What is track changes in Word

You can view the edits that various authors have made to a document in Word by tracking changes. Additions are indicated with an underline and deletions with a strikethrough when Track Changes is enabled. You have the option to monitor changes made by everyone or just by yourself.

On the Reviewing Pane, tracked changes are displayed in a summary list. Using the main menu, you can accept or reject tracked changes in order. A single change can be accepted or rejected by selecting it and then selecting the relevant option. On the main menu, you can accept or reject all tracked changes simultaneously.

The Changes menu section allows you to move between tracked changes. When printing the document, you have the option to hide tracked changes and comments. You have the option to view only markup or all markup, depending on what kind of markup you prefer. You have the option to select whether tracked changes appear inline or as balloons. Tracked changes, including formatting and insertions and deletions, can be shown or hidden based on the type of edit. Specific reviewers’ tracked changes can be shown or hidden. Track Changes are configurable in Word for iPad and Word for iPhone. With Word for iPad and Word for iPhone, you can approve or reject changes, remove comments, and view tracked changes.

How Word Handles Track Changes

To see the changes made to a document, turn on Track Changes. You can also use Show Markup to display the specific revisions you want to see. To enable it, select REVIEW > TRACK CHANGES. When you make changes to your document, Word records those changes. To disable it, select REVIEW > TRACK CHANGES. Word stops accepting new edits; those already made remain in the file. Choose DISPLAY FOR REVIEW > REVIEW. Choose the desired option:

  • A red line in the margin indicates the locations of changes made using SIMPLE MARKUP.
  • ALL MARKUP displays all edits with various line and text colors.
  • In order to demonstrate how the integrated changes will appear, NO MARKUP obscures markup.
  • The document is displayed in its original format in ORIGINAL.

Choose the revision types you want to see from the SHOW MARKUP list:

  • SUMMARY ADDITIONS AND REMOVEMENTS
  • FITTING BALLOONS TO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

However, where are the track changes on Word? Select TRACK CHANGES under REVIEW. The section is highlighted when Track Changes is enabled. Additions are indicated with an underline, and deletions are indicated with a strikethrough. The changes made by various authors are denoted by distinct colors. The section is not highlighted when Track Changes is disabled. The document retains the colored underlining and strikethroughs even after Word stops indicating changes.

To the status bar, you can also add a Track Changes indicator. To access TRACK CHANGES, right-click on the status bar and choose it. Go to REVIEW > TRACK CHANGES > JUST MINE to keep track of just your own modifications. Go to REVIEW > TRACK CHANGES > FOR EVERYONE to keep track of everyone’s changes. TIP: Go to REVIEW > TRACK CHANGES > LOCK TRACKING to set a password that will prevent others from turning off Track Changes.

How to Fix Track Changes in Word

Remove any markup from your document by deleting comments and accepting or rejecting tracked changes before sharing it. IMPORTANT: You must accept or reject tracked changes in order to remove them. You must delete comments in order to remove them. Selecting the NO MARKUP view will only conceal comments and changes momentarily. When someone opens the document again, they will be visible once more. Initiate the document by clicking or tapping. Select CHANGES from the REVIEW tab. Identify REJECT or ACCEPT. Word will proceed to the next modification as soon as you approve or reject it. Continue until you’ve gone over every modification in your document. Click NEXT or PREVIOUS to view the document’s changes without accepting or rejecting them.