ExtendScript Illustrator

Yes @pixxxelschubser—I was thinking the same thing!

@tonycastaneda, I wondered if this was a downstream part of the process that no longer required "live" symbols? If so, you could expand them (back into normal page items) and make the change to the text.

Here is an example I put together to give you the idea. You can try it out with the attached illustrator file.

- Mark

/**
 * Demonstration of expanding (breaking)
 * a symbol item and altering the contents
 * of the first text frame inside it.
 * Note: the symbol item is gone - it is 
 * now a normal page item.
 * @author m1b
 * @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/extendscript-illustrator/m-p/13943915
 */
(function () {

    var doc = app.activeDocument,
        targetSymbolName = 'Test',
        symbolItems = getSymbolItemsByName(doc, targetSymbolName);

    if (symbolItems.length == 0)
        throw Error('Could not find any symbol items of "' + targetSymbolName + '".');

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

        var item = expandSymbolItem(doc, symbolItems[i]),
            textFrames = getItems([item], 'TextFrame');

        if (textFrames.length > 0)
            textFrames[0].contents = 'Found!';

    }

})();


/**
 * Returns array of symbol items
 * of the symbol `name`.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2023-07-18
 * @param {Document} doc - an Illustrator Document.
 * @param {String} name - the name of the SymbolItem's Symbol.
 * @returns {Array<SymbolItem>}
 */
function getSymbolItemsByName(doc, name) {

    var symbolItems = doc.symbolItems,
        found = [];

    for (var i = 0; i < symbolItems.length; i++)
        if (symbolItems[i].symbol.name == name)
            found.push(symbolItems[i]);

    return found;

};


/**
 * Returns items of `type`
 * found inside `items`.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2023-07-18
 * @param {Array|collection} items - the items to search.
 * @param {String} type - the type of item to return.
 * @returns {Array<type>}
 */
function getItems(items, type) {

    var found = [];

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

        if (items[i].constructor.name == 'GroupItem') {
            found = found.concat(getItems(items[i].pageItems, type));
        }
        else if (items[i].constructor.name === type) {
            found.push(items[i]);
        }

    }

    return found;

};


/**
 * Expands (breaks) a symbol item
 * and returns the expanded page item.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2023-07-18
 * @param {Document} doc - an Illustrator Document.
 * @param {SymbolItem} item - an Illustrator SymbolItem.
 * @returns {PageItem} - the expanded symbol.
 */
function expandSymbolItem(doc, item) {

    if (doc.constructor.name !== 'Document')
        throw Error('expandSymbolItem: Bad `doc` parameter.');

    if (typeof (item.breakLink) !== 'function')
        throw Error('expandSymbolItem: Bad `item` parameter.');

    var oldSelection = doc.selection;
    doc.selection = [item];
    item.breakLink();
    item = doc.selection[0];
    doc.selection = oldSelection;

    return item;

};