Track Changes in Microsoft

Word
Concept and Procedure
Table of Contents

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 1

Turning on Track Changes...................................................................................................................... 2

Using Track Changes .......................................................................................................................... 3

Editing with Track Changes ..................................................................................................... 3

Editing by Multiple Users ......................................................................................................... 3

Comments ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Adding a New Comment.......................................................................................................... 4

Deleting a Comment ................................................................................................................ 5

Navigating Comments ............................................................................................................. 5

Viewing your Comments ..................................................................................................................... 6

Balloons ................................................................................................................................... 6

Show Markup ........................................................................................................................... 8

Reviewing Pane ..................................................................................................................... 10

Accepting the Tracked Changes ........................................................................................................... 12

Rejecting the Tracked Changes ............................................................................................................ 14

Turning off Track Changes.................................................................................................................... 15

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Track Changes feature ............................................................................................................ 1

Figure 2: Track Changes Activated ......................................................................................................... 2

Figure 3: Colored Revision Marks ........................................................................................................... 3

Figure 4: Revisions - By Multiple Users .................................................................................................. 3

Figure 5: New Comment option under Review Tab ................................................................................ 4

Figure 6: Comment box to enter comments............................................................................................ 4

Figure 7: Previous and Next option ......................................................................................................... 5

Figure 8: Balloons option dropdown list .................................................................................................. 6

Figure 9: Show Revisions in Balloons ..................................................................................................... 7

Figure 10: Show all Revisions Inline ....................................................................................................... 7

Figure 11: Show only Comments and Formatting in Balloons ................................................................ 7

Figure 12: Show Markup Option ............................................................................................................. 8

Figure 13: Reviewing Pane drop down list............................................................................................ 10

Figure 14: Vertical Reviewing Pane ...................................................................................................... 10

Figure 15: Horizontal Reviewing Pane .................................................................................................. 11

Figure 16: Accept Options..................................................................................................................... 12

Figure 17: Previous and Next options ................................................................................................... 13

Figure 18: Reject Options ..................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 19: Track Changes Deactivated ................................................................................................ 15

List of Tables
Table 1: Comment Delete Options .......................................................................................................... 5

Table 2: Accept Tracked Changes options ........................................................................................... 12

Table 3: Reject Tracked Changes Options ........................................................................................... 14

Introduction
The Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word allows you to make revisions, keep track of changes,
edits, and comments made in a document. It is also known as redline changes due to their color
which keeps a track of what you need to add or delete in a document.
It is particularly useful when multiple users are working on a single document. It allows you to see
exactly what changes are done, and by whom. You can amend changes without losing the original
context of the document. Track Changes give you the flexibility of accepting and rejecting whatever
information you want.
It is primarily used by Technical Writers, Professors, and so on.

This article comprises of the following topics:

Turn on Track Changes

Accept Track Changes

Reject Track Changes

Turn off Track Changes

Figure 1: Track Changes feature

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Turning on Track Changes
The Track Changes functionality allows you and your colleague to make changes that are easily
identified in the document.

To turn on the track changes

1. Open Microsoft Word document.
2. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click the Track Changes button.
The Track Changes button is highlighted and then point to Track Changes. The Track
Changes feature gets activated and you can make track edits to the document.

Figure 2: Track Changes Activated

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Using Track Changes
This section explains how you can use the Track Changes feature such as color markup, strike
through, underline, and other to edit a document.

Editing with Track Changes

When you start editing the original document with track changes activated, any additions will be in
different color and underlined. Document deletions are automatically displayed in color with a
strikethrough.

Figure 3: Colored Revision Marks

Editing by Multiple Users

The color is allocated by Microsoft Word and each reviewer’s edits will appear in different color also a
vertical line in the left margin indicates where the changes have been made in the document.

Figure 4: Revisions-By Multiple Users

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Comments
The New Comment feature is a note or footnote that a reviewer can add to a document. Microsoft
Word displays the comment in the Reviewing Pane or in a balloon in the margin of the document.

Figure 5: New Comment option under Review Tab

Adding a New Comment

You can add a new comment in a document that you are reviewing.

To add a new comment

1. Open Microsoft Word document.
2. In the document, select the word or paragraph for which you need to add the comment.
3. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Comments group, click the New Comment button.
The word or paragraph selected is highlighted and a comment box appears in the right margin
of your document.

Figure 6: Comment box to enter comments

4. Enter the comments or notes in the comment box and then press Esc button.
A new comment is added for word or paragraph.

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Deleting a Comment
After you have resolved the comments and do not want to be reminded, you can delete the comment.

To delete a comment
1. Open Microsoft Word document.
2. In the document, select a comment for word or paragraph. Do one of the following to delete
the comment.

Right-click on the comment and point to Delete Comment.
The selected comment is deleted.
OR

On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Comments group, click on the upper half of
the Delete button.
The selected comment is deleted.
OR

On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Comments group, click on the lower half of
the Delete button, a drop down list displays the following options to delete a single
comment or multiple comments in the document.

Table 1: Comment Delete Options

Name Description

Allows you to individually select a particular comment to

Delete
delete it.

Allows you to delete all the comments in the entire

document.
Delete All Comments
Shown Note: This option is grayed out under normal
circumstances.

Delete All Comments in Allows you to delete all the comments in the document at
Document once.

Navigating Comments

In the Comments group, you can navigate the comments by selecting the Previous or Next option.
This function helps you to go through the comments one-by-one and makes it easier to review.

Figure 7: Previous and Next option

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Viewing your Comments
Displaying the proposed changes made in the document is an important factor. Some users prefer a
pane at the bottom or side of the document listing all changes made, whereas some other users
prefer to view the changes on the text in the document itself.

There are four options of displaying track changes:

Balloons

Display for Review

Show Markup

Reviewing Pane

Balloons

The Balloons feature allows you to choose how to show revisions to the document. There are three
ways of showing revisions in a document.

Show Revisions in Balloons

Show All Revisions Inline

Show Only Comments and Formatting in Balloons

To select the Balloons feature

Click on Balloons option in the Tracking group to show the revisions done in the document. By
default, most revisions appear inline, meaning the text itself is marked. You can select the option
from the drop down list before making changes in the document. This will ensure all changes made to
the document are visible in the body of the document.

Figure 8: Balloons option dropdown list

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There are three options under Balloons option:

Show Revisions in Balloons - This allows you to give more detailed information about the changes
done in the document. The changes made will appear in the right margin.

Figure 9: Show Revisions in Balloons

Show All Revisions Inline - Under this option all the changes and revisions made in the document
will appear inline.

Figure 10: Show all Revisions Inline

Show Only Comments and Formatting in Balloons - Under this option only the changes formatted
or any comments inserted will be highlighted. The changes made will appear in the right margin.

Figure 11: Show only Comments and Formatting in Balloons

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Show Markup
The Show Markup feature allows you to choose various kinds of markup to show in the document.
You can hide or show comments, insertions and deletions, formatting changes and other kinds of
markups.

When you click on the Show Markup option, the drop down list has options to turn markup on or off for
• Comments
• Ink
• Insertions and Deletions
• Formatting
• Markup Area Highlight
• Reviewers

Figure 12: Show Markup Option

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Reviewing Pane
The Reviewing Pane feature allows you to show revisions in a separate window. You can either use
the vertical or horizontal reviewing pane.

To select the reviewing pane

1. Open Microsoft Word document.
2. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click the Reviewing Pane list.
Select either Reviewing Pane Vertical or Reviewing Pane Horizontal.

Figure 13: Reviewing Pane drop down list

Figure 14: Vertical Reviewing Pane

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Figure 15: Horizontal Reviewing Pane

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Accepting the Tracked Changes
The Accept feature allows you to accept any of the track changes which you want to incorporate. You
can accept the track changes one at a time or all at once.

Figure 16: Accept Options

In Microsoft Word, there are four Accept options as mentioned in the following table:

Table 2: Accept Tracked Changes options

Name Description

Accept and Move to Next Allows you to accept the tracked changes one at a time.

Similar to Accept and Move to Next option, but in this you

Accept Change have to individually select a particular change and click on the
Accept Change option.

Allows you to accept all the formatting tracked changes done in

the document.
Accept All Changes Shown
Note: This option is grayed out under normal circumstances.

Accept All Changes in Document Allows you to accept all tracked changes at once.

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To accept the tracked changes
1. Open Microsoft Word document and then click at the beginning of the document
2. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Changes group, click the Next button or Previous
button to go to the first tracked change or last tracked change.

Figure 17: Previous and Next options

3. Click on the lower half of the Accept button, a drop down list displays the Accept feature
actions – Accept and Move to Next, Accept Change, Accept All Changes Shown, and
Accept All Changes in Document.

Note: You can click on the upper half of the Accept button, to immediately accept the tracked
changes.

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Rejecting the Tracked Changes
The Reject feature allows you to reject any of the tracked changes which you do not want to
incorporate. The original content in the document will remain intact. You can reject the tracked
changes one at a time or all at once.

Figure 18: Reject Options

In Microsoft Word, there are four Reject options as mentioned in the following table:
Table 3: Reject Tracked Changes Options

Name Description

Reject and Move to Next Allows you to reject tracked changes one at a time.

Similar to Reject and Move to Next option, but in this you have
Reject Change to individually select a particular change and click on the Reject
Change option.

Allows you to reject all the formatting tracked changes done in

the document.
Reject All Changes Shown
Note: This option is grayed out under normal circumstances.

Reject All Changes in Document Allows you to reject all tracked changes at once.

To reject the tracked changes

1. Open Microsoft Word document and click at the beginning of the document
2. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Next button or Previous
button to go to the first tracked change or last tracked change.
3. Click on the lower half of the Reject button, a drop down list displays the Accept feature
actions – Reject and Move to Next, Reject Change, Reject All Changes Shown, and
Reject All Changes in Document.

Note: You can click on the upper half of the Reject button, to immediately reject the tracked
changes.

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Turning off Track Changes
Turning off Track Changes functionality allows you and your colleague to review the document
without marking up new changes. Any changes that were already tracked remain marked up in the
document.

To turn off the track changes

1. Open Microsoft Word document.
2. On the Ribbon, in the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click Track Changes button.
The Track Changes button is no longer highlighted. The Track Changes feature gets
deactivated.

Figure 19: Track Changes Deactivated

Name : Puja Dilip Angre

Date: August 29, 2019

Assignment number: 4

Assignment name: Concept & Procedure Writing of Track Changes in Microsoft Word

Time Required: 8 hours

Reviewed by: Mr. Prateek Kamble

Reviewed date: August 29, 2019

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