Replace text across compositions in After Effects with AI
Yes, you can replace text across compositions in After Effects with AI: tell ChatGPT, Claude or any MCP client connected to Prism the find, the replacement and the exceptions, and every matching text layer in the project is rewritten.
After Effects ships a find-and-replace script under File > Scripts, and it works: one exact string, swapped wherever it appears. The version that has no script is the one with a condition in it. Every comp except the archive. Only where the word stands alone. A different name in each of twelve lower thirds.
What you say, and what lands
| You type | What changes in your project |
|---|---|
| "Replace 2025 with 2026 in every text layer in every comp except the ones in the _Archive folder." | Every 2025 outside _Archive is now 2026, the archive is untouched, and you get a list of the layers that changed |
| "The client is Northwind Group now, not Northwind Ltd. Change it everywhere, precomps included, and keep the capitalisation as it was." | Every instance rewritten across comps and nested comps, case preserved per layer |
| "Find every text layer that still says Lorem ipsum and tell me which comps they are in." | No change, just the list. Then you decide |
| "In the twelve LowerThird_ comps, set the name line to these names, in order." | Twelve comps, one different name each, from the list you pasted |
Test it on your own project. A Free account is enough to start: Sign up, then connect your AI and ask for this.
How to do it
The bundled script, and this
| File > Scripts > Find and Replace Text | With Prism | |
|---|---|---|
| Match | one exact string | a string, a whole word, a pattern, or a meaning such as the old client name in any case |
| Exceptions | none | by folder, comp name, layer name or content |
| Different text per comp | no | from a list, in order |
| Report | none | which comps and layers changed |
| Text in precomps | as scoped | included, or excluded, as you say |
Where text hides
| Place | Included by default |
|---|---|
| Text layers, in every comp | yes |
| Text layers inside precomps | yes |
| Paragraph text with line breaks | yes, breaks kept |
| Layer names and comp names | only if you ask |
| Text inside expressions | only if you ask |
Same comp, used many times
If one comp is nested in twenty others, it is still one comp. Change its text once and every instance updates, because After Effects shares it. If you need twenty different versions, say so and it is duplicated first.
What it needs
| After Effects | 2024, 2025 or 2026, macOS or Windows |
| AI client | any MCP client: ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and others |
| Plan | a Free account is enough; text replacement uses MCP actions, not Prism AI credits |
What it does not do
It does not change text that is baked into footage, a rendered PNG or an outlined shape. Only live text layers have text to replace. It does not translate: a new language is a new text you supply, and it is placed the same way.
Common questions
Related
Every format
Multiple aspect ratios in After Effects with AI: one 16:9 master becomes 9:16, 1:1 and 4:5 comps with the layout rebuilt for each frame and every keyframe kept.
Change every font
Change the font of all text layers in After Effects with AI: name the typeface, add a rule if you have one, and every text layer in every comp is switched.