Track Changes in Word

Collaborate on a Microsoft Word document with your colleagues and track changes each reviewer has made.

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How to "Track Changes" in Word video transcript:

Have you ever wanted your colleagues to review a Microsoft Word document, but were unsure how to keep track of the changes that reviewers have made to the document? The "Track Changes" feature in Word is a simple way to identify these changes. It allows a document to be edited collaboratively, with changes made by one reviewer visible to all subsequent reviewers.

You'll find track changes in the "Review" tab.

I suggest making sure you have an appropriate username for your colleagues to see when you are making tracked changes as well as adding notes to the document. Go to the track changes pull-down and select "Change User Name".

Now you are ready to edit. Click on the pull-down and select "Track Changes". By default when you edit this document Microsoft Word will strike through deletions and underline added text in its respective color.

Let's say your made edits to the document and sent it to the next reviewer. They would find the original edits in one color and their own edits in another. This will continue to change from reviewer to reviewer to reviewer. That's basically what the "red and blue by author section" means in the "Track Changes Options."

The reviewing pane is a great way to see every change that has been made to the document and identify which reviewers made those changes. You can also see who made edits and when they were made by simply hovering over the edited text.

If you want to see what the original document looked like before any changes were made, click on the pulldown and select "Original". If you want to see what the final document will look like if all of the changes are incorporated, click on the pulldown and select "Final". Individual changes to the document can be confirmed by choosing "Accept and Move to Next" or "Reject and Move to Next", or simply right-clicking on an edited item and making your selection.

Now you know how to use the "Track Changes" feature in Microsoft Word.