains a phone number with an incorrect digit, for example, "1" instead of "3". You can use the Find and Replace tool to fix it automatically.

Step 1

Open the Automation Builder and add the tool between steps.

Select the tool and click Save.

Step 2

Configure the tool.

Where to replace — Select the field where you want to search. In this example: 1. Lead Ad: Phone number

What to replace — Enter the value you want to find (text, numbers, or symbols, without spaces). In our case: 1

Replace with — Enter the value that will replace it. In our case: 3. Leave this field empty if you want to remove the value.

Search mode — Defines how replacements are applied if there are multiple matches.

Example: 1 (212) 563-87-16

• First occurrence only — replaces only the first match. Result: 3 (212) 563-87-16
• Last occurrence only — replaces only the last match. Result: 1 (212) 563-87-36
• All occurrences — replaces all matches. Result: 3 (232) 563-87-36

In this case, select All occurrences.

Step 3

Now map the result to Google Sheets. The flow works like this:

Facebook Lead Ads → Find and Replace → Google Sheets (Create/Update Row)

In the Google Sheets step, choose the field where you want to insert the result. Click the field, select the Albato data list, and choose Result from the Find and Replace tool. In this example, the Phone number column receives the corrected value.

Click Save and run the automation.

The Find and Replace tool lets you automatically clean, update, or standardize data as it moves between steps. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our support team via live chat.