To prevent you from inadvertently distributing documents that contain tracked changes and comments, Word displays tracked changes and comments by default. Final Showing Markup is the default option in the Display for Review box.

In Microsoft Office Word, you can track each insertion, deletion, move, formatting change, or comment that you make so that you can review all of the changes later.

The Reviewing Pane displays all of the changes that currently appear in your document, the total number of changes, and the number of changes of each type.

As you review tracked changes and comments, you can accept or reject each change. Until you accept or reject all tracked changes and comments in a document, even hidden changes will appear to viewers in documents you send or display.In this article

Review a summary of tracked changes

The Reviewing Pane is a handy tool for ensuring that all tracked changes have been removed from your document and won't show up to others who might view your document. The summary section at the top of the Reviewing Pane displays the exact number of visible tracked changes and comments that remain in your document.

To view the number of each type of change, click Show Detailed Summary.

summary pane

Review each tracked change and comment in sequence

  1. On the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Next or Previous.

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  2. Do one of the following:
    • In the Changes group, click Accept.
    • In the Changes group, click Reject.
    • In the Comments group, click Delete.
  3. Accept or reject changes and delete comments until there are no more tracked changes or comments in your document.

    To ensure all tracked changes are accepted or rejected and that all comments are deleted, on the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click Reviewing Pane. The summary section at the top of the Reviewing Pane displays the exact number of tracked changes and comments that remain in your document.

Accept all changes at once

  1. On the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Next or Previous.

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  2. Click the arrow below Accept, and then click Accept All Changes in Document.

Reject all changes at once

  1. On the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Next or Previous.

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  2. Click the arrow below Reject, and then click Reject All Changes in Document.

Review changes by type of edit or by a specific reviewer

  1. Do one of the following:
    • On the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click the arrow next to Show Markup.

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      Clear all check boxes except for the ones next to the types of changes that you want to review.

    • On the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click the arrow next to Show Markup.

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      Point to Reviewers, and then clear all check boxes except for the ones next to the names of the reviewers whose changes you want to review.

      To select or clear the check boxes for all reviewers in the list, click All Reviewers.

  2. On the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Next or Previous.

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  3. Do one of the following:
    • In the Changes group, click Accept.
    • In the Changes group, click Reject.