- Track Changes Review
- How to turn on Track Changes in Microsoft Word
- How to Make and Remove Track Changes comments
- Mac Track Changes May Differ
Track Changes Review
Track Changes is a feature built into Microsoft Word that keeps track of all edits made to your document and lets you make comments. When Track Changes is turned on, the edits you make are highlighted, appearing in different colors or styles to separate them from the original text. This is useful for documents with multiple authors or editors, who can review and approve each other's changes.
This article from Microsoft provides directions on turning track changes on and off, viewing changes in different ways, and accepting or rejecting changes. This article is specifically for Windows users.
This webpage provides a video and directions on using Track Changes in Word. It also provides different ways to view changes and add or delete comments.
This article from Microsoft provides directions on turning track changes on and off, accepting or rejecting track changes, and preventing others from turning off track changes. This article is specifically for Mac users.
How to turn on Track Changes in Microsoft Word
To turn Track Changes on, click on the Review tab, then click on the icon above Track Changes. To turn Track Changes off, just click this icon again. You can also toggle Track Changes on and off by clicking on the "Track Changes" menu arrow and then clicking Track Changes in the list.
When Track Changes is on, you can leave changes in the document simply by typing or editing as you would normally. The changes will be formatted differently than the rest of the document and will contain a mark in the margin to indicate that a change has been made.
For example, if you delete a paragraph with Track Changes on, the paragraph you deleted will remain visible, but will appear in red font with strike-throughs so you don't confuse it with the remaining text.
If you do not like seeing the changes within the text itself, you can change it to appear in balloons to the side of the text. To do this, go to Review > Show Markup > Balloons > Show Revisions in Balloon. You can also click Reviewing Pane in the Review tab to see all of your revisions in a tab to the side of the document.
How to Make and Remove Track Changes comments
To make comments in the document without adding to the text, use your mouse to highlight the text you want to comment on, and then click New Comment in the Review tab. A bubble will appear in the margin of the document, containing your name and a color assigned to you. Once the comment bubble appears, type your comment.
To reply to a comment, just click Reply on the comment you want to respond to and type your response. You can click anywhere outside of the comment bubble when you're finished.
There are two ways to remove a comment. Click on the comment you want to remove. If you want to keep the comment in the document for the time being, but want to indicate that it's already been addressed, click Resolve in the comment bubble. The comment will still be visible in the document's margin, but will now appear grayed out, distinguishing it from other comments.
If you want to remove a comment completely, leaving no trace of it in the document, click on the comment and then click the icon above Delete in the Review tab. It's located right next to the New Comment icon.
Mac Track Changes May Differ
To turn Track Changes on, go to the Review tab, click Tracking, and turn Track Changes on.
Track changes may appear slightly different in your Review tab after you turn it on. Also, the default may be to show your changes off to the side, like in the picture below.
If you want to see your changes within the text, go to the Review tab and the Track Changes section. Click Markup Options > Balloons > Show All Revisions Inline.
This is how it should appear with revisions inline:
Note: To add comments to your document, go to the Review tab and click New Comment. You can also delete comments from the Review tab.
