When you’re working on a document with someone else — a report, a contract, a CV someone is checking for you — Track Changes shows exactly what was added, deleted or reformatted. The original author can then accept or reject each edit.
Turn on Track Changes
- Open the document.
- Go to the Review tab.
- Click Track Changes so it’s highlighted.
Or press Ctrl + Shift + E (Command + Shift + E on a Mac).
From now on, anything you type is shown in colour and underlined, deleted text is shown with a line through it (or noted in the margin), and a thin line appears in the left margin next to every changed line.
Click Track Changes again to turn it off. Edits you’ve already made stay tracked.
Choose how much you see
Next to Track Changes is a drop-down (it usually says Simple Markup). It changes how edits are displayed on screen — it doesn’t change the document itself.
| Option | What you see |
|---|
| Simple Markup | A clean document with a red line in the margin where changes are |
| All Markup | Every insertion and deletion in colour |
| No Markup | What the document will look like if you accept everything |
| Original | The document before any tracked changes |
All Markup is best when you’re reviewing. Click the red line in the margin to switch between Simple and All Markup quickly.
Accept or reject changes
- Press Ctrl + Home to go to the start of the document.
- On the Review tab, click Next (in the Changes group) to jump to the first change.
- Click Accept to keep it, or Reject to undo it. Word moves to the next change automatically.
You can also right-click any change and choose Accept or Reject.
Accept or reject everything at once
Click the small arrow under Accept and choose Accept All Changes (or Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking). The same option exists under Reject.
Want to ask a question or make a suggestion without changing the text?
- Select the text you want to comment on.
- Click Review > New Comment, or press Ctrl + Alt + M.
- Type your comment and click the Post button (the arrow) or press Ctrl + Enter.
Others can reply to your comment or mark it as Resolved. To delete one, click Delete on the Review tab.
See who changed what
Hover over any change to see who made it and when. If several people have edited the document, use Show Markup > Specific People to show only one person’s edits.
Tip: To make sure your name appears correctly, go to File > Options > General and check User name.
Stop others turning Track Changes off
Click the arrow under Track Changes and choose Lock Tracking. Set a password, and nobody can turn Track Changes off without it.
Before you send the final version
Changing the view to No Markup only hides the edits — they’re still in the file. Before sending a finished document to a client or employer:
- Accept or reject every change (Accept All Changes is quickest).
- Delete all comments: click the arrow under Delete and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
- Turn off Track Changes.
Tip: File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document will warn you if any tracked changes or comments are left.
Wrapping up
Turn it on with Ctrl + Shift + E, review with All Markup, and step through edits with Next, Accept and Reject. Just remember to clear everything out before the document goes anywhere important.
How to Use Track Changes in Word (Edit, Accept and Reject)
When you’re working on a document with someone else — a report, a contract, a CV someone is checking for you — Track Changes shows exactly what was added, deleted or reformatted. The original author can then accept or reject each edit.
Turn on Track Changes
Or press Ctrl + Shift + E (Command + Shift + E on a Mac).
From now on, anything you type is shown in colour and underlined, deleted text is shown with a line through it (or noted in the margin), and a thin line appears in the left margin next to every changed line.
Click Track Changes again to turn it off. Edits you’ve already made stay tracked.
Choose how much you see
Next to Track Changes is a drop-down (it usually says Simple Markup). It changes how edits are displayed on screen — it doesn’t change the document itself.
All Markup is best when you’re reviewing. Click the red line in the margin to switch between Simple and All Markup quickly.
Accept or reject changes
You can also right-click any change and choose Accept or Reject.
Accept or reject everything at once
Click the small arrow under Accept and choose Accept All Changes (or Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking). The same option exists under Reject.
Add a comment
Want to ask a question or make a suggestion without changing the text?
Others can reply to your comment or mark it as Resolved. To delete one, click Delete on the Review tab.
See who changed what
Hover over any change to see who made it and when. If several people have edited the document, use Show Markup > Specific People to show only one person’s edits.
Tip: To make sure your name appears correctly, go to File > Options > General and check User name.
Stop others turning Track Changes off
Click the arrow under Track Changes and choose Lock Tracking. Set a password, and nobody can turn Track Changes off without it.
Before you send the final version
Changing the view to No Markup only hides the edits — they’re still in the file. Before sending a finished document to a client or employer:
Tip: File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document will warn you if any tracked changes or comments are left.
Wrapping up
Turn it on with Ctrl + Shift + E, review with All Markup, and step through edits with Next, Accept and Reject. Just remember to clear everything out before the document goes anywhere important.
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