How to Highlight Track Changes in Word for Clear Reviews

To highlight edits in Microsoft Word, turn on Track Changes, then select Review > Display for Review > All Markup so insertions, deletions, and formatting edits appear in the document. If you want revisions to stand out more, adjust their markup colors; do not confuse that with applying Word’s text highlighter, which changes document formatting rather than simply showing the review marks.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac. The instructions below use Word for Windows; Mac labels and locations can vary slightly by release.
A document you can edit. If it is read-only or protected, you may need permission to make or display changes.
Optional: a copy of the document or a shared review copy, especially if other people are making edits at the same time.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and go to Review. Open the file in the desktop Word app and select the Review tab on the ribbon. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it or use Word’s search box to find Track Changes. The changes you make from this point can be recorded in the document, so check that you have opened the correct file before editing.
Turn on Track Changes. Select Review > Track Changes. When the button appears selected or highlighted, tracking is on. You can also use Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows; on Mac, use Command+Shift+E. These shortcuts toggle tracking, so check the ribbon state rather than pressing the shortcut repeatedly and accidentally switching tracking off.
Show every revision. On the Review tab, open Display for Review and choose All Markup. This view shows the actual insertions, deletions, and other tracked edits. Simple Markup is a less detailed view that can mark changed lines without displaying every revision inline. If you cannot see an edit, first confirm that All Markup is selected.
Choose which kinds of markup to display. Select Review > Show Markup and check the categories you need, such as Comments, Insertions and Deletions, and Formatting. Menu choices can include options for balloons and specific reviewers. For a full review, make sure the relevant categories are enabled; a category that is turned off can make a real revision appear to be missing.
Decide where the changes appear. In Review > Show Markup > Balloons, choose a balloon option if available to place comments or certain revisions in the margin. Choose to show revisions inline if you want edits to appear in the text. Balloons can make a page easier to read when there are many comments, while inline markup makes it easier to compare a change with the surrounding sentence.
Make a small test edit. With Track Changes on, insert a word or delete a short phrase. Word should mark inserted text and show deleted text as a deletion, often with a strikethrough or in a balloon depending on your view. Undo the test edit with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if you do not want it in the document. This confirms both that tracking is enabled and that your display settings show revisions.
Make revisions using normal editing commands. Continue typing, deleting, or applying formatting. Word records edits as tracked revisions; you do not need to manually color each changed word. If you are reviewing another person’s edits, use Review > Previous and Review > Next to move between revisions, then choose Accept or Reject only when you are ready to decide on an individual change.
Adjust revision colors if needed. In Word for Windows, look on the Review tab for the Track Changes options menu, then open Track Changes Options or Advanced Options. In the advanced options, available controls can include colors for insertions, deletions, changed lines, and comments. Choose a color that is easy to distinguish from the page and other markup, then confirm the dialog. If you do not see these controls there, check File > Options > Advanced and look for the Track changes options section. Exact labels may vary with Word updates.
Keep tracking on while collaborators edit. For a shared review, tell collaborators to leave Track Changes enabled and use their own review views as needed. The display choice on your screen is not the same as accepting or rejecting edits. Save the document after changes, and if you use OneDrive or SharePoint, wait for the save or sync indicator to finish before closing it.

On Mac: Track Changes is on the Review tab, and Command+Shift+E toggles it. Use the Review tab’s markup display and Show Markup controls to show revisions. Depending on your Word for Mac release, tracking preferences may be under Review > Track Changes or Word > Preferences (called Settings in some releases) > Track Changes. If the color controls are not in the same place as Windows, use Word’s search field for “Track Changes” or “Track Changes Options.”

Common Mistakes

Using the text highlighter instead of revision markup. Home > Text Highlight Color applies colored highlighting to selected text. It does not switch on or reveal tracked edits. If Track Changes is active, applying a highlight may itself be recorded as a formatting change, which is different from highlighting the revision markers.
Assuming Simple Markup means edits are gone. Simple Markup can reduce the visible detail, but the revisions may still be present. Switch to All Markup before deciding that a change has disappeared.
Choosing No Markup and then editing without checking. No Markup hides revision marks from the current view; it does not accept or delete them. The document can still contain tracked changes, so switch back to All Markup before reviewing or sharing it as a clean final copy.
Turning tracking off instead of resolving changes. Turning Track Changes off stops recording new edits; it does not accept or reject existing revisions. Use Accept or Reject to resolve recorded changes.
Expecting one fixed color per reviewer. Word may assign colors automatically, and a reviewer’s markup color can vary by document, author, or display settings. Color is a visual cue, not a reliable substitute for checking the reviewer name or revision details.
Accepting all changes just to remove the marks. Acceptance alters the document’s content and removes the revisions as review items. If you only need a less cluttered view, use Simple Markup or No Markup instead.

Tips

Use All Markup while making decisions. A clean-looking page can hide deletions and formatting changes. All Markup is the safer choice when checking every edit before approving a draft.
Keep categories focused, but know what is hidden. If comments distract from text revisions, turn off Comments in Show Markup temporarily. Before finishing, recheck the categories so you do not overlook a comment or formatting change.
Use colors with enough contrast. A bright, distinct color can make revisions easier to scan, but avoid relying on color alone. Some readers print in grayscale or have difficulty distinguishing particular colors; insertion and deletion styles and reviewer labels provide additional cues.
Review one change at a time. Use Previous and Next, read the surrounding sentence, and accept or reject the specific revision. This avoids approving a batch of edits simply because the paragraph looks correct at a glance.
Save a separate final copy when appropriate. Once decisions are complete, save a review version with markup and a separate clean version after accepting or rejecting the intended changes. Give the files clear names so recipients know which one is for review.
Remember that viewing settings are personal. A colleague may see markup differently because of their own Display for Review and Show Markup selections. If an edit seems absent on their screen, compare the view settings before assuming the shared file failed to save.

Troubleshooting

Track Changes is on, but edits look ordinary. Select Review > Display for Review > All Markup, then check Show Markup to confirm that Insertions and Deletions and any other relevant categories are enabled. If you are in No Markup or Simple Markup, switch to All Markup. Also check whether the text was changed before tracking was enabled: Word does not retroactively mark earlier edits.

Markup appears in the margin instead of in the text. Open Review > Show Markup > Balloons and change the balloon display choice, if your version offers it. Some comments or revision types may still be represented in the margin. Widen the Word window or zoom out if balloons are clipped or difficult to read.

You cannot change a revision color. Look for the advanced Track Changes options in the Review tab’s tracking menu, or check File > Options > Advanced on Windows. Not every Word build exposes identical controls, and organization policies may limit settings. If your version does not offer a color selector, keep All Markup on and use the available revision styles and reviewer labels instead.

The Track Changes button is unavailable. Confirm that the document is not opened in read-only mode, protected view, or a restricted editing state. If a banner offers Enable Editing and you trust the file, select it; otherwise, ask the document owner for permission or an editable copy. In a shared document, check that you are signed in with an account allowed to edit.

Word for the web does not show the same controls. Word for the web supports reviewing and tracking, but its ribbon and advanced color options may differ from desktop Word. Open the document in the desktop app for the full set of Windows or Mac controls described here. Before switching apps, make sure the web document has saved.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make tracked changes show in red?
Use the advanced Track Changes options to choose an insertion or deletion color if your Word version provides that control. Word can also assign colors automatically, so a particular reviewer’s edits are not guaranteed to remain red in every document or setup.

Does highlighting a tracked change accept it?
No. Applying text highlighting changes formatting, and it may be recorded as a formatting revision if Track Changes is on. Accepting or rejecting a change is a separate action on the Review tab.

Can I see changes without showing comments?
Yes. Choose All Markup, then open Review > Show Markup and clear Comments while leaving Insertions and Deletions enabled. You can turn comments back on later.

Why can’t I see who made a change?
Check that markup is displayed and that the relevant reviewer is not hidden through the Show Markup reviewer options. If a document has been edited or its personal information removed, author details may not be available for every revision.

Does No Markup remove tracked changes?
No. It changes the display, not the document’s revision history. Select All Markup to see them again; accept or reject revisions only when you intend to resolve them.

Can I highlight only one reviewer’s changes?
Open Review > Show Markup and use the reviewer or specific-people option, if available, to show or hide selected authors. This filters what you see; it does not delete other people’s revisions.

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