How to Accept, Reject, and Track Changes in Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Accept, Reject, and Track Changes in Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

Editing with Track Changes in Microsoft Word makes collaboration clear and reversible. This guide shows how to turn tracking on, view edits, accept or reject changes, compare versions, and finalize a document—using practical, step‑by‑step instructions for Word on Windows and Mac.

1. Turn Track Changes on and off

1. Open your document.
2. Go to the Review tab.
3. Click Track Changes to toggle it on. Word will now mark insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.
4. To stop tracking, click Track Changes again. Existing tracked edits remain until accepted or rejected.

2. Choose how edits appear

1. On the Review tab, open the Display for Review dropdown (often shows Simple Markup, All Markup, No Markup, or Original).
2. Use Simple Markup for a clean view with inline indicators, All Markup to see every edit, No Markup to preview final text, and Original to see the document before edits.

3. View details for individual changes

1. Hover over or click a revision to see the author and timestamp (comments/balloons show details when Use Balloons is enabled).
2. To change how comments and revisions display: in Review → Tracking, open Show Markup and toggle items (Comments, Insertions and Deletions, Formatting). In Track Changes Options you can customize colors and whether changes appear inline or in balloons.

4. Accept or reject single changes

1. Select the change or place the cursor near it.
2. On the Review tab, use Accept or Reject.
3. Choose Accept/Reject This Change to handle it individually. Word will move to the next tracked change automatically.

5. Accept or reject multiple (or all) changes

1. To accept many changes at once, open the Accept dropdown on Review and choose:
   • Accept All Changes to finalize every tracked edit.
   • Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking to accept all edits and disable tracking.
2. To reject all, open the Reject dropdown and choose Reject All Changes.

6. Work with comments

1. Add a comment: select text and click New Comment on the