3.4Review: Track Changes & Comments
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Track changes logs all additions, deletions and formatting changes
- Comments allow dialogue without altering the content of the document
- Each modification can be accepted or rejected individually or in bulk
Fil Imane — Revision: tracking changes and comments
Imane's report is reread by her manager and the legal department. It enables tracking of changes, responds to comments and accepts or rejects changes one by one.
Continuation of the common thread: a logistics SME in Algiers professionalizes its documents.
1. Tracking changes
Change Tracking is a review tool that records all changes made to the document: additions, deletions, formatting changes. Each modification is displayed in the document with a color code (underlined for additions, crossed out for deletions) and a bubble in the margin.
To enable Track Changes, go to the Review > Track Changes tab. Once enabled, all changes are saved under the user's name (configurable in File > Options > General). You can enable tracking only for certain parts by hiding and then re-enabling the option.
The display mode for changes is configurable: All changes (visible additions and deletions), Print preview (integrated changes), Draft (changes with bubbles). The View for Review button allows you to navigate between these modes.
2. Comments and annotations
comments (or annotations) allow you to leave notes, questions or suggestions without modifying the text. To add a comment, select text or place the cursor and use Review > New comment or Ctrl+Alt+M.
Comments appear in a sidebar to the right of the document. You can reply to a comment to create a conversation, and resolve a comment once the question has been answered. A resolved comment is hidden but not deleted.
Comments can be navigated one by one with the arrows on the Review ribbon. The Delete function allows you to delete a comment individually or all the comments in the document at once (Delete > Delete all comments from the document).
3. Accept and reject changes
When reviewing a document with Track Changes enabled, the reviewer (or original author) can accept or reject each change individually. To do this, go to Review > Accept or Reject. Each click validates or cancels the modification concerned and moves on to the next one.
You can also accept all or reject all in a single operation. This is helpful when the reviewer is confident in all the edits. Warning: this operation is irreversible (use Ctrl+Z to cancel if necessary).
The “Delete accepted comments” option allows you to clean up the document once all decisions have been made. Resolved comments can also be deleted in bulk for a clean final document.
4. Compare and combine documents
The Compare function (Review > Compare > Compare) allows you to put two versions of a document side by side to see all the differences. Word displays changes in a style similar to Track Changes, with an original document and an edited document.
The Combine function merges edits from two versions of the same document into a single document, displaying edits from both authors. This is very useful when two people have worked on the same document separately.
The comparison options allow you to choose what you want to compare: text, formatting, footnotes, fields, etc. You can exclude formatting changes to focus on content, or vice versa.
🔎 Concrete example — Worked Example — Using Track Changes to Review a Document
// Step 1: Enable Track Changes
// Review > Track Changes (ON button)
// The button becomes highlighted
// Step 2: Make changes
// All changes are recorded (additions in color, deletions struck through)
// Step 3: Add a comment
// Select a problematic passage
// Review > New Comment (Ctrl+Alt+M)
// Type your comment in the markup area
// Step 4: Accept or reject
// Review > Accept > Accept and Move to Next
// Or Accept All Changes to validate everything
// Step 5: Compare two versions
// Review > Compare > Compare
// Select the original document and the modified document
// Differences are displayed highlightedHere's how to enable tracking, comment, and accept/reject changes.
Track changes records all additions and deletions
Comments allow dialogue without modifying the text
Each modification can be accepted or rejected individually
Document comparison visualizes the differences between two versions
Section vocabulary
- Track changes
- Function that saves and displays all changes (additions, deletions) made to the document
Simple example: Imane applies “Track changes” in her professional documents.
What it is not: Treat “Track Changes” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Comment
- Annotation or note left in the margin of the document to indicate a point without modifying the text
Simple example: Imane applies “Comment” in her professional documents.
What it is not: treat “Comment” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Accept/Reject
- Action of validating or canceling a modification recorded by the modification tracking
Simple example: Imane applies “Accept/Reject” in her professional documents.
What it is not: treat “Accept/Reject” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
- Compare
- Function that compares two versions of a document to automatically visualize the differences
Simple example: Imane applies “Compare” in her professional documents.
What it is not: treat “Compare” as a detail with no impact on the document.
Reflex: Does this choice make the document clearer and more reliable?
In practice — Revise a document in review mode
- Enable Track Changes (Review > Track Changes)
- Add text: it appears underlined in color
- Delete text: it appears crossed out
- Add a comment on a passage (Ctrl+Alt+M)
- Accept the addition and reject the deletion
- Check the final result by hiding the changes
Script ready to say — Review: track changes and comments (25 sec)
“Enable and configure change tracking, add and manage comments, accept or reject changes, and compare two versions of a document. Concretely, I check this point before distributing the document: the modification tracking records all additions, deletions and formatting modifications. »
Short wording, to be adapted to the recipient and the context of the document.
Copy and paste template — “Review: Track changes and comments” checklist
CHECKLIST — Revision: tracking changes and comments
1. Track changes logs all additions, deletions and formatting changes
2. Comments allow dialogue without altering the content of the document
3. Each modification can be accepted or rejected individually or in bulk
4. Document comparison visualizes the differences between two versions automatically
EXPECTED RESULT: The document displays the changes with a color code, a comment in the margin, and the accepted changes are integrated into the final text.Express version
Apply only the essentials and the first key point, then check the rendering in a short document.
Remote
Share a PDF and check fonts, margins and pagination before sending.
As a team
Lock in the common model and document choices to keep colleagues consistent.
Printed version
Check pagination, headers and contrast before printing.
✓ Best practices
- Enable Track Changes BEFORE you start editing the document
- Use comments to ask questions rather than edit directly
- Navigate the changes one by one so you don't forget anything
- Compare versions before finalizing to check all changes
✗ Common pitfalls
- Forgetting to enable track changes, making it impossible to track changes
- Accept all changes without reviewing them one by one
- Leave unresolved comments in the final document
- Use Compare instead of Combine when two people have edited the same document
Key takeaways
- Track changes logs all additions, deletions and formatting changes
- Comments allow dialogue without altering the content of the document
- Each modification can be accepted or rejected individually or in bulk
- Document comparison visualizes the differences between two versions automatically
48 hour challenge — apply tomorrow
Resume reviewing a document in review mode on a real document from Imane's PME: Activate tracking changes (Review > Track changes). Time it for 20 minutes and note what has changed.
- I can explain and apply: Track changes records all additions, deletions and formatting changes
- I can explain and apply: Comments allow dialogue without altering the content of the document
- I can explain and apply: Each change can be accepted or rejected individually or in bulk
Frequently asked questions
How do I enable change tracking?
On the Review tab, click the Track Changes button to enable it. The button becomes highlighted when tracking is active.
Can I hide changes without accepting them?
Yes, use the drop-down menu next to the Show for Review button and choose "Print Preview" or "Original" to hide the changes visually.
How to delete all comments at once?
In Review > Delete > Delete all comments from the document. This action is irreversible.
What is the difference between Compare and Combine?
Compare compares two documents to visualize the differences. Combine merges edits from two versions into a single document with edits from both authors.
Which keyboard shortcut inserts a new comment in Word?