How to turn on Track Changes in Word
Track Changes is a feature in Microsoft Word that records every edit made to a document — insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and comments. When you turn it on, Word marks each change with a colored line or strikethrough, shows who made it, and timestamps when it happened. You can turn it on in seconds and then review, accept, or reject each change before finalizing the document.
The fastest way is to click the Review tab at the top of Word, then click Track Changes in the ribbon. A checkmark appears next to it when it is active. From that moment forward, every keystroke and deletion is recorded and visible to anyone who opens the file.
Key Takeaways
- Track Changes lives on the Review tab in the ribbon; click it once to turn it on, and a checkmark shows it is active.
- When Track Changes is on, Word displays insertions in one color and deletions in another, with the editor's name and timestamp attached to each change.
- You can review changes one at a time using the Accept and Reject buttons, or accept or reject all changes at once.
- Track Changes stays on until you click it again to turn it off, so you can work on a document for hours or days with all edits recorded.
- Sharing a document with Track Changes on lets collaborators see exactly what changed and who changed it, without losing the original text.
Where to find Track Changes in the ribbon
Open any document in Microsoft Word and look at the menu bar at the top. Click the Review tab — it sits between References and View in most versions of Word. Once you click Review, the ribbon below it changes to show review-related tools.
In the Review ribbon, look for the button labeled Track Changes. It usually appears near the left side, often with a small icon that looks like a pen or pencil with a checkmark. Click it once. The button will highlight or show a checkmark, indicating that Track Changes is now active. From this point on, Word records all changes.
What happens when Track Changes is on
Once Track Changes is active, Word marks every change visibly in the document. Text you add appears in a different color (often blue or red, depending on your settings) with a vertical line in the margin. Text you delete appears struck through in the same color. At the end of each change, Word displays a small bubble or comment box with your name and the time the change was made.
If multiple people edit the same document, each person's changes appear in a different color, making it easy to see who wrote what. The document itself does not change permanently — all the original text remains, just marked as deleted. This means you or anyone reviewing the document can see exactly what was there before and decide whether to keep or remove each change.
How to review and accept or reject changes
After you or a collaborator finishes editing with Track Changes on, you can go through each change one at a time. Stay on the Review tab and look for the Accept and Reject buttons. Click the forward arrow next to them to move to the next change in the document.
When you click Accept, Word removes the markup and keeps the change in the document permanently. When you click Reject, Word removes the markup and deletes the change, restoring the original text. You can also click Accept All or Reject All to process every change at once, though reviewing them individually is safer if you want to catch mistakes or unwanted edits.
How to turn Track Changes off
When you are finished editing or want to stop recording changes, click the Track Changes button again on the Review tab. The checkmark disappears, and Track Changes is now off. Any changes already recorded remain in the document until you accept or reject them, but new edits you make will not be tracked.
Turning it off does not delete the changes you have already made — it just stops Word from recording new ones. This is useful if you want to make some final tweaks without creating a record of them, or if you are moving to a different task and do not need tracking anymore.
Changing how Track Changes displays
Word lets you customize how tracked changes look. On the Review tab, click the small arrow next to Track Changes to see options like Track Changes Options. From there, you can change the color used for your edits, choose whether deletions show as strikethrough or as balloons in the margin, and decide whether to display the author's name and timestamp.
You can also use the Display for Review dropdown (also on the Review tab) to switch between different views: All Markup shows all changes and original text, No Markup shows the document as if all changes were accepted, Original shows the document before any changes, and Simple Markup shows a cleaner version with a line in the margin instead of inline colors.
Why Track Changes matters for shared documents
If you are working on a document with other people — a report, proposal, contract, or any shared file — Track Changes prevents confusion about who changed what and when. Without it, you cannot tell the difference between text that was there originally and text someone added. With it, every edit is transparent and reversible.
Track Changes also protects you. If someone makes a change you do not agree with, you can see it, reject it, and keep the original. If you make a mistake, you can undo it without affecting the rest of the document's history. For any document that matters — especially ones that move between multiple people — turning Track Changes on at the start is a simple habit that saves time and prevents arguments later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Track Changes slow down Word?
No. Track Changes runs in the background and does not noticeably affect Word's speed or performance, even in long documents with hundreds of changes. The only difference you will notice is the colored markup on the page.
Can I turn off Track Changes and still see the changes that were made?
Yes. Turning Track Changes off stops Word from recording new changes, but all the changes already recorded stay visible in the document until you accept or reject them. You can review and decide on them at any time.
What if I want to hide the tracked changes while I work?
Use the Display for Review dropdown on the Review tab and select No Markup. This hides all the colored markup and shows you what the document will look like if all changes are accepted. The changes are still there — just hidden from view.
Can I see who made each change?
Yes. Each tracked change displays the editor's name and timestamp. If you hover over a change or click on it, Word shows you who made it and when. This information is stored in the document's properties and cannot be removed without accepting or rejecting the change.
What happens if I save a document with Track Changes on?
The document saves normally with all changes still tracked and visible. When someone else opens it, they will see all the markup and can review the changes. The file size may be slightly larger because Word stores the change history, but the document works the same way.