Instructions
How to Track Changes in Word
May
Track Changes in Word is one of the most useful features for editing and collaboration. It lets you see insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and reviewer edits without finalizing them right away. Microsoft says that when Track Changes is on, deletions show with strikethrough, additions show with underline, and different authors’ edits appear in different colors.
This makes Track Changes especially useful for school assignments, reports, business documents, contracts, and any file that needs review before the edits are approved. Microsoft also says Word lets you choose whose changes to track, how markup is displayed, and whether revisions appear inline or in balloons.
The Short Answer
To track changes in Word:
- open the Review tab
- click Track Changes
- start editing the document
- review the markup
- accept or reject changes when you are done
Microsoft says the standard path is Review > Track Changes, and Word will keep marking edits until tracking is turned off.
How to Turn On Track Changes in Word
This is the first step.
Microsoft says to go to Review > Track Changes to turn the feature on or off. When it is on, the section is highlighted and Word begins marking changes in the document.
What Word tracks
When Track Changes is active, Word can show:
- inserted text
- deleted text
- formatting changes
- edits from multiple reviewers
Microsoft says additions are marked with underline and deletions with strikethrough.
How to Track Only Your Changes or Everyone’s Changes
Word gives you more than one tracking mode.
Microsoft says you can choose:
- For Everyone
- Just Mine
This is found under Review > Track Changes, where Word lets you decide whether to track changes from all collaborators or only your own edits.
This is helpful if you want a cleaner review process or only want your own edits marked.
How to View Tracked Changes in Word
Not every reviewer wants to see markup the same way.
Microsoft says Word offers several display views:
- Simple Markup
- All Markup
- No Markup
- Original
Simple Markup shows a red line in the margin. All Markup shows the full edits in color. No Markup hides the visible markup but keeps the changes in the file. Original shows the document without tracked changes displayed, though unaccepted changes still remain in the file.
How to Show Changes in Balloons or Inline
Word also lets you control where the revisions appear.
Microsoft says to go to Review > Show Markup > Balloons and choose how revisions display. You can show revisions in balloons, show them all inline, or show only formatting in balloons. Microsoft also notes that balloon display requires Print Layout or Web Layout view.
Inline view
Inline view places the edits directly in the text, which many users prefer for shorter documents.
Balloon view
Balloon view moves some revisions to the margins, which can make longer documents easier to review.
How to Filter Tracked Changes
This is one of the most useful review tools in Word.
Microsoft says the Show Markup menu lets you filter changes by:
- insertions and deletions
- formatting
- reviewers
That means you can simplify a busy document by showing only the types of changes you want to review. Microsoft also notes that even if you hide a type of markup, it can display again when the document is reopened.
How to Move Through Changes in Word
If a document has a lot of edits, Word lets you go through them one by one.
Microsoft says you can use Review > Changes > Next to move to the next tracked change and Previous to go back to the earlier one.
This is one of the easiest ways to review a document carefully without missing edits.
How to Accept or Reject Changes in Word
Track Changes is only half the process. The other half is deciding what stays.
Microsoft’s Track Changes support page explains that Word lets you review edits and preview what accept or reject actions will do to the final document.
In practice, this is how most people finish the review process:
- move through each marked change
- accept the edits you want to keep
- reject the edits you do not want
This is what turns a marked-up draft into the final version.
How to Stop Other People from Turning It Off
This is useful for review-heavy documents.
Microsoft says you can use Review > Track Changes > Lock Tracking if you want to use a password to keep others from turning Track Changes off.
That can be helpful in controlled review workflows where edits must remain visible.
FAQ
How do I turn on Track Changes in Word?
Microsoft says to go to Review > Track Changes. When it is on, Word starts marking edits in the document.
What does Track Changes show in Word?
Microsoft says it shows additions with underline, deletions with strikethrough, and uses different colors for different authors’ edits.
Can I track only my own changes in Word?
Yes. Microsoft says Word lets you choose Just Mine or For Everyone under Review > Track Changes.
Can I hide tracked changes without deleting them?
Yes. Microsoft says No Markup hides the visible markup, but the tracked changes remain in the document until they are accepted or rejected.
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