The fastest way to remove a draft watermark
Open your Word document and go to the Design tab at the top of the screen. Click Watermark in the toolbar — it's usually near the right side. A dropdown menu will appear with preset watermark options. At the bottom of that menu, click Remove Watermark. The word "DRAFT" (or whatever watermark text appears behind your document) will disappear when ready.
If you don't see a Design tab, you may be using an older version of Word. In Word 2007 through 2010, the watermark option lives under the Page Layout tab instead. The steps are otherwise identical: click the tab, find Watermark, and select Remove Watermark.
The watermark removal applies to your entire document at once — you cannot remove it from only some pages. If you need the watermark on certain pages and not others, you'll need to split the document into separate files or use section breaks with different watermark settings, which is more involved.
Key Takeaways
- The Design tab (or Page Layout in older Word versions) holds the Watermark button, and Remove Watermark is at the bottom of the dropdown menu.
- Removing a watermark affects the entire document — you cannot remove it from only some pages without using section breaks.
- If you created the watermark yourself and forgot how, the same Watermark menu shows you what's currently applied.
- Watermarks are a formatting choice, not a security feature, so removing one does not unlock a protected document or change any permissions.
Why Word adds a draft watermark in the first place
Word does not automatically add "DRAFT" to every document you create. If your document has this watermark, someone — either you or another person with edit access — added it intentionally. This is usually done to signal that the document is not final, to prevent accidental distribution of incomplete work, or to mark a version that's still under review.
Some organizations set up templates that include a draft watermark by default, so if you opened a document from a shared drive or received one from a colleague, the watermark may have come with the template rather than being added to this specific file. Removing it does not restore any hidden content or change the document's actual status — it only changes how the document looks when printed or viewed.
What happens when you remove the watermark
Removing the watermark is purely visual. The document's content, formatting, and any protection settings remain exactly as they were. If the document is password-protected or has tracked changes enabled, removing the watermark does not affect those features.
The watermark removal is saved with the document, so the next time you or anyone else opens the file, the watermark will be gone. If you want to put it back later, you can use the same Watermark menu to add it again — Word remembers the text and formatting you used before.
Adding a custom watermark instead of removing it
If you want to replace "DRAFT" with different text — such as "CONFIDENTIAL" or a company name — use the same Watermark menu. Click Watermark, then select Custom Watermark at the bottom of the dropdown. A dialog box opens where you can type your own text, choose the font, set the color, and decide whether the watermark appears at an angle or straight across the page.
Custom watermarks appear behind all text in your document and print on every page. They're useful for marking documents as confidential, proprietary, or under review, but they do not prevent copying or printing — they're a visual indicator only.
Watermarks versus document protection
A watermark is not the same as password protection or permission restrictions. You can remove a watermark without any password because it's just a visual element. If a document is actually protected — meaning you cannot edit it or can only edit certain sections — that protection is separate from the watermark and requires a password to remove.
If you're trying to remove a watermark and the document won't let you make changes at all, the document is likely protected. Look for a message that says "This document is protected" or check the Review tab for a Restrict Editing or Protect Document button. That's a different problem from removing a watermark.
Watermarks in different Word formats and versions
Watermarks work the same way in Word 2016, Word 2019, Word for Microsoft 365, and the web version of Word, though the menu location may vary slightly. In Word Online (the free browser version), the Design tab is in the same place, and the Watermark button functions identically.
If you save a document as a PDF, the watermark will be included in the PDF. If you save it as a plain text file (.txt), the watermark is lost because plain text doesn't support formatting. For most other formats — .docx, .doc, .rtf — the watermark is preserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove a watermark from only the first page or certain pages?
Not directly through the Watermark menu — that removes it from the entire document. To have a watermark on some pages and not others, you need to insert section breaks and explore different watermark settings to each section. This requires going to the Design tab, clicking Watermark, selecting Custom Watermark, and then managing sections through the Page Layout tab. It's more complex than a straightforward removal.
What if the Watermark button is grayed out or missing?
This usually means the document is in a read-only mode or is protected. Check the top of the window for a message saying the document is in read-only mode, and if so, click Edit Document to enable editing. If the document is protected, you'll need the password to make any changes, including removing the watermark.
Does removing a watermark affect the document's file size?
No. Watermarks are stored as part of the document's formatting, and removing one does not reduce the file size in any meaningful way. The change is purely visual.
Will the watermark come back if I save the document in a different format?
It depends on the format. If you save as .docx or .doc, the watermark removal is preserved. If you save as .pdf, the watermark is baked into the PDF at the moment of conversion. If you save as .txt or another plain-text format, the watermark is lost because those formats don't support it.
Can I remove a watermark from a document someone else sent me?
Yes, if you have permission to edit the document. Open it, go to Design (or Page Layout), click Watermark, and select Remove Watermark. If the document is protected or read-only, you'll need the password or permission from the person who sent it.