Track Changes lets you see who changed what, and when
Track Changes is a Word feature that records every edit made to a document — deletions, additions, formatting changes — and shows who made each one and when. Instead of overwriting the original text, Word marks changes in the margin and keeps the old version visible. You can then accept or reject each change one at a time, or all at once.
This matters when multiple people work on the same document, or when you want a record of what was revised before you finalize something. The person who turns on Track Changes does not have to be the one who made the edits; anyone opening the document can see the changes that came before.
Key Takeaways
- Track Changes is found on the Review tab in Word, and you toggle it on or off with a single click.
- Once Track Changes is on, every edit appears in a colored bubble or line in the margin, labeled with the editor's name and timestamp.
- You can accept or reject individual changes, or use the "Accept All" or "Reject All" buttons to process them in bulk.
- Track Changes works the same way in Word on Windows, Mac, and in Word Online, though the interface looks slightly different.
How to turn Track Changes on
Open the document in Word. At the top of the screen, click the Review tab. In the Tracking group (the second group of buttons from the left), click Track Changes. A checkmark will appear next to it, and the button will highlight. From that moment forward, every change to the document is recorded.
If you are using Word Online, the Review tab is in the same place. Click it, then click Track Changes in the Tracking group. The button will turn blue to show it is active.
Once Track Changes is on, you can type, delete, paste, or format text as usual. Word will mark each change automatically. You do not have to do anything special while editing — just work normally, and the tracking happens in the background.
What the marks mean and where to find them
When Track Changes is on, Word uses different marks for different types of edits. A deletion (text you removed) appears as a strikethrough in red, with a red line in the margin. An insertion (text you added) appears in a different color — usually blue or another color assigned to that user — and also gets a mark in the margin. Formatting changes (bold, italics, font size, color) appear as a small red line or bracket in the margin, with a comment bubble explaining what changed.
Each mark in the margin shows the name of the person who made the change and the date and time it was made. If you hover your cursor over a change, a tooltip appears with more detail. The margin itself expands to make room for these bubbles; if the margin looks too wide, it is because Track Changes is on.
You can change the color used for your own edits, or the color used to display a specific person's changes. Right-click on any change in the margin and select Change User Name or look in the Review tab for display options. This is useful if multiple people are editing and you want to tell their changes apart visually.
How to accept or reject individual changes
Click on any change in the document or in the margin. The change will highlight. In the Review tab, you will see two buttons: Accept and Reject. Click Accept to keep the change and remove the mark from the margin. Click Reject to undo the change and restore the original text.
When you accept or reject a change, Word moves to the next change automatically. This lets you work through a document one edit at a time. You can also use the arrow buttons next to Accept and Reject — the down arrow moves to the next change, and the up arrow moves to the previous one — so you can review changes in any order.
If you want to see a list of all changes at once, click Reviewing Pane in the Review tab. A panel will open on the left side of the screen showing every change in the document, organized by type (insertions, deletions, formatting). Click any change in the pane to jump to it in the document.
How to accept or reject all changes at once
If you have reviewed the changes and want to finalize them all, you do not have to click each one individually. Click the small arrow next to the Accept button in the Review tab. A menu will appear with the option Accept All Changes. Click it, and every change in the document will be accepted immediately. The marks will disappear, and the document will show only the final version.
The same arrow menu next to Reject offers Reject All Changes. This removes all edits and restores the document to its state before Track Changes was turned on. Use this carefully — there is no undo after you reject all changes, so make sure that is what you want.
You can also accept or reject changes by type. In the Review tab, look for the dropdown that says Show Markup or Display for Review. This lets you filter which changes are visible — for example, you can hide formatting changes and focus only on text edits, or show only changes made by one person.
How to turn Track Changes off
Click the Review tab and click Track Changes again. The checkmark will disappear, and the button will no longer be highlighted. From that point on, edits will not be recorded. Any changes you made while Track Changes was on will remain marked in the document until you accept or reject them.
Turning off Track Changes does not delete the marks that are already there. If you want to remove all marks, you must accept or reject them first. You can turn Track Changes on and off as many times as you want within the same document.
Sharing a document with Track Changes on
You can send a document with Track Changes on to another person, and they will see all the marks and be able to accept or reject changes themselves. When you email or share the file, the change history travels with it. The other person can open it in Word, review the changes in the Review tab, and make their own decisions about which edits to keep.
If you want to prevent someone from turning off Track Changes or accepting changes without your permission, Word has a Lock Tracking option. In the Review tab, click the arrow next to Track Changes and select Lock Tracking. You will be asked to set a password. Once locked, no one can turn off Track Changes or modify the tracked changes without entering that password.
Be aware that locking tracking is not the same as protecting the document. A locked track is meant to preserve the change history, not to prevent editing. If you want to prevent people from editing the document at all, use the Protect Document feature instead, which is in the File menu under Info.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who made each change?
Yes. Each change is labeled with the name of the person who made it and the date and time. Word pulls this name from the user account on the computer. If you want to change whose name appears, go to File > Options > General and update the "User name" field.
What happens to Track Changes when I save the document?
Track Changes is saved with the document. When you close and reopen the file, all the marks and change history will still be there. You can continue accepting or rejecting changes where you left off.
Can I see what the document will look like after all changes are accepted?
Yes. In the Review tab, look for the dropdown that says Display for Review or Show Markup. Click it and select Final or Final: Show Markup. This shows you the document as it will appear once all changes are accepted, without the marks.
Does Track Changes work in Word Online the same way as the desktop version?
Mostly yes. The Review tab and Track Changes button are in the same place, and you accept or reject changes the same way. Some advanced options — like locking tracking or changing display colors — are not available in Word Online, but the core tracking and review features work identically.
What if I accidentally reject a change I wanted to keep?
If you reject a change and immediately realize the mistake, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo the rejection. The change will reappear in the document marked as rejected, and you can accept it again. This works only if you have not made other changes since the rejection.