🚀 go-pugleaf

Debby:

After you replace the first instance of text with a variable, you can Copy the variable, then in the Find/Change tool's Change list select "By Pasting". This enables you to step through the document a bit faster because you can simply click Replace at most instances.

HOWEVER, this sort of Paste operation does not automatically adjust the Pasted variables text attributes (at least in Unstructured FrameMaker). For that reason, I don't recommend just doing a global Find/Replace.

Instead, whenver the text is found in, say, a specially formatted header or somesuch, select the variable and press in sequence "F8 RETURN" to apply that paragraph style's default text.

As far as managing a given book's variables set, I'd strongly recommend Leximation's BookVars tool:

 <http://leximation.com/tools/info/bookvars.php>

BookVars enables one to manage a book's variable much more efficiently than does FrameMaker's microscopically sized Variables dialog box...

Cheers & hope this helps,
Riley