Track Changes records every edit someone makes to a document, showing what was added, deleted, or moved and who did it
When you turn on Track Changes in Word, the program marks every keystroke, deletion, and formatting change with a colored line, strikethrough, or comment bubble. Each person who edits gets a different color. You can see exactly what changed, who changed it, and when. At the end, you accept or reject each change one at a time, or accept them all at once.
This matters because it prevents the "which version is final?" problem. Instead of emailing five drafts back and forth and losing track of what your coworker actually changed, everything lives in one document. You can see the full history of edits and decide whether to keep them.
Key Takeaways
- Turn on Track Changes by going to the Review tab and clicking Track Changes — it stays on until you turn it off, and every edit after that point is marked.
- Each person who edits the document gets a different color automatically, so you can tell who made which change at a glance.
- Additions appear underlined in color, deletions appear struck through in color, and moved text shows with arrows connecting the old and new locations.
- Accept or reject changes one at a time using the Review pane, or use Accept All or Reject All to make a decision about the entire document at once.
- Turn off Track Changes when you are done editing so new changes stop being marked — the old changes stay visible until you accept or reject them.
How to turn Track Changes on and off
Open your document in Word. Go to the Review tab at the top of the screen. Click the Track Changes button — it looks like a pen with a checkmark. The button will highlight, showing that tracking is now on. Every change you or anyone else makes from this point forward will be marked.
Track Changes stays on until you turn it off. If you want to edit without marking changes, click the Track Changes button again to turn it off. The changes you already marked stay in the document — turning it off just stops new edits from being recorded. You can turn it back on later in the same document.
What the marks mean and where to find them
When someone adds text, it appears underlined in a color. When someone deletes text, it appears struck through in the same color. If someone moves a block of text, Word shows an arrow from the old location to the new one, with both marked in color. Comments appear in balloons on the right side of the page.
The color is assigned automatically — the first person to edit gets one color, the second person gets another, and so on. Word cycles through a set of colors, so if three people edit the same document, you will see three different colors. Hover your mouse over any marked change to see a tooltip showing the person's name, what they changed, and the date and time.
How to review and accept or reject changes
Go to the Review tab. Click Review Pane on the left side of the screen — a panel will open showing every change in a list. Click on any change in the list to jump to it in the document. You will see the change highlighted.
To accept a single change, right-click on it in the Review pane and select Accept Change, or click the checkmark icon next to it. To reject it, click the X icon or select Reject Change. The change will disappear from the document. Work through the list one change at a time, or skip around — the order does not matter.
If you want to accept or reject all changes at once, click the dropdown arrow next to Accept or Reject in the Review tab and select Accept All Changes or Reject All Changes. The entire document will be finalized in seconds. Use this only when you are sure about every change — you cannot undo it afterward without using Ctrl+Z when ready.
How to share a document with Track Changes on
Save your document normally — Track Changes is part of the file, not a separate setting. Send the file to whoever needs to review it. When they open it, they will see all the marked changes and can add their own edits, which will be marked in their assigned color.
Each person who opens the document gets a unique color for their changes. If the same person edits the document on two different computers, Word will assign them the same color if they are signed in with the same Microsoft account, or a different color if they are not. To avoid confusion, make sure everyone is using the same Microsoft account across devices, or ask them to set their name in Word's options so you know who is editing.
How to set your name so others know who made changes
Click File in the top left, then Options at the bottom of the menu. Click Trust Center on the left, then Trust Center Settings, then Privacy Options. Check the box that says Always use these values regardless of sign in to Office, then type your name in the User name field. Click OK twice to save.
Now when you make changes with Track Changes on, your name will appear in the tooltip and in the Review pane instead of a generic username. This is especially important if multiple people use the same computer or if you are working with people outside your organization.
Common problems and how to fix them
If changes are not being marked, Track Changes is probably off. Go to the Review tab and click Track Changes to turn it back on. If you see changes marked but cannot figure out who made them, set your name in Word's options as described above, and ask other editors to do the same.
If the Review pane is cluttered and hard to read, you can filter which changes show. In the Review pane, click the dropdown that says All Reviewers and select only the people whose changes you want to see. You can also click Show Markup in the Review tab to hide or show insertions, deletions, comments, or formatting changes separately.
If you accidentally rejected a change you wanted to keep, press Ctrl+Z when ready to undo the rejection. If you have already made other changes since then, undo will go back further than you want — in that case, turn Track Changes back on and manually re-add the text you rejected.
When to use Track Changes and when to turn it off
Use Track Changes whenever a document will be reviewed or edited by more than one person, or when you want a record of what changed between versions. Turn it on at the start of the editing process and keep it on until the final version is approved. This prevents the problem of not knowing which version is current or who suggested a particular change.
Turn Track Changes off once the document is finalized and all changes have been accepted or rejected. A document with no marked changes is cleaner to read and print. If you need to make edits to a finalized document later, you can turn Track Changes back on for that new round of edits — Word will mark only the new changes, not the old ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who made a change if I do not know their name?
Yes. Hover your mouse over the marked change and a tooltip will appear showing the person's name, what they changed, and the date and time. If the name is a username or email address instead of a real name, ask that person to set their name in Word's options so future changes show their real name.
What happens if I turn off Track Changes and then turn it back on?
The old marked changes stay in the document and remain visible. New edits made while Track Changes is off will not be marked. When you turn Track Changes back on, only the new edits after that point will be marked. You can accept or reject the old changes and the new changes separately.
Can I print a document with Track Changes on?
Yes, but the printed version will show all the marked changes and comments. If you want a clean printed version, accept or reject all changes first, then print. If you want to print the document showing the changes, Word will print the colored marks and balloons just as they appear on screen.
What if two people make conflicting changes?
Word marks both changes separately. When you review them, you can accept one and reject the other, or accept both if they do not actually conflict. You decide which version is correct — Word just shows you what each person did.
Does Track Changes work in Word Online?
Yes. Track Changes works the same way in Word Online as it does in the desktop version. Changes are marked in color, and you can accept or reject them using the Review tab. If you switch between Word Online and the desktop version, the changes sync automatically.