Search and Replace Plugin (CMSR) - Saving Changes to the Database


Saving Changes to the Database

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What is This Feature

The main functionality of the Search and Replace plugin is making replacements on the fly, without changing them to the database.

However, it's possible to commit replacement rules to the database. There are two ways.

  1. Saving Changes in Specific Pages
  2. Saving Changes Across Entire Site

1) Saving Changes in Specific Pages

You can enable a button on each page - it's visible only to the admin. Clicking on it will save changes permanently to the database. 

Example

Front-end button for saving changes permanently to DB - Mass Replace Text in WordPress
Front-end button for saving changes permanently to DB

Scope

The button will appear on each post or page, so the changes will apply to the current content only.

Enabling Button

Head to Admin Dashboard â†’ Search & Replace â†’ Settings → Replacement Widget tab.

  1. Make sure Display Widget for is set to Show to admin only.
  2. The option Only admin can save changes to database will appear. Enable it.
Enabling the widget button - WordPress Plugin Search and Replace
Enabling the widget button
  1. Make sure you set it to appear on the top and/or the bottom of each post
Choosing the position where to show the button - WordPress Plugin Search Database and Replace
Choosing the position where to show the button
  1. Click the button Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Saving the changes - Find and Replace Plugin WordPress
Saving the changes

Now, the button will appear when the replacement rules are applied.


2) Saving Changes Across Entire Site

When creating or editing a rule, you will see the button Change in Database

Click on it to perform that rule across the whole site.

Setting

Implementing the permanent changes from the back-end dashboard - WordPress Plugin to Mass Replace Links
Implementing the permanent changes from the back-end dashboard

TIP: Confirmation

For safety, the plugin will ask if you are sure before committing the change.

Confirmation message - Mass Replace Text in WordPress
Confirmation message

3) Viewing the List of Related Pages

Note: This feature was introduced in version 1.4.8.

It is possible to check the full list of posts and pages where the rule Search For was found. To do this, click the button View Related Posts for the relevant rule.

Setting

Viewing the list of related pages for each rule - WordPress Plugin Search and Replace
Viewing the list of related pages for each rule

As a result, you will see the clickable list of all posts and pages and two buttons - Insert into Include and Insert into Exclude. For example, you can mark the pages where you want to implement the changes and add them to the inclusion list. You can also use a search bar in the appearing pop-up to filter related posts. After that you can click Change in Database to commit permanent changes in the database.

Related Posts List

Example of the related posts list - WordPress Plugin Search Database and Replace
Example of the related posts list

More information about the Search and Replace Plugin for WordPress

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