Check Track Changes in Word: Review Edits with Confidence

To check Track Changes in Word, open the Review tab, set Display for Review to All Markup, and inspect the edits shown in the document or Reviewing Pane. Use Previous and Next to move through changes. You can review tracked edits even when Track Changes is currently turned off; turning it off only stops recording new edits.

What You’ll Need

A copy of the Word document you want to review. If it is shared, make sure you have permission to open or edit it.
Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows for the exact ribbon paths below. Word for Mac has similar review controls, though some buttons may be arranged or named differently.
Optional: the document’s author or editor names, if you need to identify who made a particular change.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and go to Review. Open the file in Word, then select the Review tab on the ribbon. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it or use the tab to show its controls. The Review tab contains the display, navigation, and decision tools used to inspect tracked changes.
Show all revisions. In the Tracking group, open the Display for Review menu and choose All Markup. This view exposes insertions, deletions, and other tracked formatting changes rather than showing only the clean-looking final text. If you see a markup bar at the left margin, that may indicate revisions are present even when their details are not currently displayed.
Check which markup categories are visible. Select Show Markup in the Tracking group. Make sure the categories you need to inspect are selected, such as Comments, Insertions and Deletions, and Formatting. If the document has changes from several people, open Specific People and ensure the relevant authors are included. A category or author that is filtered out can make the file look as if it has fewer changes than it really does.
Choose how revisions appear. With All Markup selected, Word can show edits inline or in balloons near the page margin, depending on the current markup settings and available space. Inline markup places changes within the text; balloons can make longer deletions or comments easier to read. If a balloon is hard to see, widen the Word window or inspect the Reviewing Pane. These display choices affect how you see revisions, not whether the underlying edits exist.
Read the visible edits in context. An insertion is usually marked with colored or underlined text, while deleted text may appear crossed out or in a balloon. The exact colors and markings can vary with Word settings and the number of reviewers. Read the surrounding sentence as well as the marked words: a deletion may remove a phrase, while an insertion may add replacement wording elsewhere in the sentence. Look for formatting marks if changes to bold, italics, or other formatting matter to the review.
Move through changes one at a time. In the Changes group on the Review tab, select Next or Previous to jump between revisions. Review each item in context instead of relying on a quick scroll through the document. Word highlights the current change, making it easier to tell which edit you are considering. If the controls are unavailable, check that the document is open in an editable format and that there are revisions to navigate.
Open the Reviewing Pane for an inventory. On the Review tab, select Reviewing Pane in the Tracking group. Depending on your Word layout, you may be able to choose a vertical or horizontal pane. The pane summarizes revisions and can help you see whether there are many edits beyond the current screen. Use it as a navigation aid, then return to the page to understand each edit in its surrounding paragraph. The pane is useful for checking completeness, but it does not replace reading the document.
Confirm whether Track Changes is recording new edits. The Track Changes control on the Review tab turns change tracking on or off. Check its appearance or menu state before making your own edits. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, its menu may offer options such as tracking changes for everyone or only your changes. If your goal is only to inspect an existing document, you do not need to turn tracking on. If you will edit and want your revisions recorded, turn it on first and verify the setting.
Keep review separate from approval. Checking changes does not require accepting or rejecting them. If you are authorized to finalize the document, use Accept or Reject in the Changes group for a selected revision, or use the adjacent menu for additional options. These actions alter the revision state and can remove markup from view. If you only need to report what you found, leave the revisions untouched and save a separate copy or share your comments with the document owner.

Common Mistakes

Confusing No Markup with no revisions. The No Markup display hides revision marks to show what the document could look like without them. It does not mean the revisions have been accepted or deleted. Switch back to All Markup to inspect them. Similarly, Simple Markup can show a cleaner page with indicators in the margin, so it may not reveal every detail at a glance.

Assuming Track Changes must be on to view edits. The tracking switch controls whether Word records new edits; it is not the display switch. A document can contain tracked changes while tracking is off, and it can have tracking on before anyone has made a tracked edit. Check both the display mode and the tracking state for their separate purposes.

Missing edits because of filters. Show Markup settings can hide comments, formatting changes, or edits from specific people. If an expected revision is not visible, review those filters before concluding that the change is gone. Also make sure the file has finished opening or syncing if it is stored in a shared location.

Accepting or rejecting while you are only trying to inspect. Accept and Reject are decisions, not viewing options. Clicking them changes the document’s revision status. Navigate with Next and Previous, and avoid those decision buttons until you intend to resolve the changes.

Tips

Start with All Markup and all relevant Show Markup categories, then narrow the view only when you have a specific reason. This reduces the chance of overlooking an edit.
Review edits in context, especially when a sentence has both deletions and insertions. A replacement may be recorded as separate actions, and judging either one alone can make the proposed wording unclear.
Use the Reviewing Pane for a broad count or quick overview, then use Next and Previous to inspect each revision in the page. This combines a useful inventory with readable context.
If several reviewers contributed, note the author label associated with changes where available. Do not infer that a color always identifies the same person: Word can assign colors based on the document and review settings.
Save a copy before resolving a large batch of changes. That gives you a reference point if you need to compare the reviewed version with the version you received.
For Word on Mac, select the Review tab and look for the same core controls: markup display, Show Markup, navigation, and Accept or Reject. Ribbon placement can differ by release and window size; maximize the window or check the Review tab menus if a control is not immediately visible.

Troubleshooting

I cannot see any changes. Select Review > Display for Review > All Markup, then check Review > Show Markup. Make sure Insertions and Deletions and any needed author names are enabled. If the page still appears unchanged, open the Reviewing Pane and use Next to check whether Word finds a revision. The file may have no tracked changes, or the changes may already have been accepted. If you expected revisions, ask the sender to confirm that they saved and shared the reviewed version rather than an earlier copy.

I see a line in the margin but cannot read the edit. The document may be in Simple Markup, or the detailed revision may be displayed in a balloon. Switch to All Markup and inspect the balloon or Reviewing Pane. You can also make the document window wider or reduce the zoom so more of the page and margin are visible. If the mark relates to formatting, confirm that Formatting is checked under Show Markup.

Next and Previous are grayed out or do not move. Confirm that the document is open in Word rather than a preview, and that a revision exists in the currently displayed content. Check that filters have not hidden all changes. If the file is read-only, you can generally still review existing markup, but you may not be able to accept or reject it. For a shared file, wait for synchronization to finish, then close and reopen it if the controls remain unresponsive.

The changes look different on another computer. Review settings, display mode, window size, and Word version can affect how markup is presented. The view may be Simple Markup or No Markup on one device and All Markup on another, even though the underlying revisions are the same. Set the document to All Markup and check Show Markup on each device. If an edit seems to be missing from the file itself, compare with the sender’s copy before making decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see tracked changes if Track Changes is off?
Yes. Turning tracking off prevents Word from recording new edits; it does not automatically remove revisions already in the document. Select All Markup to display existing changes.

Does No Markup delete or accept changes?
No. No Markup changes the view so revisions are hidden. To resolve a revision, use Accept or Reject. Return to All Markup if you want to see the pending edits again.

How do I tell who made a change?
When author information is available, Word labels revisions with a reviewer name or initials. Check Show Markup > Specific People to ensure that person’s revisions are included. The displayed color alone is not a reliable way to identify an author.

Can I review changes without accepting them?
Yes. Use All Markup, the Reviewing Pane, and Previous or Next to inspect revisions. Avoid Accept and Reject if you are not responsible for resolving the document.

Where is Track Changes in Word for Mac?
Open the Review tab and look for Track Changes and the markup display controls. The exact layout can vary by Word version and window size, but you can still use the Review tab to view and navigate revisions.

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