The fastest way to remove all comments at once

Open the document in Microsoft Word and go to the Review tab at the top of the screen. On the right side, you will see a button labeled Delete with a small arrow next to it. Click that arrow and select Delete All Comments in Document. Word will remove every comment in the file when ready — there is no undo after this point, so make sure you want them gone before you click.

If you want to keep some comments and remove only specific ones, skip the Delete All option. Instead, click directly on each comment in the document (they appear as colored boxes in the margin or as highlighted text, depending on your view), then click the Delete button without the arrow. This removes only that single comment.

The comments disappear from the document itself, but Word keeps a record that they existed. If someone opens the document's revision history or properties, they may still see that comments were present. If you need to remove all trace of comments before sharing the file, use the Inspect Document feature instead — this is covered in the section below.

Key Takeaways

  • Delete All Comments in Document removes every comment at once from the Review tab, and this action cannot be undone.
  • You can delete individual comments by clicking them and pressing the Delete button without the arrow.
  • Deleting comments from the document does not remove the record that comments existed; use Inspect Document to erase that history.
  • Comments in Track Changes are separate from regular comments and require a different process to remove.
  • Switching to Final view hides comments temporarily but does not delete them.

Removing all trace of comments before sharing

If you plan to send the document to someone else and want to make sure no record of comments remains, use the Inspect Document tool. Go to File in the top left, then select Info. On the right side, click Check for Issues and choose Inspect Document.

A window will open showing what Word found in the file. Look for the section labeled Comments, Revisions, Versions, and Annotations. If it shows that comments are present, click the Remove All button next to that section. Word will delete all comments and any record that they existed. After you do this, save the file.

This process is more thorough than straightforward deleting comments because it also removes metadata — the hidden information that tracks who made the comment, when, and what it said. Someone opening the file afterward will see no evidence that comments were ever there.

Hiding comments without deleting them

If you want comments out of sight but not permanently gone, you can hide them instead. Go to the Review tab and look for the Show Markup button. Click the arrow next to it and uncheck Comments. The comments will disappear from view, but they remain in the document.

This is useful when you are working on a draft and want to focus on the text without the distraction of comment boxes. You can turn comments back on anytime by going to Show Markup again and checking Comments. The comments will reappear exactly as they were.

Another way to hide comments is to switch to Final view. Click the small arrow next to Track Changes on the Review tab, then select Final. This shows the document as if all changes have been accepted and all comments are hidden. If you switch back to All Markup or Original view, the comments return.

Removing comments that are part of Track Changes

Comments attached to tracked changes work differently from standalone comments. If you delete a tracked change, the comment attached to it may disappear too — but not always. To be certain, delete the tracked change first by right-clicking it and selecting Reject or Accept, depending on what you want to do with the edit itself.

After you have handled all tracked changes, go to the Review tab and use Delete All Comments in Document as described above. This removes any comments that were not tied to changes, plus any orphaned comments left behind.

If you are working with a document that has heavy revision history, it is often cleaner to accept or reject all changes at once, then delete all comments. Click the arrow next to Track Changes, select Accept All Changes or Reject All Changes, then proceed with deleting comments.

Why comments sometimes reappear or seem stuck

If you delete a comment but it seems to come back, you may be looking at a comment that is synced across multiple devices. If you have the document open in Word on your computer and also in Word Online or on another device, changes do not always sync when ready. Close the document completely on all devices, wait a few seconds, and reopen it.

Comments can also seem stuck if the document is in read-only mode. Check the top of the window — if you see a message saying "This document is read-only" or a button labeled Edit Document, click that button first. You cannot delete comments from a read-only file.

If you deleted comments using Delete All Comments but they still appear, you may have accidentally used Undo when ready after. Press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) repeatedly to step backward through your actions and see if Undo is still available. If the comments are truly gone and you need them back, close the file without saving and reopen it — this restores the last saved version.

Preventing comments from appearing in printed copies

When you print a Word document that contains comments, Word normally includes them in the printout. To print only the document text without comments, go to File and select Print. On the right side under Settings, look for a dropdown that says Print All Pages or Print Markup. Click it and select Print Document Only. The printed copy will show only the text, not the comments.

This does not delete the comments from the file itself — it only affects what prints. The comments remain in the document on your screen and will print if someone else opens and prints the file without changing this setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo Delete All Comments in Document?

Not after you close the file. If you delete all comments and when ready realize you made a mistake, press Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) right away. If you have already closed and reopened the document, the comments are gone permanently. This is why it is worth deleting individual comments if you are unsure.

Will the person I send the document to be able to see that comments were deleted?

They can see that comments were deleted only if they check the document's revision history or properties. If you use Inspect Document to remove all comments, no record remains. If you straightforward delete comments without using Inspect Document, someone with access to the file's metadata or version history may see that comments once existed.

What if a comment is locked and I cannot delete it?

A locked comment usually means the document is protected or in read-only mode. Go to File and check whether the document shows a read-only warning. If it does, click Edit Document. If the document is password-protected, you will need the password to unprotect it before you can delete comments.

Do comments in Word Online delete the same way as comments in the desktop version?

Word Online has a simpler comment system. Click a comment and look for a trash icon or delete button next to it. There is no Delete All Comments button in Word Online, so you must delete comments one at a time. If you need to delete many comments, open the file in the desktop version of Word instead.

If I remove comments, will the tracked changes still be there?

Yes. Comments and tracked changes are separate. Deleting all comments does not affect tracked changes, and rejecting or accepting tracked changes does not delete comments attached to them. You have to handle each one separately.