Track Changes in Word for the Web: A Step-by-Step Guide

To track edits in Word for the web, open the document, select Review > Track Changes, and choose For Everyone if you want changes from all editors recorded. Then edit the document as usual; additions and deletions will appear as markup that you or a collaborator can review, accept, or reject.

Track Changes is useful when several people are revising a document or when you need to compare proposed edits before making them final. You can also use it for your own revisions, but remember that hiding markup does not accept or remove changes. The steps below cover turning tracking on, choosing how to view edits, and resolving them in the browser version of Word.

What You’ll Need

A Microsoft account and access to Word for the web through Microsoft 365.
A document you can edit. Documents saved in OneDrive or SharePoint are easiest to share and collaborate on; you can also open a compatible Word document from your device.
Edit permission if you need to turn tracking on, make edits, or accept and reject changes. View-only access may not provide these controls.

Step-by-Step

Open the document in editing mode. Sign in at Microsoft 365 or OneDrive, find the document, and open it in Word for the web. If Word opens it in Reading or viewing mode, select Edit Document or Editing, then choose the option to edit in the browser. Check that you have permission to make changes before proceeding. If the document is shared, make sure you are working in the shared copy rather than a downloaded duplicate.
Go to the Review tab. Select Review on the ribbon at the top of the Word window. If the ribbon is collapsed, expand it using the ribbon display control or select the tab to show its commands. The exact layout can vary with window size, but Track Changes is a Review command, not a setting in the browser’s general preferences.
Turn on tracking for the right people. Select Track Changes. If it opens a menu, choose For Everyone to record edits made by you and other editors while tracking is enabled. Choose Just Mine when you only want your own edits tracked. If the command is a simple on/off control in your layout, select it to enable tracking. Check the button or menu state afterward; do not assume tracking is active merely because you are on the Review tab.
Confirm the document is tracking edits. Make a small, reversible test edit in a suitable place, such as adding a temporary word, and look for markup. Inserted text is commonly underlined or shown in a color, and deleted text may appear with strikethrough or in a revision balloon. The exact color and placement depend on Word’s display settings and the editor. Undo the test edit if you do not want to keep it. If no markup appears, see Troubleshooting before making substantial revisions.
Make your edits normally. With Track Changes on, type, delete, or replace text in the document. Word records those actions rather than immediately presenting them as clean, final text. For example, replacing a sentence may show the replacement as an insertion and the old wording as a deletion. Avoid switching tracking off midway through a review unless you intentionally want later edits to be unmarked.
Choose a view that makes revisions easy to inspect. On the Review tab, open the review or markup display menu and select All Markup when you need to see the edits themselves. Depending on the ribbon layout, this control may be labeled Display for Review or Markup. Simple Markup can make a document less visually busy, but may condense the details; No Markup or Original changes what you see without resolving the revisions. Switch back to All Markup before deciding whether to accept or reject an edit.
Review edits one at a time. Select a change in the document, or use the Previous and Next controls on the Review tab to move through revisions. Read the surrounding paragraph before deciding: a deletion or replacement can affect the meaning of the sentence beyond the marked words. Use Accept to keep an edit or Reject to discard it. If the command has a dropdown, check its options before choosing an action that applies to more than the selected change.
Finish the review and check the result. Continue through the document until you have addressed the changes you intend to resolve. Use an accept-all or reject-all command only when you are certain that every pending revision should receive the same decision. Then choose a clean display such as No Markup to preview how the document will look, and read important sections once more. Word for the web saves changes to a cloud document automatically, but wait for the save indicator to finish before closing the tab.

Word for the web has a similar Review ribbon on Windows and Mac, so the menu steps are generally the same in either browser. If the ribbon is narrow or simplified, commands may be grouped under a dropdown. Using the visible ribbon is more reliable than relying on a keyboard shortcut, which can vary by operating system, browser, and keyboard settings.

Common Mistakes

Assuming edits are tracked because markup is hidden. No Markup and Original are display choices, not proof that tracking is on or that revisions have been accepted. Check the Track Changes control and use All Markup to inspect the document.
Choosing Just Mine in a shared review. If collaborators need their edits recorded too, select For Everyone. Otherwise, their changes may not appear as tracked revisions under the current setting.
Accepting every change too quickly. Accept All can remove the opportunity to inspect individual edits. Review changes in context first, especially in contracts, instructions, or other documents where a small wording change matters.
Confusing comments with tracked changes. Comments are discussion notes attached to text; they do not show an actual replacement or deletion. Use Track Changes for proposed wording edits and comments when you need to ask a question or explain a suggestion.
Turning tracking off before finishing. Later edits may then be made without revision marks. If the document is being reviewed collaboratively, confirm with the other editors before changing the tracking setting.
Editing a local copy instead of the shared original. A downloaded copy may not update the file your collaborators are reviewing. Check the document name and location, and reopen the OneDrive or SharePoint version if needed.

Tips

Agree on the tracking scope first. For a team review, ask everyone to use For Everyone and leave tracking on until the review is complete. This gives reviewers a clearer record of what changed and who made each revision.
Use All Markup for decisions and a cleaner view for reading. All Markup is the safest view for resolving edits. Simple Markup or No Markup can help you read the document without visual clutter, but switch back to All Markup before making a final decision.
Make comments explain the reason for a significant edit. If a revision might be unclear, add a comment to explain the rationale or ask a specific question. Keep the proposed wording change in the tracked text, rather than putting the replacement only in a comment.
Review in manageable sections. Work through one heading or section at a time, using Next to move between revisions. This makes it easier to notice whether accepting a change affects a nearby sentence, list, or cross-reference.
Coordinate before accepting or rejecting shared edits. If another reviewer is still working, tell them before you resolve a large batch. Accepting or rejecting changes alters the document’s revision state for everyone who can edit it.
Check the document after resolving changes. A clean view can reveal awkward spacing, duplicated words, or a paragraph that no longer flows after revisions are accepted. Inspect tables, headings, and lists as well as ordinary paragraphs.

Troubleshooting

Track Changes is missing or unavailable. Confirm that the document is open in Word for the web and that you are in Editing mode, not Reading or viewing mode. If the file is view-only, ask its owner for edit permission. A narrow browser window can also hide ribbon commands; widen the window, expand the ribbon, or look for a dropdown on the Review tab.
You turned tracking on, but your edits look ordinary. Return to Review > Track Changes and verify that it is enabled. If the menu offers For Everyone and Just Mine, confirm you chose the intended option. Then select All Markup and make a small test edit. Refreshing the page may help if the ribbon does not reflect the current state, but first wait for any pending save to finish.
You cannot see another editor’s revisions. Check that the document is the shared cloud version, select All Markup, and confirm the tracking scope. If the other person edited while tracking was off, those actions may not exist as tracked revisions to display. Ask the editor to confirm which copy they used and whether tracking was enabled when they made the changes.
The markup is cluttered or appears to have vanished. Change the display setting to All Markup. A simpler view can hide revision details on screen without deleting the changes. If you have already accepted or rejected revisions, those decisions may have removed the corresponding pending markup; use Undo promptly if the action was accidental and is still available.
Accept or Reject is unavailable. Select a specific revision and verify that you have editing permission. A comment or ordinary text selection is not necessarily a tracked change. If you are in view-only mode, ask for edit access or ask an editor with permission to resolve the revision.
Recent changes are not appearing for collaborators. Check the save status and your internet connection, then wait for Word to finish syncing. Confirm everyone has opened the same document in OneDrive or SharePoint. If the issue persists, avoid creating multiple copies; ask collaborators to pause edits while the owner checks the shared file and permissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I track changes in Word for the web without installing Word?
Yes. You can use the browser version with a Microsoft account and an editable document. Some advanced review or document-management features may differ from the desktop app, but the basic Track Changes workflow is available in Word for the web.

Can I track changes made by other people?
Yes. Choose For Everyone in the Track Changes menu when that option is available. This tracks edits by collaborators while tracking is enabled. If you choose Just Mine, the setting is intended to track your own edits instead.

Does hiding markup accept the changes?
No. A view such as No Markup changes how revisions are displayed; it does not by itself accept or reject them. Use the Review tab’s Accept or Reject controls to resolve tracked edits.

Can I turn Track Changes off after editing?
Yes. Select Track Changes again or choose Off in its menu, depending on the ribbon layout. Turning it off stops new revisions from being tracked; it does not automatically accept or reject revisions already in the document.

Can I use Track Changes on a Mac in a browser?
Yes. Open the document in Word for the web and use the Review tab. The ribbon workflow is generally the same on Mac and Windows; browser and keyboard differences are why the ribbon controls are the dependable choice.

What is the difference between Track Changes and comments?
Track Changes marks edits to document content, such as inserted, deleted, or replaced text. Comments let reviewers discuss the content without making that wording change themselves. You can use both in the same review.

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