MS Word - Track Changes and Comments in MS Word

Track Changes and Comments are important reviewing tools available in Microsoft Word. These features help multiple users edit and review a document without permanently changing the original content. They are widely used in schools, offices, publishing, and collaborative projects.

1. What is Track Changes?

Track Changes is a feature that records every modification made to a document. When this option is turned on, Word highlights all edits such as:

  • Added text

  • Deleted text

  • Formatting changes

  • Moved content

Instead of directly replacing the original text, Word shows what changes were made and who made them.

This makes it easy for the document owner to review and approve or reject edits.

2. How to Enable Track Changes

Step 1: Open the document in MS Word.
Step 2: Go to the Review tab.
Step 3: Click Track Changes.

Once activated, all editing actions are automatically recorded.

3. Types of Changes Recorded

Insertions
New text added appears highlighted or underlined.

Deletions
Removed text is shown with strike-through formatting.

Formatting Changes
Changes in font style, size, alignment, or spacing are tracked.

Moves
Text moved from one place to another is recorded.

4. Accepting or Rejecting Changes

After reviewing edits, the document owner can decide which changes to keep.

Accept Change
The modification becomes permanent.

Reject Change
The document returns to its original content.

Users can review changes one by one or accept/reject all changes at once using options in the Review tab.

5. What are Comments?

Comments allow reviewers to add notes, suggestions, or explanations without changing the actual document content.

Comments are usually added in the margin area and are helpful for:

  • Giving feedback

  • Asking questions

  • Suggesting corrections

  • Explaining edits

6. How to Insert a Comment

Step 1: Select the text or position in the document.
Step 2: Go to the Review tab.
Step 3: Click New Comment.
Step 4: Type the comment in the comment box.

7. Replying and Resolving Comments

Other users can reply to comments to continue discussions.
Once the issue is addressed, comments can be marked as resolved or deleted.

8. Benefits of Track Changes and Comments

Supports teamwork and collaboration
Maintains editing history
Prevents accidental loss of original content
Improves document quality through review
Useful for teachers, editors, and managers

9. Practical Example

A teacher reviews a student's project report.
The teacher enables Track Changes and corrects grammar mistakes.
Comments are added to suggest improvements.
The student later reviews the suggestions and accepts the corrections.

Track Changes and Comments are essential tools for professional document reviewing because they allow multiple users to work together efficiently while maintaining full control over document modifications.