How To Use Microsoft Track Changes in Your Edited Document

Track Changes and Commenting are tools in Microsoft Word which show any edits or comments made in a document. This gives you more power as the owner of the document, because you can look at each edit and choose to accept or reject it. You can also choose to ‘accept all changes’ to create a clean copy of your document at the click of a button. 

Track Changes

Microsoft Word Review tab.

  1. Open your edited document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Choose the Review tab at the top of the document.    
     

Microsoft Word Track Changes PC / Mac.

3.  You will see the Track Changes button (PC) or the Track Changes/Tracking toggle switch (Mac). This should be switched off.

 

Microsoft Track Changes marginal mark.

  

4.  A grey bar in the left margin shows where a change has been made to the text.

Microsoft Track Changes insert text.

  

5.  Any inserted text is in a different colour to the normal text – making it easy to spot.

Microsoft Word Track Changes delete text.

6.  Deleted text is shown in a different colour with a line through it.

Microsoft Word Track Changes reformatted text.

 7.  With reformatted text, the type of reformat is noted in the right margin of the document.. Marginal notes will disappear when the change is accepted or rejected. 

Microsoft Word Track Changes accept / reject change.

8.   You can right-click on each change and choose to accept or reject it.   

You can also choose to accept or reject all changes at once from the drop-down menu.

Comments

Microsoft Word comments.

You will find any comments in the right margin of the document. I use these to ask a question, to explain why I have made an edit or to suggest an improvement. 

Microsoft Word next comment.

To scroll through the comments place the cursor at the beginning of the document and click on the next button in the comments section of the review tab. 

Microsoft Word delete comment.

Once you have actioned the comment you can delete it. To do this, simply click on the changed text (or the note in the margin) and then select Delete from the Comments section of the Review tab.