How to Use Track Changes in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes” feature is a powerful tool for collaborative editing. Collaborative editing is the process of simultaneously editing the same document by multiple people. By using the Microsoft Word Track Changes feature, you can easily identify any change made to your document, like adding, deleting, or replacing the text. You can accept or reject the changes in the text. Track Changes in Microsoft Word allows you to show any markups, changes, or comments made to a document.

How To Turn ON and Turn Off Track Changes in Microsoft Word?

By following these steps, you can easily turn on and off Track Changes on Microsoft Word, allowing for efficient collaborative editing and reviewing of your documents:

1. Open your Microsoft Word document.
2. Navigate to the “Review” tab in the Word ribbon at the top of the screen.
3. Look at the Tracking box, and you will find the “Track Changes” button.
4. Track changes in Microsoft Word are turned on by clicking the “Track changes” button, which appears darker than the rest of the ribbon.
5. If you click again, the Track Changes button turns off the tracking changes.

How To Show and Hide Track Changes in Microsoft Word?

By using the show and hide track changes in the Tracking group in the ribbon, you can find changes in the text:

1. On the Microsoft Word page, go to “Review,” where you will find options like Sample Markup, Show Markup, and Reviewing Pane.
2. In “Sample Markup,” click on the drop-down menu.
   • Simple Markup: shows changes on the side of the page with a vertical line. Clicking on the line shows you Mark up.
   • All Markup: Shows all Markup made in the document.
   • No Markup: Hide all the markup.
   • Original: It shows the original text.

Markup means the addition or deletion of text in the document.

• The “Show Markup” drop-down menu displays comments, insertions and deletions, formatting, balloons, and specific people. If you select the option, it shows the changes. If not, it hides the changes.
• “Reviewing Pane” shows the changed text vertically or horizontally on the page.

How do you remove text using track changes in Microsoft Word?

Removing or deleting the text in Microsoft Word by using the track changes shown below:

1. Open your Word document and select the text you want to delete.
2. Use the delete key or right-click on the selected text and select “cut.”
3. The deleted text can be shown as a strikethrough. This shows some text has been deleted.

How To Add Text Using Track Changes in Microsoft Word

By using this Add text, you can add your text, which is shown on the page underlined with color:

1. Open the document. Place the cursor where you want to add text.
2. The text newly added to the page is shown with underlining and color. This shows some text has been added.

How To Replace Text with Track Changes in Microsoft Word

Replacement of text is used to replace the word or text with another word or text as explained below:

1. On the Word document page, replace the text with another text.
2. The actual text is shown as a strikethrough, and the replacement text will be shown as an underline.

How To Accept or Reject Track Changes in Microsoft Word

While reading the changed text, you can accept or reject the text as shown below:

1. You can find the “Accept” and “Reject” buttons in the changes group.
2. The Word document had some changes in the text by adding, removing, and replacing it with text.
3. If you like the text, which has been changed, Click on “Accept”. If not, click on the “Reject” button.
4. If you want to keep all the changed text as it is, click “Accept all changes.”

How To Add Comments to the Document

By using this comment group, you can add comments to your document. Here are the steps on how to add a comment to the document in the comment group:

1. Open your Word document while reading the text to which you want to add a comment.
2. Place the cursor where you want to add a new comment.
3. In the comment group, you can find “New comment.” Click on it.
4. A comment box will pop up on the page’s right side. Enter your comment and click on the arrow button to post.

How To Reply to Comments in the Document

Someone is commenting on your text, and you want to give a reply. Follow the steps on how to reply to the comment in the document:

• In the comment group, you read a comment on your document if you want to reply to the comment.
• Below the comment, you will find the “reply” option to write a reply and post.

How To Delete Comments in the Document?

You have so many comments on your text document. If you want to delete those comments, simply Open the comment in your document and place a cursor where you want to delete a comment. In the comment groups, you can see “Delete.” Click on it.

How do I turn off Track Changes when I finish editing a document?

To stop tracking changes and finalize the document, go to the “Review” tab and click the “Track Changes” button again. Then, choose “Final” from the “Display for Review” dropdown to view the document without markup.

Can I add comments to specific parts of the document using Track Changes?

Yes, you can add comments Simply select the text you want to comment on, then go to the “Review” tab and click the “New Comment” button in the “Comments” group. A comment balloon will appear in the margin where you can add your comment.

How can I lock the tracking of my document?

You can lock the track by going to the tracking group you find the Track changes in the drop-down menu and click on “Lock tracking”. Enter the password to prevent other authors from turning off track changes.