GREP : searching for a specific anchored object

Hi @99drine, Here is an example script, that matches anchored items to the selected anchored item, and applies a -2 baseline shift to each. You can adjust this to suit your needs. Let me know if it's useful!

@Eugene Tyson, @brian_p_dts  for cases like this—matching an object—I often create my own "stringify" function customized just for that purpose. Here I compare lengths of paths and pathpoints, which in OP's case should be enough.

- Mark

/**
 * @file Adjust Matching Anchored Items.js
 *
 * Usage:
 *   1. Edit script to suit, especially the `adjuster` function.
 *   2. In Indesign, select an anchored item.
 *   3. Run Script.
 *
 * Script will apply the `adjuster` function to each matching anchored item.
 *
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2025-10-14
 * @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/grep-searching-for-a-specific-anchored-object/m-p/15544328
 */
function main() {

    /**
     * Makes an adjustment to an item.
     * @param {PageItem} item - the item to adjust.
     * @returns {Boolean} - return true if you want to collect this item (optional).
     */
    function adjuster(item) {

        // edit this to suit your needs
        item.baselineShift = -2;

        // this is just for reporting purposes
        counter++;

    };

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var anchoredItemCharacter = doc.selection[0];

    if (
        anchoredItemCharacter
        && 'Character' !== anchoredItemCharacter.constructor.name
        && 'Character' === anchoredItemCharacter.parent.constructor.name
    )
        // we want the character, not the item itself
        anchoredItemCharacter = anchoredItemCharacter.parent;

    if (
        !anchoredItemCharacter
        || 'Character' !== anchoredItemCharacter.constructor.name
    )
        return alert('Please select an anchored item and try again.');

    // find all anchored items in document
    app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = '~a';
    var allAnchoredItems = doc.findGrep();

    var counter = 0;

    // perform the matching and adjusting
    matchItems(anchoredItemCharacter, allAnchoredItems, adjuster);

    alert('Adjusted ' + counter + ' anchored items.');

};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Adjust Matching Anchored Items');

/**
 * Matches `items` with `matchMe` using a custom stringify function and applies a filter function
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2025-10-14
 * @param {PageItem} matchMe - the item to match.
 * @param {Array<PageItem>} items - the items to search through.
 * @param {Function} [filter] - a filter function (default: no filter).
 * @returns {Array<PageItems>} - the matched (and filtered) items.
 */
function matchItems(matchMe, items, filter) {

    var id = stringify(matchMe);
    var matching = [];

    for (var i = 0; i < items.length; i++) {

        if (
            stringify(items[i]) === id
            && (!filter || filter(items[i]))
        )
            matching.push(items[i]);

    }

    return matching;

};

/**
 * Generate a string just for the purpose
 * of identifying a particular item.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2025-10-14
 * @param {*} thing - an Indesign DOM thing.
 * @returns {String}
 */
function stringify(thing) {

    var str = '';

    addStringFor('contents', undefined, 40);
    addStringFor('length');
    addStringFor('itemLink|filePath');
    addChildrenOf('allPageItems');
    addChildrenOf('paths');
    addChildrenOf('pathPoints');
    addChildrenOf('graphics');

    return str;

    /** Stringifies `key` property. */
    function addStringFor(key, otherThing, len) {

        var _str;
        var target = otherThing || thing;
        var keys = key.split('|');
        key = keys.shift();

        if (
            target.hasOwnProperty(key)
            && 'undefined' !== typeof target[key]
        ) {
            _str = String(target[key]);

            if (len)
                _str = _str.slice(0, len);

            str += _str;

            if (keys.length)
                addStringFor(keys.join('|'), target[key]);

        }

    };

    /** Stringifies each element of `key` property. */
    function addChildrenOf(key) {

        if (
            !thing.hasOwnProperty(key)
            || 0 === thing[key].length
        )
            return;

        str += key + thing[key].length;

        for (var i = 0; i < thing[key].length; i++)
            str += stringify(thing[key][i]);

    };

};

Are the icons placed graphics, or built natively in InDesign (or other CC app)?

@Scott Falkner is correct

If you give us a sample of your document with what you're trying to do and see if a script can work for you. 

Perhaps this can be scripted but you can’t do that with GREP. You can search for an anchored object using ~a but that will fint any anchored object. There is no way using GREP to speciy a specific object.

Perhaps you can apply an object style to each instance then modify the object style.