How to View and Add Markup in Microsoft Word

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Use markup to collaborate in MS Word and incorporate feedback
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This wikiHow guide teaches you how to use the Track Changes tool to mark up a Microsoft Word document on Windows and Mac. We'll show you how to turn markup on and off, accept and reject changes, customize which changes to view and track, and help you fix common problems like not being able to turn off Track Changes.

Marking Up a Word Document

You can enable "Track Changes" to allow users to mark up a document and suggest revisions. To do so, click the Review tab and select Track Changes . When enabled, any insertions or deletions appear in red until the changes are accepted or rejected.

Section 1 of 6:

Turning Markup On or Off

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  1. You can double-click the document's name to open it in Word. Alternatively, open Word (in the Windows menu on a PC and the Applications folder on a Mac), click File , click Open , and then select the document.
    • If Markup/Track Changes is already enabled, you will see a Reviewing menu in the upper-right corner. If not, the menu will say Editing or Viewing instead.
  2. It's at the top of the screen.
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  3. If you don't see "Track Changes," click Tracking first. Clicking Track Changes toggles MS Word markup on and off. [1]
    • If you are viewing a document that was shared with you, you may not be able to turn off Track Changes .
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Section 2 of 6:

Viewing Markup (Tracked Changes)

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  1. When you're marking up or reviewing a Word doc, you can show or hide the Reviewing Pane to see all revisions made to the document. Just click the Reviewing Pane option in the toolbar to toggle this feature on or off.
  2. On Windows, click the Show Markup menu in the Review tab at the top of Word to display your markup options. On a Mac, click the Markup Options menu. You can then customize your options:
    • Insertions and Deletions will display any suggested corrections, additional text, and removed text.
    • Formatting will display any formatting suggestions, such as adjusted margins or double-spacing text.
    • Balloons are another way to display revision suggestions. By default, markup like deleting or changing text will appear in the body of the document, and formatting suggestions will appear as balloons.
      • If you want your text corrections or suggestions to appear in a vertical sidebar instead of as crossed-out or added text in the document, you can choose to Show Revisions in Balloons .
      • If you want formatting changes to appear in the document instead of balloons, select Show All Revisions Inline .
  3. By default, you will see both active (not yet approved or rejected) and resolved (already approved or rejected) changes in the document. To change this, click the Filter All Markup menu on the Review tab, then:
    • Select Active only if you only want to see suggested edits that haven't been approved or rejected.
    • Select Resolved only to see only markup that has been approved or rejected.
    • If you only want to see markup that mentions you (@your name), you can select @mentions me .
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Section 3 of 6:

Marking Up a Document

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  1. If you're in markup mode, any changes you make to the document will cross out the original text and add your suggested edit next to it (unless you've chosen to show revisions as balloons). If the Reviewing Pane is active, you will see the suggested edit in the pane.
    • The change will not be committed until someone accepts the changes.
    • If your changes are rejected, your suggestions will disappear, and the original text will be restored.
  2. When you type new text into the document, your suggested additions will appear in red underlined text. In the left panel, you'll see your name, and "Added," which indicates that you added something to the document.
    • If someone accepts your additions, the text color and style will change to fit the format of the document.
    • If someone rejects your additions, they'll be removed.
  3. You can add a note to provide more detailed feedback if you'd like. [2]
    • Select the part of the document you want to comment on.
    • On the Review tab, click the New Comment button.
    • Type your comment and click the Send button (the paper airplane).
    • Users can reply to comments
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Section 4 of 6:

Accepting or Rejecting Changes

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  1. On the Review tab, click the Track Changes menu (the down arrow on Track Changes), then choose whether to see changes For Everyone or Just Mine .
    • On Windows, make sure the Reviewing Pane is enabled so you can see proposed revisions. Click Reviewing Pane on the ribbon to enable it if it's missing.
    • Click Show Comments at the top to toggle comments on or off.
  2. Click a suggested change to select it. If you want to change the document to reflect the reviewer's changes, select Accept –the text will adjust to match the rest of the document. If you don't want to implement the suggested change, select it, then click Reject .
    • Use the Previous and Next buttons in the toolbar to navigate between suggested changes without accepting or rejecting.
  3. If many changes were suggested and you want to accept or reject all of them, it's easy:
    • Click the Accept or Reject menu in the toolbar (the down arrow next to Accept or Reject).
    • Select Accept All Changes or Reject All Changes .
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Section 5 of 6:

Locking Track Changes with a Password

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  1. If you don't want editors or reviewers to be able to disable Track Changes or accept/reject suggestions, you can lock the feature with a password. Here's how:
    • Click the Review tab and click the down arrow on the "Track Changes" button.
    • Click Lock Tracking .
    • Enter a password and click OK .
    • To unlock, click the down arrow on "Track Changes" again, click Lock Tracking , enter your password, and click OK .
  2. To prevent others from turning off the Track Changes feature or accepting/rejecting changes for this document:
    • Click the Review tab and select Protect .
    • Click Protect Document .
    • On the pop-up, check the box next to "Protect document for".
    • Select the radio button for "Tracked changes".
    • Enter a password in the box and click OK .
    • To disable, return to Review > Protect > Protect Document , uncheck "Protect document for", enter the password, and click OK .
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Section 6 of 6:

Troubleshooting

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  1. There are a few possible reasons for not being able to turn off Track Changes in Word:
    • If the document you're working with was shared with you, the document owner may have locked the ability to turn off Track Changes. If you don't want to track the changes you make, you can make a copy of the document to edit separately. [3]
    • If the document is yours, you may have changes that still need to be accepted or rejected. Click the Review tab and look for any changes you haven't yet accepted or rejected.
    • If you locked the Track Changes feature yourself, you can turn it off:
      • Windows: Click the down arrow on "Track Changes", click Lock Tracking , enter your password, and click OK .
      • Mac: Return to Review > Protect > Protect Document , uncheck "Protect document for", enter the password, and click OK .
  2. If you don't see the requested changes in red text or crossed-out words in the document, they may be showing up in balloons instead. Click the Show Markup menu on the Review tab, select Balloons , and choose Show All Revisions Inline .
  3. If you've hidden markup without accepting or requesting changes, the markup won't actually go away. Click the down arrow on the "Accept" menu and select Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking to implement all suggestions and get rid of markup in the document.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/track-changes-in-word-197ba630-0f5f-4a8e-9a77-3712475e806a#trackchanges=macos
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/track-changes-and-view-add-or-edit-comments-56343a35-b64c-4aeb-ac5b-d1bdb979490a
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/track-changes-in-word-197ba630-0f5f-4a8e-9a77-3712475e806a

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the document.
      2. Click Review .
      3. Click Track Changes .

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