How to Track Changes in Word, Then Accept or Reject Every Edit

Whenever a document passes between two or more people, whether it's a client signing off website copy, a business partner checking a contract summary or an editor reworking your article, Track Changes is what keeps everyone honest. Every insertion and deletion is marked, and nothing becomes final until someone accepts it.

I'll show you how to switch it on in Word for Windows, Mac and the web, how to read the different markup views, how to accept or reject edits, and how to lock tracking so nobody can sneak changes through.

Switching on Track Changes in Word for Windows

1. Open the Review tab.
2. In the Tracking group, select Track Changes.
3. Choose For Everyone to track every person's edits, or Just Mine to track only your own.

Microsoft's training page explains that when you turn it off again, Word stops marking new changes, but any markup that's already there stays put until you deal with it. Switching off tracking doesn't accept anything.

Turning on Track Changes in Word for Mac

On a Mac the steps are almost identical. Go to Review, select Track Changes and pick For Everyone or Just Mine. Microsoft notes one quirk: if a document was shared with you for review, you may not be able to turn Track Changes off yourself.

Using Track Changes in Word for the web

In the browser version, go to Review, then Track Changes, and choose For Everyone or Just Mine. To stop, go to Review, Track Changes and select Off. The web version gives you two markup views under Review, Markup, which are Simple Markup and All Markup.

Choosing how tracked edits look in Word

You can display the same edits in several ways, and switching views is the quickest way to make sense of a heavily edited file. According to Microsoft:

View	What you see
Simple Markup	A clean page with a red line in the margin where something's changed
All Markup	Every edit in coloured text and lines, with a different colour for each reviewer
No Markup	The document as it would look with all the changes made
Original	The document as it was before any tracked changes

I flick between No Markup, to read the edited version as a reader would, and All Markup, to see exactly who did what. Simple Markup is fine for a quick check, but it's easy to miss small deletions in that view.

Accepting or rejecting tracked edits one by one

1. Click at the very start of the document.
2. On the Review tab, in the Tracking group, select Next to jump to the first change.
3. Select Accept to keep it or Reject to undo it. Word moves on to the next edit.
4. Repeat until you reach the end.

Going one at a time is slower, but it's the safe route for anything contractual or anything with your name on it.

Accepting every tracked change in Word at once

When you trust the reviewer, open the Accept menu on the Review tab. Microsoft lists Accept All Changes, which accepts everything, and Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking, which accepts everything and switches tracking off in one move. The Reject menu works the same way if you want to throw all the edits out.

Locking Track Changes so it can't be switched off

If you're sending a document out and want every edit recorded, lock tracking. On Windows, open Tracking, then Track Changes, and choose Lock Tracking. Microsoft says you can set a password so others can't turn tracking off.

On a Mac, go to Review, then Protect, then Protect Document, and add a password there. It's a sensible step for client sign-offs, because it means you'll always see what they changed rather than receiving a quietly rewritten file.

Tracked changes and printing: a common trap

Here's the one that catches people. Hiding markup before printing or sending doesn't remove the edits. Microsoft is clear that the changes are still in the file until you accept or reject them. If you send a document with markup hidden, the next person can switch the view back and see every deletion and rewrite.

Before a document goes to a client or gets published, go through it and accept or reject everything, then check there's nothing left by selecting Next on the Review tab.

Word comments and Track Changes are now separate

Older guides lump comments in with Track Changes. Microsoft's training page says comments are no longer part of the Track Changes function, so accepting all changes won't clear your comments. Deal with comments separately once the edits are sorted.

How freelancers and small teams use Track Changes in Word

For freelance writers, tracked edits are the best feedback you'll ever get, because you can see exactly how a client or editor likes things phrased. If you're breaking into that work, my guide on how beginners break into freelance creative writing covers how to handle edits professionally. And if you want to understand why clients rework sales copy the way they do, start with my explainer on how copywriting works in practice.

• Agree who accepts changes, so two people don't both edit the same paragraph.
• Use All Markup when several reviewers are involved, so the colours show who's who.
• Accept or reject everything before the file leaves your business.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Track Changes in Word?

It's on the Review tab, in the Tracking group. Select Track Changes and choose For Everyone or Just Mine.

Does turning off Track Changes remove the edits?

No. Microsoft says Word simply stops marking new changes. Existing markup stays until you accept or reject it.

How do I accept all tracked changes in Word?

Open the Accept menu on the Review tab and choose Accept All Changes, or Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking to switch tracking off at the same time.

Can I stop others turning off Track Changes?

Yes. On Windows, choose Lock Tracking under Track Changes and set a password. On a Mac, use Review, Protect, Protect Document.

If I hide markup, are the changes gone?

No. Microsoft says hiding markup doesn't remove changes. You need to accept or reject them before sharing the file.