Comments & Track Changes

Comments and Track Changes are important Microsoft Word features used for reviewing, editing and collaborating on documents. They allow users to provide feedback, monitor modifications and approve or reject changes without losing the original content.

A Comment is a note attached to specific text or an element in a document. Comments are useful for giving suggestions, asking questions, explaining changes or providing feedback without changing the main document content.

Track Changes records modifications made to a Word document. When it is enabled, Word identifies inserted text, deleted text and formatting changes so that reviewers can examine the editing history and decide which changes should remain.

1. Select the text
you want to comment on.

2. Open the Review
tab.

3. Click New Comment.

4. Type your comment
in the comment box.

5. Click Post Comment
or press Ctrl + Enter.

After adding a comment, users can reply to it, edit its content, resolve it or delete it. These options make comments useful for discussions and collaborative document review.

Track Changes must be enabled before editing if you want Microsoft Word to record the modifications. Once enabled, insertions, deletions and formatting changes can be reviewed later.

1. Open the Review tab.

2. Locate the Tracking
group.

3. Click Track Changes.

4. Make the required
edits.

5. Word will record
the changes automatically.

Microsoft Word provides different ways to display tracked changes. Reviewers can choose how much editing information should be visible while reviewing the document.

After edits have been recorded, a reviewer can examine each modification and decide whether to keep or remove it. The Review tab provides commands for moving through changes and managing them.

1. Open the Review tab.

2. Make sure Track
Changes is enabled
or review the recorded
changes.

3. Use Previous or
Next to move between
changes.

4. Examine each
modification.

5. Click Accept or
Reject.

6. Continue until all
changes have been
reviewed.

The Accept command keeps a tracked modification and incorporates it into the document. Reviewers can accept changes individually or use the available options to accept multiple changes.

The Reject command removes a tracked modification and restores the previous version of the affected content. Like accepting changes, reviewers can reject individual changes or multiple changes.

1. Open the Review tab.

2. Select the tracked
change.

3. Click Accept or
Reject.

4. Choose the required
option.

5. Move to the next
change.

6. Continue until all
changes are reviewed.

Track Changes can also record formatting modifications. Depending on the tracking settings, changes to fonts, styles, alignment and other formatting can be shown during the review process.

The reviewing tools can be used to focus on different types of modifications. This makes it easier to examine a document when many edits have been made.

Comments and Track Changes are especially useful when several people work on the same document. Authors, editors, teachers, managers and reviewers can communicate feedback and record modifications without immediately changing the final version.

Student submits the
document.

        ↓

Teacher enables or
reviews Track Changes.

        ↓

Teacher edits the
document.

        ↓

Teacher adds Comments
with suggestions.

        ↓

Student reviews the
feedback.

        ↓

Changes are accepted
or rejected.

        ↓

Final document is
prepared.

When a document is being reviewed by multiple people, it may be useful to restrict editing or control who can make changes. Microsoft Word provides document protection features that can help preserve the review process and prevent unwanted modifications.

Comments and Track Changes work together during document review. Comments provide explanations and suggestions, while tracked changes show actual modifications made to the document.

1. Review all tracked
changes.

2. Accept or reject
each required change.

3. Review all comments.

4. Reply to comments
that require a response.

5. Resolve comments
that have been addressed.

6. Check the final
document carefully.

7. Turn off Track
Changes when editing
is complete.

8. Save the final
document.

• Add comments to specific text so that feedback is easy to understand.
• Keep comments clear, short and relevant to the document.
• Use Track Changes when several people need to review or edit the same document.
• Review every tracked change before accepting or rejecting it.
• Resolve comments after the related issue has been addressed.
• Use meaningful explanations when suggesting major changes.
• Save a backup copy of an important document before completing a major review.
• Check the final document after all changes and comments have been processed.
• Turn off Track Changes when the review process is finished if further edits should not be tracked.
• Make sure confidential comments or reviewer information are removed when necessary before sharing the final document.

Original Text:

The company sales
increased by 10%.

Reviewer Action:

Track Changes →
Change "10%" to "15%".

Comment:

"Please verify this
figure with the latest
sales report."

Author:

Checks the data.

Accepts or rejects
the tracked change.

Replies to the comment.

Resolves the comment.

Final Text:

The company sales
increased by 15%.