![]() | Use tracked changes |
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With tracked changes, multiple users can collaborate on a document, and each person's changes are tracked and displayed in a different color. However, the changes are not included in the document text until they are reviewed and accepted.
Do any of the following:
![]() | Turn on track changes |
When tracked changes are turned on, Word marks any changes that are made by any authors of the document. This is useful when you are collaborating with other authors because you can see which authors made a particular change.
Open the document that you want to edit.
On the Review tab, under Tracking, click the Track Changes switch to turn on track changes.
![]() | Tips |
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![]() | Show tracked changes or comments by type or by reviewer |
You can show or hide a document's comments, formatting, insertions, and deletions or view comments for only the reviewers that you select.
On the Review tab, under Tracking, on the Show Markup pop-up menu, click the option that you want.
![]() | Tip To display a shaded background behind the area where tracked changes or comments appear in the right margin, on the Show Markup pop-up menu, select Markup Area Highlight. This shaded area also prints with your document to help separate the document text from the tracked changes or comments. |
![]() | Turn off tracked changes in balloons |
By default, insertions, deletions, comments, the reviewer's name, and a time stamp are displayed in balloons that appear in the margins of your document. You can change your settings to display tracked changes in the body of the document.
On the Review tab, under Tracking, on the Show Markup pop-up menu, click Preferences.
Do one of the following:
To | Do this |
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Display tracked changes in the body of the document instead of in balloons | Clear the Use balloons to display changes check box. |
Hide the reviewer's name and the time and date stamp in balloons | Clear the Include reviewer, time stamp, and action buttons check box. |
![]() | Note With balloons turned off, commented text is enclosed in brackets, highlighted by a color, and identified by the reviewer's initials. Comments appear in a small pop-up window when you rest the pointer over commented text, except when your document is in publishing layout view. |
![]() | Change the formatting of tracked changes |
You can customize how revision marksA mark that shows where a deletion, insertion, or other editing change has been made in a document. Word can track changes by marking revisions as you make them, or by marking revisions when it compares two versions of a document. appear and work in Word.
On the Review tab, under Tracking, on the Show Markup pop-up menu, click Preferences.
Select the options that you want. The following table lists some frequently used formatting options.
To | Do this |
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Change the color and other formatting that Word uses to identify changes | Under Markup, select the formatting options that you want on the pop-up menus. |
Indicate deletions without displaying the text that was deleted | Under Markup, on the Deletions pop-up menu, click # or ^. Deleted text will be replaced with the character # or ^. |
Alter the appearance of changed linesVertical marks that appear next to text that has been added, deleted, or changed when change tracking is turned on. You can set preferences for the location and color of changed lines. | Under Markup, on the Changed lines and Colors pop-up menus, select the options that you want. |
Track text that is moved | Under Moves, click Track moves, and then on the Moved from, Moved to, and Color pop-up menus, select the options that you want. |
Change the color that Word uses to mark changes that are made to table cells | Under Table cell highlighting, on the Inserted cells, Deleted cells, Merged cells, and Split cells pop-up menus, select the options that you want. |
![]() | Review tracked changes and comments |
You can review and accept or reject each tracked change in sequence, accept or reject all changes at one time, delete all comments at one time, or review the items that are created by a specific reviewer.
If revision marks don't appear in the document, on the Tools menu, point to Track Changes, click Highlight Changes, and then select the Highlight changes on screen check box.
Do one of the following:
To | On the Review tab, do this | Then do this |
---|---|---|
Review the next change | Under Changes, click Next | Click Accept or Reject. |
Review the previous change | Under Changes, click Previous | Click Accept or Reject. |
Accept all changes at one time | Under Changes, click the arrow next to Accept | Click Accept All Changes in Document. |
Reject all changes at one time | Under Changes, click the arrow next to Reject | Click Reject All Changes in Document. |
Delete all comments at one time | Under Comments, click the arrow next to Delete | Click Delete All Comments in Document. |
Review items created by a specific reviewer | Under Tracking, click Show Markup | Point to Reviewers, and then clear all check marks except the one next to the name of the reviewer whose changes you want to review. To select or clear the check boxes for all reviewers in the list, click All Reviewers. |
![]() | Note When you rest the pointer on a tracked change, a ScreenTip appears that displays the author's name, the date and time of the change, and the kind of change that was made. |