Redlining in Word shows every change you make without overwriting the original
Track Changes is Word's built-in redlining feature. It records every insertion, deletion, and formatting change you make, displaying them as colored marks in the document margin. The original text stays visible — nothing is permanently altered until you or someone else accepts the changes. This matters for privacy because the tracked changes live in the document file itself, which means they travel with the file when you share it, unless you remove them first.
The feature works the same way across Word on Windows, Mac, and the web version. Once you turn it on, every keystroke is logged. You can see who made each change (if multiple people are editing), when it was made, and what exactly changed. You can then review each change one at a time and decide whether to keep it or reject it.
Key Takeaways
- Track Changes records every edit in the document margin and must be turned on before you start editing — changes made before you enable it will not be tracked.
- Tracked changes stay in the file when you share it, so you must remove them before sending the document to someone who should not see your edits.
- You can accept or reject individual changes, or accept all changes at once, which removes the tracking marks and makes the edits permanent.
- Word's web version and desktop version handle tracked changes identically, so a document edited in one will display correctly in the other.
How to turn on Track Changes before you start editing
In Word on Windows, go to the Review tab at the top of the screen. Click Track Changes (it looks like a checkbox with a pen). The button will highlight, showing that tracking is now on. Any text you type, delete, or modify from this point forward will be marked.
On Mac, the process is identical: click the Review tab, then click Track Changes. In Word online, open the document, click Review, then toggle Track Changes to On. Once it is on, you will see a notification at the top of the document confirming that changes are being tracked.
Important: if you edit a document before turning on Track Changes, those edits will not be recorded. Turn it on first, then make your changes. If you realize you forgot to enable it partway through, you can turn it on at any point — only the changes made after that moment will be tracked.
What tracked changes look like and how to read them
When Track Changes is on, deletions appear as strikethrough text in a color (usually red or blue, depending on your settings). Insertions appear as underlined text in the same color. In the right margin, Word displays a vertical line next to any line that contains a change. Hover over a tracked change and a small box appears showing who made the edit and when.
If multiple people are editing the same document, each person's changes appear in a different color. This makes it straightforward to see at a glance who changed what. The document also displays a summary panel on the right side showing the total number of insertions, deletions, and formatting changes. You can click on any change in that panel to jump directly to it in the document.
How to accept or reject individual changes
Click on any tracked change in the document. Two buttons appear next to it: Accept and Reject. Click Accept to keep the change and remove the tracking mark. Click Reject to undo the change and return the text to its original state. Either way, the tracking mark disappears and Word moves to the next change.
Alternatively, use the Review tab. Click Accept or Reject in the ribbon, and Word will process changes one at a time in the order they appear in the document. You can also right-click directly on a tracked change and select Accept Change or Reject Change from the menu.
How to accept or reject all changes at once
If you have reviewed the document and want to finalize all changes without going through them one by one, go to the Review tab. Click the dropdown arrow next to Accept, then select Accept All Changes. Word will when ready accept every tracked change in the document and remove all tracking marks. The document will then show only the final text, with no record of what was changed.
The same process works for rejecting: click the dropdown next to Reject and select Reject All Changes. This will undo every edit and return the document to its original state. Use this option only if you are certain you want to discard all changes — there is no undo after this action completes.
How to remove tracked changes before sharing the document
Tracked changes are stored in the document file. If you share a document that still has tracked changes, the recipient will see every edit you made, even if you have already accepted them in your own copy. To prevent this, you must remove the tracking data before sending the file.
First, accept or reject all changes (see the section above). Then go to Review and click the dropdown next to Track Changes. Select Track Changes Options (or Change Tracking Options on Mac). A dialog box opens. Look for an option that says Store Revisions in or similar. Make sure it is set to store revisions in the current document. Then close the dialog and save the file. The tracking data is now embedded in the file.
To actually strip the tracking data out entirely, go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document. A panel opens showing what hidden data the document contains. Look for Revisions in the list. Click Remove All next to it. Save the file. The document now contains no record of any changes you made.
The privacy difference between accepting changes and removing them
Accepting a change makes the edit permanent in the document, but the fact that a change was made stays in the file as metadata. Removing revisions deletes that metadata entirely. If you want someone to see only the final text with no record of your editing process, you must remove revisions. If you want to preserve a history of who changed what and when, you keep the revisions in the file.
This distinction matters if you are sharing a document with someone who should not know what you edited, or how many times you edited it. For example, if you are sending a contract to someone and you do not want them to see your internal notes or earlier versions of the language, remove revisions before sending. If you are collaborating with a team and everyone needs to see the editing history, leave revisions in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off Track Changes without losing the changes I already made?
Yes. Turning off Track Changes does not undo any edits — it only stops recording new ones. Click Track Changes to toggle it off. All the text you typed while tracking was on remains in the document. The tracking marks disappear from the display, but the changes themselves are still there until you accept or reject them.
What happens if I share a document with Track Changes still on?
The recipient will see all your tracked changes and can accept or reject them themselves. If you have already accepted changes in your copy, they will see the final text but will also see a record that changes were made. If you want them to see only the finished document with no editing history, remove revisions before sharing.
Can I see who made a change if I open a document someone else edited?
Yes, if they had Track Changes on when they edited it. Hover over any tracked change and Word displays the editor's name, the date, and the time of the change. This works only if the document still contains the revision data — if they removed revisions before sending it to you, you will see only the final text.
Does Word online handle tracked changes the same way as the desktop version?
Yes. Track Changes works identically in Word online and Word desktop. You can edit a document in one version and open it in the other without losing any tracked changes or formatting. The colors and display may look slightly different, but the underlying data is the same.
If I reject a change, can I undo that rejection?
Not directly. Once you reject a change, the text reverts to its original state and the tracking mark is gone. If you change your mind, you would need to manually retype the rejected text. To avoid this, review changes carefully before rejecting them, or use Undo (Ctrl+Z on Windows, Command+Z on Mac) when ready after rejecting if you realize the mistake right away.