How do you find the x-intercept and the y-intercept of a given equation? When finding the x-intercept, the y-value will always equal zero. Therefore, plug zero into the "y" of your equation to find the x-intercept. The opposite is true when finding the y-intercept. The x-value will always equal zero when finding the y-intercept. Plug zero into "x" and solve for "y" to find the y-intercept. View this video to see examples.