How to Enable Review Mode in Microsoft Word

To enable Review Mode in Microsoft Word, open your document, select the Review tab on the top ribbon, and click Track Changes (or press Ctrl+Shift+E) to start recording edits. Every addition, deletion, and formatting update will appear as a marked change for collaborators to inspect.

What is Review Mode in Microsoft Word?

Review Mode in Microsoft Word isn't a single toggle switch, but a collaborative state activated when you turn on Track Changes and comment tools. It records every text addition, deletion, and formatting adjustment made to a document, allowing authors and editors to inspect, discuss, and accept or reject individual edits before finalizing the draft.

When you share a document for review, Word keeps the original text intact underneath a layer of markup. Depending on whether you use the desktop app or Word for the Web, you can set the document to show edits inline, inside margin balloons, or as a streamlined summary. This system prevents accidental overwrites and gives team members clear visibility into who made specific changes and why.

Enabling Track Changes in Word

You can enable Track Changes in Microsoft Word by navigating to the Review tab and clicking the Track Changes button. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows or Cmd+Shift+E on Mac. Once active, the button highlights, and any typing, deletion, or layout modification you make will be visibly tracked in the document.

Turning on tracked edits is essential whenever multiple people collaborate on a single file. It removes the guesswork of comparing separate draft copies. If you work on documents frequently, you can also right-click the status bar at the bottom of the Word window and check "Track Changes" to add a quick on/off switch directly to your workspace footer.

Track Changes: Method 1 - The Ribbon

To toggle Track Changes via the Ribbon, click the Review tab at the top of Microsoft Word and locate the Tracking section. Click the Track Changes button once to turn it on. When enabled, the button lights up, and a vertical line appears alongside modified lines of text.

Next to the Track Changes button, you'll find the Display for Review dropdown menu. Switching between "Simple Markup" and "All Markup" changes how detailed the visual edits look on your page. Simple Markup keeps the text clean with subtle margin indicators, while All Markup displays every redline and deletion explicitly.

Track Changes: Method 2 - Word for the Web Dropdown

If you are using Microsoft Word on a web browser, look for the Mode dropdown menu near the top right corner of the window. Switch the dropdown from Editing to Reviewing. This instantly turns on change tracking and comment permissions for your web editing session.

Word for the Web handles reviewing slightly differently than the desktop application. When set to Reviewing mode, any edits you type automatically convert into tracked suggestions. If you need to make permanent, un-tracked edits again, simply click the dropdown and switch back to Editing mode—provided you have full editing permissions for the file.

Understanding Track Changes Indicators

Microsoft Word displays specific visual cues for tracked edits depending on your chosen markup view. In All Markup, added text typically appears underlined in a designated color, deleted text shows as strikethrough or balloon notes, and margin bars mark modified lines so you can spot edits quickly.

Hovering your cursor over any tracked edit reveals a small tooltip containing the author's name, the date, the time, and the exact type of edit made. These visual indicators help prevent missed edits during final proofreading passes, making it easy to trace how a passage evolved during revision.

Adding and Managing Comments

Add comments in Microsoft Word by highlighting a section of text, switching to the Review tab, and selecting New Comment. A comment card opens in the margin where you can type notes, mention co-workers with an @ symbol, or start a discussion thread without modifying the body text.

Comments work alongside Track Changes to provide context for suggested edits. Rather than rewriting a complex section directly into the body text, you can leave a note asking the original writer for clarification or providing background reasoning for a proposed structural change.

Inserting Comments

Select the specific phrase or paragraph you want to annotate, then click New Comment on the Review tab. You can also right-click the selected text and pick New Comment, or press Ctrl+Alt+M on Windows. Word anchors the comment box directly to your selected text.

If your organization uses Microsoft 365, typing an @ mention followed by a teammate's name inside a comment sends them an automated email notification with a direct link to the message. This makes it straightforward to loop in subject matter experts without leaving your document workspace.

Resolving and Deleting Comments

Clear finished feedback by clicking the three dots on a comment thread and selecting Resolve Comment, which greys out the discussion while preserving its history. To remove a comment permanently, right-click the comment balloon or card and select Delete Comment, or click Delete in the Review tab.

Resolving comments is generally better than deleting them outright while a draft is actively being developed. It keeps the workspace uncluttered while maintaining an searchable audit trail of past discussions. Once the document reaches its final sign-off phase, you can purge all resolved comments at once.

Reviewing Changes and Accepting/Rejecting Edits

Review tracked edits by clicking the Next and Previous buttons under the Tracking section on the Review tab. At each highlighted modification, click Accept to integrate the change permanently into your text or Reject to discard it and restore the original wording.

Going through revisions sequentially ensures that every proposed edit gets proper consideration. As you accept or reject each suggestion, Word automatically removes the markup formatting and advances your cursor to the next tracked change in the document.

Using the Reviewing Pane

Open the Reviewing Pane by clicking Reviewing Pane on the Review tab to view an organized summary list of all tracked edits and comments. You can position this pane vertically along the left side or horizontally across the bottom to quickly jump through complex document revisions.

The Reviewing Pane is particularly useful when working on long manuscripts or legal documents containing hundreds of edits. It displays a total count of all revisions, categorized by insertions, deletions, moves, and formatting tweaks, letting you jump directly to specific items without scrolling endlessly.

Accepting or Rejecting All Changes

To process an entire document instantly, click the arrow beneath the Accept button on the Review tab and select Accept All Changes. Alternatively, click the arrow beneath Reject and choose Reject All Changes to scrub all suggested edits at once and return to the baseline text.

Using bulk actions saves time when reviewing trusted edits from a single editor, but exercise caution. Accepting all changes without stepping through them individually will permanently incorporate every formatting tweak and deletion into your primary draft, making spot checks difficult afterward.

Customizing Review Settings and Markup Options

Customize how revisions look by clicking the Advanced Options launcher arrow in the Tracking group on the Review tab. From there, you can assign unique markup colors for different authors, change strikethrough styles, or toggle balloon displays on and off to keep your workspace clear.

Adjusting these settings helps reduce visual noise on complex documents edited by large groups. If inline strikethroughs make sentences hard to read, you can route all deletions into side balloons or change the color palette to ensure author contributions remain distinct and accessible.

Advanced Tools for Reviewing Word Documents

Microsoft Word includes advanced comparison and protection tools alongside basic revision tracking. You can automatically compare two separate document versions to generate a combined tracked changes file, or lock tracking with a password to prevent collaborators from turning off Review Mode without permission.

The Compare feature (found under Review > Compare) is invaluable when someone returns an edited document without having Track Changes enabled. Word analyzes both files line by line and outputs a fresh document highlighting every variance as a tracked modification. Meanwhile, Lock Tracking ensures all edits remain logged even if shared files pass through multiple hands.

Comparison of Document Review Tools

Microsoft Word offers comprehensive document review capabilities, but other tools like Google Docs and Zoho Writer handle revision tracking differently. Evaluating their collaboration workflows, offline support, and pricing models helps teams decide which editor best fits their daily writing and auditing requirements.

🛍 Ready to buy? Check current prices on Amazon for the picks in this guide.

When selecting a primary editing platform based on review features, consider these general strengths:

1. Microsoft Word: The standard for advanced revision logging, complex document comparison, and offline publishing controls.
2. Google Docs: Ideal for fast-paced web collaboration where real-time edits and simple link sharing take priority over complex desktop formatting.
3. Zoho Writer: A strong alternative for teams integrated into business suites requiring structured document approval stages.

FAQ

How do I turn off Track Changes in Microsoft Word?

To turn off Track Changes, go to the Review tab on the ribbon and click the highlighted Track Changes button once. This toggles the feature off. Any edits you make after disabling it will directly modify the text without generating markup indicators or visual redlines.

What does a red line in the left margin mean in Word?

A vertical red line in the left margin indicates that a change was made to that specific line while Track Changes was active. Clicking the red line toggles your display between Simple Markup and All Markup, allowing you to quickly view or hide the specific edits made on that line.

Can I see who made a specific change in Word?

Yes. Hover your mouse cursor directly over any highlighted tracked edit or comment card. Word displays a small pop-up box showing the author's display name, along with the exact date and timestamp when the modification was recorded.

How do I accept all edits at once in Word?

Navigate to the Review tab, click the small dropdown arrow beneath the Accept button, and select Accept All Changes. Word will permanently incorporate every pending edit and deletion into the document body while clearing all revision markup from the page layout.

Is Track Changes the same as Suggesting mode in Google Docs?

Yes, both modes serve the same basic purpose. Microsoft Word's Track Changes and Google Docs' Suggesting mode both isolate edits as tentative proposals that document owners can review, accept, or reject individually without permanently overwriting the original baseline text.