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Track Changes in Word: Enable, view, customize, remove and hide

Author: Amanda Li Last Modified: 2025-04-11

Video: Track Changes in Word

Turn on Track Changes

On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click the "Track Changes" button to turn it on.

Track Changes button on the ribbon
When Track Changes is enabled:
  • The "Track Changes" button appears pressed.
    Dark background color indicates that Track Changes is enabled
  • Deletions are shown with a strikethrough, and additions are marked with an underline, making edits clearly visible. Changes from different authors are shown in different colors.
    Changes made to the original text

Notes:

  • To use a password to prevent others from turning off Track Changes, go to "Review" > "Track Changes" > "Lock Tracking".
  • Your tracked changes may appear different from those shown above depending on your markup settings. To customize the color or style, click the options launcher Options launcher icon in the lower-right corner of the "Tracking" group, then click "Advanced Options".

Turn off Track Changes

With the Track Changes turned on, go to the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, and click the highlighted "Track Changes" button to turn it off.

Track Changes button on the ribbon
When Track Changes is disabled:
  • The "Track Changes" button no longer appears pressed.
    Dark background color indicates that Track Changes is enabled
  • Any future edits to the document will not be tracked.
  • Previous tracked changes remain in the document until they are accepted or rejected.

Add comments to enhance document review

Adding comments can provide explanations, ask questions, suggest alternatives, highlight issues, and facilitate collaborative feedback during the document review process.

  1. Select the text where you want to add a comment.
  2. On the "Review" tab, in the "Comments" group, click "New Comment".
  3. Enter your comment in the input box.
  4. Click the "Send" button, or press Ctrl + Enter.
    Add comments in Word

See all changes in a list view

Viewing all changes in a list provides a comprehensive overview of the edits made to your document.

  1. On the "Review" tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the "Reviewing Pane" button.
  2. Select either "Reviewing Pane Vertical" or "Reviewing Pane Horizontal" to see a detailed list of all changes made to the document.
    Open Reviewing Pane
In the "Revisions Pane", you can:
  • See all tracked changes in a list format, including insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and comments.
  • Click on any change in the "Revisions Pane" to jump to that specific edit in the document.
  • Click on an edit in the "Revisions Pane" to make modifications directly in the document, which will automatically reflect in the tracked changes.
  • Right-click on a tracked change to accept or reject it.
  • Right-click on a comment to reply, delete, or resolve it.

Note: The "Revisions Pane" is designed for viewing and navigating changes, rather than making edits. To edit your document, such as deleting text or comments, make your changes directly within the document itself. These modifications will then be reflected in the "Revisions Pane".

Control how changes are tracked and shown

Whether you’re working on a document with multiple collaborators, editing a draft, or reviewing changes made by others, understanding how to control and customize the way changes are tracked and displayed is crucial.

Choose whose changes to track

When collaborating on a document with multiple authors, you might want to specify whether to track changes from everyone or just your own modifications. Here's how you can do it:

  1. On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click the "Track Changes" dropdown arrow.
    The Track Changes dropdown arrow
  2. From the dropdown menu, select:
    • For Everyone to track changes made by all authors.
    • Just Mine to track only your own changes.
      The For Everyone and Just Mine options

Note: To use a password to prevent others from turning off Track Changes, go to "Review" > "Track Changes" > "Lock Tracking".

Adjust how tracked changes are displayed

If you have numerous tracked changes, they can become distracting when trying to read through a document. This section will guide you through the options to adjust the visibility and presentation of tracked changes in your document.

On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click the "Display for Review" dropdown, and select your preferred option:

  • Simple Markup: Displays the document as if all changes were accepted, with a vertical line in the left margin indicating where a change has been made.
  • All Markup: Shows all tracked changes in the document, including insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.
  • No Markup: Displays the document as if all changes were accepted.
  • Original: Shows the document in its original state, before any changes were made.

Choose the layout for tracked changes (inline or in right margin)

Deciding on the layout of tracked changes can significantly impact how you and others review a document. You can choose to display changes inline within the text or in balloons in the right margin.

On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click "Show Markup" > "Balloons", and choose one of the following options:

  • Show Revisions in Balloons:
    • Deletions and detailed information of formatting changes will appear in balloons in the right margin.
    • Formatting changes will be visible directly within the document text.
    • Insertions will appear inline within the text.
  • Show All Revisions Inline:
    • Insertions, deletions and formatting changes will be shown directly within the text.
  • Show Only Formatting in Balloons:
    • Only detailed information of formatting changes will be displayed in balloons in the right margin.
    • Formatting changes will be visible directly within the document text.
    • Insertions and deletions will be shown directly within the text.

Note: To see tracked changes in balloons, ensure you are in "Print Layout" view or "Web Layout" view.

Choose what types of changes to show

Filtering the types of changes displayed can help you focus on specific modifications, such as textual edits or formatting changes, making the review process more manageable:

  1. On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click on "Show Markup". You will see checkmarks next to the types of changes that are currently visible.
  2. Click on any type to clear its checkmark and hide those changes.
    Show Markup options

Note: Hidden markups will automatically reappear every time you close and reopen the document.

Choose whose changes to display

If your document has been reviewed by multiple people, it might be useful to view changes made by specific individuals to better understand their contributions.

  1. On the "Review" tab, in the "Tracking" group, click "Show Markup" > "Specific People" > "All Reviewers" to deselect all reviewers.
    Choose All Reviewers
  2. Click "Show Markup" > "Specific People" again, and select the reviewer whose changes you want to display only.
    Select specific people to show their markups only

Note: If your document has only two reviewers, simply select the other reviewer to uncheck their name, hiding their edits and allowing you to focus on the specific reviewer.

Remove tracked changes: Accept or Reject

This section will show you how to accept or reject changes individually or in bulk so as to remove the tracked changes in your document.

Accept or reject tracked changes one by one

This method is best when you need to review each change carefully before making a decision. It allows for a thorough examination of each modification to ensure accuracy and appropriateness.

  1. Select an edit in your document.
  2. On the "Review" tab, in the "Changes" group, click one of the following buttons:
    • Accept: To keep this change and move on to the next edit.
    • Reject: To discard this change and move on to the next edit.
      The Accept and Reject buttons

Notes:

  • Since Word automatically advances to the next edit after you click "Accept" or "Reject", continue clicking the appropriate button until all changes are addressed.
  • If you only need to remove an edit without moving to the next, right-click on the edit and select "Accept" or "Reject" from the context menu.
    The Accept and Reject options

Accept or reject all tracked changes at once

If you are ready to finalize the document, you can accept or reject all tracked changes in one go. This method is efficient for documents with numerous edits where individual review isn't necessary.

  1. On the "Review" tab, in the "Changes" group, click one of the following dropdown arrows:
    The Accept and Reject dropdown buttons
  2. In the dropdown menu, select "Accept All Changes" or "Reject All Changes". (The picture below shows the dropdown menu that appears when you click the "Accept" dropdown arrow.)
    The Accept All Changes option

Note: If you need to disable "Track Changes" after removing all tracked changes, select "Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking" or "Reject All Changes and Stop Tracking".

Hide tracked changes and comments when printing

Sometimes you need to print a document without showing the tracked changes and comments. This method ensures your printed document looks clean and professional, free from review marks.

  1. In your document, go to "File" > "Print".
  2. Under "Settings", click on the "Print All Pages" drop-down.
  3. Under "Document Info", select "Print Markup" to uncheck it.
    The Print settings

Note: By doing this, you can print a clean version of your document without displaying the tracked changes and comments. And the tracked changes will remain in your document unless you accept or reject them.

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