How to Use Track Changes
Microsoft Word's Track Changes tool allows one person to insert corrections (called "changes") and another person to "accept" or "reject" these.
OpenOffice, a free alternative to Word, has a compatible tool. Click here to download OpenOffice.
Table of Contents
Microsoft Word
▪ Accept/Reject Changes
▪ Hide Convoluted Markup
▪ Have You Overlooked Small Changes?
▪ Comments
▪ Common Problems
Microsoft Word
This tutorial is geared toward 2007–2016 versions of Word. If your version is different, search online for "Track Changes Word [Version Year]" and you should get helpful results.
How to "Accept" or "Reject" Changes
You can accept/reject the changes in a few ways. Here are my favorites:
Option 1
Right-click an individual edit and either or .
Option 2
Under the > in the > click either or .
Time-Saving Tip
Go through and reject the edits you don't want. At the end, accept the wanted changes in one swoop by clicking and then (refer to image under Option 2).
Hide Convoluted Markup
As you review my changes, hiding convoluted markup may be helpful.
Under the > in the > select > then check/uncheck to toggle between hiding and showing the markup.
Don't worry—seeing all the changes as if they're applied doesn't mean the changes have actually been applied. You have to accept or reject them for that to happen.
Have You Overlooked Small Changes?
Little changes can make a big difference, but they're easily overlooked. To ensure no changes are missed:
Option 1
Under the > in the > click .
A pane will appear once you select . Look for any remaining changes here (e.g., anything that says "Inserted" or "Deleted"). You'll also see the comments within this pane, so remaining changes will be easier to spot if you've deleted most of the comments by this point.
Option 2
Under the > in the > select or .
If you've accepted everything, you will get a message saying there are no more changes. Otherwise, you will be brought to changes (and comments) you overlooked.
Comments
Can You See the Comments?
I almost always leave comments, so to make sure comments are visible, under the > in the > select > and check .
Note that sometimes I comment on deleted text (e.g., explaining why I recommend cutting it), and if the changes are hidden, the comment will be hidden too. In other words, to make sure you're seeing all comments, show rather than hide the markup.
How to Easily Navigate the Comments
Under the > in the > click either or .
How to Delete a Comment
Option 1
Right-click the comment and select .
Option 2
Select the comment. Then under the > go to the > click .
Common Problems
If a word is underlined in red (spellcheck sometimes thinks correct words are misspelled), the option to or won't show upon right-clicking. To resolve this, right-click and select (or ) to get rid of the red underline. Then right-click again.
For a small edit, it helps to place your pointer directly before the change before right-clicking so the correct menu shows up.
OpenOffice
How to "Accept" or "Reject" Changes
Option 1
Right-click an individual edit and or .
Option 2
> > Select and decide what to do within the new menu that will pop up.
Hide Convoluted Markup
As you review my changes, hiding convoluted markup may be helpful.
Click in the menu > go to > check/uncheck to toggle between hiding and showing the markup.
Don't worry—seeing all the changes as if they're applied doesn't mean the changes have actually been applied. You have to accept or reject them for that to happen.
Comments
Can You See the Comments?
I almost always leave comments, so make sure comments are visible.
Click in the menu > check (which appears more than halfway down the menu).
How to Delete a Comment
Click the small tab in the bottom right-hand corner of the comment and decide what to do.
Common Problems
If a word is underlined in red (spellcheck sometimes thinks correct words are misspelled), the option to or won't show upon right-clicking. To resolve this, right-click and select (or ) to get rid of the red underline. Then right-click again.