How to Password Protect a Word Document (Windows and Mac)

Contracts, client briefs, HR notes, a business plan you're not ready to share: some Word files shouldn't open for just anyone who stumbles across them on a shared drive or in a forwarded email. Word can lock a document behind a password in under a minute.

Before you do it, there's one warning I'd put in bold if I could. Microsoft says Word can't recover a forgotten document password, so if you lose it, the file's gone. Store the password somewhere safe first, then follow the steps below.

Locking a Word document with a password on Windows

Microsoft calls this Encrypt with Password, and it stops the file opening at all without the password.

1. Open the document and select the File tab.
2. Go to Info, then Protect Document.
3. Choose Encrypt with Password.
4. Type a password and select OK.
5. Retype it and select OK again to confirm.
6. Save the file.

Don't skip that last step. According to Microsoft, the password only takes effect once you save. Close the document and reopen it to check you're asked for the password.

Anyone you send the file to will see the same prompt when they open it, so let them know a password is coming. If they open it in a browser, they'll need the desktop app instead, for the reason I explain in the web section below.

Password protecting a Word document on a Mac

Word for Mac puts the option on the Review tab and gives you a choice the Windows route doesn't show up front.

1. Go to the Review tab.
2. Select Protect, then Protect Document.
3. Under Security, enter a password to open the document, a password to modify it, or both.
4. Re-enter each password when asked to confirm it.
5. Select OK, then save.

A modify password is handy when you're happy for people to read a file but want to stop them changing it, such as a staff policy or a team handbook.

Word for the web and password protected documents

This catches lots of people out. Microsoft says Word for the web can't password encrypt a document, and it can't edit one that's already encrypted either. Select Open in Word to switch to the desktop app, add the password there, and keep using the desktop app to open and edit that file from then on.

Choosing a password Word will accept

• Microsoft says passwords are case-sensitive, so Report and report aren't the same.
• They can be up to 15 characters long.
• Pick something strong you can remember, and keep a copy in a safe place such as a password manager.

If you share passwords for client files, don't send them in the same email as the document. A text message or a phone call keeps the two apart.

Encrypt with Password versus Restrict Editing in Word

There's a second protection feature that's often confused with the first. Here's how they differ:

Feature	What it does	Where to find it
Encrypt with Password	Stops the file opening without the password	File, Info, Protect Document
Restrict Editing	Lets people open the file but limits what they can change	Review, Protect, Restrict Editing

To use Restrict Editing, open the Review tab, select Restrict Editing in the Protect group, tick Allow only this type of editing in the document and choose No changes (Read only). You can mark sections as editable and add exceptions for everyone or named people. Then select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection and, if you want, enter a password. It's ideal for forms where clients fill in a few fields but shouldn't touch your wording.

To lift it later, open Restrict Editing again and select Stop Protection, entering the password if prompted.

Removing a password from a Word document

Changed your mind, or passing the file on to someone who'll look after it? Microsoft's steps are:

1. Open the document using its current password.
2. Go to File, Info, Protect Document, Encrypt with Password.
3. Delete the dots in the Password box.
4. Select OK and save the file.

You'll need the original password for this. There's no way round that from inside Word.

If you've forgotten a Word document password

I'm sorry to say the official answer is short. Microsoft says Word can't recover a lost or forgotten password. If the file belongs to a workplace, your IT admin might be able to help, but only if they'd set up a tool called DocRecrypt before the password was created. For personal files, look for an older unprotected copy in your backups or email attachments.

Please be wary of websites offering to crack Word passwords. Uploading a confidential file to an unknown service defeats the whole point of protecting it.

Good habits for password protected Word files in a small business

Protection only helps if the rest of your setup's secure too. A locked document in an email account with a weak password isn't much safer, so it's worth reading how to change your Outlook password if yours hasn't been updated in a while. Freelancers sending drafts to new clients can also add a password to work samples, something I touch on in my guide to landing your first freelance content writing job.

Frequently asked questions

How do I put a password on a Word document?

On Windows, go to File, Info, Protect Document, Encrypt with Password, type and confirm a password, then save. On a Mac, go to Review, Protect, Protect Document and add a password under Security.

Can I password protect a Word document in Word for the web?

No. Microsoft says Word for the web can't password encrypt a document. Select Open in Word and add the password in the desktop app.

How long can a Word document password be?

Microsoft says up to 15 characters, and passwords are case-sensitive.

Can Microsoft recover a forgotten Word password?

No. Word can't recover it. A workplace IT admin may help only if DocRecrypt was set up before the password was created.

How do I let people read a Word file but not edit it?

Use Restrict Editing on the Review tab and choose No changes (Read only), or on a Mac set only a password to modify under Protect Document.