Turn on Track Changes before you start editing
Track Changes is a Word feature 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 different color for each person editing, so you can see who changed what and when. The document itself doesn't change until you accept the edits.
To turn on Track Changes, go to the Review tab at the top of Word. Click Track Changes (it's a button with a checkmark icon). The button will highlight, showing that tracking is now active. Any edit you make from this point forward will be recorded and marked in the document.
If you're working with others, make sure Track Changes is on before you start. If you open a document that already has tracking enabled, you'll see the changes that were made before you opened it. You can turn tracking off at any time by clicking the same button again, but edits made while it's off won't be recorded.
Key Takeaways
- Track Changes records every edit in a document and marks it with the editor's name and a timestamp, so you can see exactly what changed and who did it.
- Turn on Track Changes from the Review tab before you start editing, and it will stay on until you turn it off.
- Each person editing gets a different color, making it easy to see who made which changes at a glance.
- You can accept or reject individual changes one at a time, or accept or reject all changes at once.
- Use the Display for Review dropdown to switch between viewing all changes, only markup, or the final document without any marks.
Understanding the marks and colors Word uses
When Track Changes is on, Word uses colored lines and balloons to show what changed. A red underline means text was added. A red strikethrough means text was deleted. Formatting changes appear as a vertical line in the margin. Each person editing gets their own color — the first editor might be red, the second blue, the third green, and so on.
In the right margin, you'll see balloons — small boxes that contain details about each change. A balloon shows the editor's name, the date and time of the edit, and what was changed. If you hover your mouse over a change, a tooltip appears with the same information. This makes it easy to know who made each edit without having to dig through settings.
If the balloons are taking up too much space, you can hide them. Go to the Review tab, click the dropdown arrow next to Track Changes, and select Show Markup. From there you can choose to hide balloons but keep the colored marks, or hide everything except a vertical line in the margin.
Accept or reject changes one at a time
After someone has edited a document with Track Changes on, you need to decide whether to keep each change. Go to the Review tab and look for the Accept and Reject buttons. These buttons have arrows next to them — click the arrow to see options.
To review changes one by one, click Accept or Reject (without the arrow). Word will move to the next change after you make a decision. If you click Accept, the change stays and the markup disappears. If you click Reject, the change is undone and the markup disappears. Keep going until all changes are reviewed.
This method takes longer if there are many changes, but it gives you control over each one. You might accept a spelling correction but reject a rewording that changes the meaning. You can also right-click directly on a change in the document and choose Accept or Reject from the menu that appears.
Accept or reject all changes at once
If you trust all the edits and want to keep them all, you don't have to go through each one. Go to the Review tab, click the arrow next to Accept, and select Accept All Changes. Word will apply every change in the document at once and remove all the markup.
The same works for rejecting. Click the arrow next to Reject and select Reject All Changes. This undoes every edit and removes all the markup, leaving you with the original document. Use this option carefully — there's no way to undo it after you close the document, so make sure you really want to discard all changes before you click.
After you accept or reject all changes, Track Changes is still on. If you want to stop recording new edits, turn off Track Changes from the Review tab.
Switch between different views of the document
Word gives you several ways to look at a document with tracked changes. The Display for Review dropdown is on the Review tab, and it controls what you see. All Markup shows the document with all the colored marks and balloons — this is the default view. Simple Markup shows the document with just a vertical line in the margin where changes occur, and you can click the line to see what changed.
Final shows what the document will look like if you accept all changes — no marks, no balloons, just the edited version. Original shows what the document looked like before any changes were made. These last two views are useful for comparing the before and after without the visual clutter of all the markup.
You can switch between these views as many times as you want. The changes themselves don't go anywhere — you're just changing how they're displayed. This is helpful when you're reading through a heavily edited document and want to see the final result without all the marks getting in the way.
Set your name and initials for tracking
Word uses your account name to label changes, but you can change what name appears. Go to File, then Options, then Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings, then Privacy Options. You'll see fields for User name and Initials. Type in the name and initials you want to appear on your tracked changes, then click OK.
This is useful if you're sharing a document with others and want your edits clearly labeled with your name. It's also helpful if multiple people use the same computer — each person can set their own name so changes are attributed correctly.
Lock Track Changes so no one can turn it off
If you're sending a document to someone and you want to make sure they can't turn off Track Changes and make hidden edits, you can lock it. Go to the Review tab, click the arrow next to Track Changes, and select Lock Tracking. Word will ask you to create a password.
Once locked, Track Changes can't be turned off without the password. Every edit will be recorded and marked, even if someone tries to disable tracking. When you're done and want to unlock it, go back to the same menu, select Lock Tracking again, and enter the password.
This is most useful when you're working with a group and need to ensure accountability, or when you're sending a document to someone for review and want proof of what they changed. Without the password, they can't hide their edits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who made each change if multiple people edited the document?
Yes. Each person gets a different color, and their name appears in the balloon next to each change. Hover over any marked change to see the editor's name, the date, and the time. If you need to know exactly who made a specific edit, the markup tells you.
What happens if I close the document without accepting or rejecting changes?
The changes stay in the document with their markup intact. When you reopen it, you'll see all the same marks and balloons. Word doesn't force you to make a decision — you can leave changes pending as long as you want. Just remember that the document isn't final until you accept or reject everything.
Can I turn off Track Changes for just part of the document?
No. Track Changes is all or nothing — it's either on for the whole document or off for the whole document. If you turn it off, new edits won't be recorded. If you turn it back on, only the new edits will be tracked. There's no way to track changes in one section and not another.
Does Track Changes slow down Word?
Not noticeably. Word can handle tracking changes in documents with thousands of edits without a significant slowdown. If a document feels sluggish, it's usually because of the file size or the number of images, not because tracking is on.
Can I print a document showing all the tracked changes?
Yes. Make sure the Display for Review is set to All Markup so all changes and balloons are visible, then print normally. The marks and balloons will print along with the text. If you want to print only the final version without any marks, switch to Final view before printing.