Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature is a powerful tool that allows users to monitor and review edits made to a document. Whether you're collaborating with a team, reviewing a report, or editing your own work, tracking changes can significantly enhance the editing process. This tutorial will guide you through everything you need to know about using Track Changes in Word.

• Choose whose changes to track
• Adjust how tracked changes are displayed (all/simple/no markup)
• Choose the layout for tracked changes (inline or in right margin)
• Choose what types of changes to show
• Choose whose changes to display

• Accept or reject tracked changes one by one
• Accept or reject all tracked changes at once

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.

Turn off Track Changes

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

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, select New Comment.
3. Enter your comment in the input box.
4. Click the Send button, or press Ctrl + Enter.

   

Navigate through tracked changes

By using Word's navigation tools, you can quickly move from one change to the next, ensuring that every modification is carefully reviewed and addressed:

On the Review tab, click Previous or Next in the Changes group to move through each tracked change in your document.

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.

   

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.

   

2. From the dropdown menu, select:
   • For Everyone to track changes made by all authors.
   • Just Mine to track only your own changes.

     

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.

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.

   

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.

   

2. Click Show Markup > Specific People again, and select the reviewer whose changes you want to display only.

   

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.

     

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:

   

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.)

   

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.

   

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