OmniDocHow to remove the box and vertical line on the right side in Word
Explain which display settings control the revision box on the right and vertical lines on the right side in Word, explain how to hide and display without accepting or rejecting revisions, and provide the verification method and recovery path after hiding.
Key Points of This Article
- The right revision box and vertical line are controlled by different display settings and must be operated separately; you cannot change only one.
- Hidden display does not mean closing revision records; stopping new revision records requires disabling the revision function separately.
- Accepting or rejecting revisions will truly rewrite the text; changes left by others may be lost, so do not use them as substitutes when hiding or displaying.
- Save a duplicate before the operation, check each item after modification, and if you find the number of changes is incorrect, revert the settings.
When you open a contract or paper draft sent by someone, a row of colorful boxes suddenly appears on the right, the main text is pushed to the left, the page narrows, and the paragraph edges have vertical lines. These are Word's revision marks. When the revision feature is enabled, every deletion, insertion, and formatting change is recorded in the document. If you just want to read with peace of mind, or want to screenshot and print a clean page of text, these labels can actually get in the way.
This article is for those who need to review the revised draft but don't want the annotations on the right side to take up space. After reading, you can clearly distinguish which display settings control the correction box and vertical line on the right, follow the steps to hide them, and know how to check and restore them after hiding. The method only uses Word's built-in display settings without altering the content itself.
How to hide the revision box and vertical lines on the right? In short, a conclusion
First, the conclusion: the colored box on the right is the annotation area, used to display the specific changes made; The vertical lines on the left and right are change prompts, telling you that this section has been updated. Both are usually controlled by different options, so they are handled in two steps. The table below shows how to do it according to your situation.
| Your situation | Recommended recipe | The reason |
|---|---|---|
| I just want the main text to be fully wide, not caring about editing the details | Change the revision box to an embedded display, and select 'No Mark' for vertical lines | The right side box disappears, and the main text returns to full width |
| You need to review each edit one by one, but don't want to take up space on the right side | Keep revisions and change revision display to an embedded format | The modifications are still visible and are written directly in the main text |
| A clean version is needed for screenshots or printing | Switch to unmarked view and check the print settings | Views and prints do not affect each other; confirm them separately |
| Documents are important, and misoperations are a concern | Save a copy first, then modify the display settings | Display settings can be reverted after correction, and the content will not be lost |
| Revisions are left by others and need to be kept | Neither acceptance nor rejection of revisions | Accepting or rejecting will alter the content of the document |
Before you start: First, confirm these points
- Distinguish between revision boxes and vertical lines. The right box shows instructions for deletion, insertion, and format changes, with vertical lines only indicating the position of changes. The two have different display options; if you turn off one, the other will still appear.
- Distinguish between hidden, displayed, and closed records. When the revision function is enabled, any new changes will still be recorded. Hide the display only keeps the mark from the screen; to stop future recordings, you need to disable revisions in the Review tab.
- Don't replace hiding with acceptance or rejection. Accepting or rejecting revisions will truly rewrite the text and cannot be restored by hiding settings. If the revision was left by someone else, try to confirm with the other party before accepting it.
- Note for version differences. Different versions of Word, as well as between Windows and Mac, can cause differences in menu placement and names. Just search for the keywords in the interface; there's no need to copy the location from someone else's screenshot.
- Save the copy first. Display settings generally do not change the text content, but for important documents, it is still recommended to save a separate copy first and overwrite the original after editing.
Steps to hide the revision box and vertical line in Word
- Open the document you want to view, find the review and revision tabs in the ribbon at the top of Word, and open the set of buttons related to revision.
- Open the dropdown menu that displays the marker and check the sub-options for the comment box. This option determines whether the revision box appears on the right.
- Change the display of revisions to embedding all revisions, or choose to display revisions only in the main text. After selection, the revision box on the right usually collapses, and changes are displayed directly in the text.
- If there is still an area on the right, return to the Display Marks menu and uncheck the option to show revisions or similar options in the comment box until the area on the right disappears.
- Handle vertical lines: In the revision view's dropdown menu, select 'No Marks'; both vertical lines and modified colors will be hidden; If you want to keep the vertical line as a change hint, choose Simple Mark.
- Return to the main text and scroll to check, confirming that the text width has been restored and the vertical line displays as expected.
- When restoration is needed, simply follow the same path back to all markups or display revisions in the comment box. Changes will always be saved in the file and won't disappear if hidden.
- If you want to stop future records, turn off the revision switch in the Review tab and save the file again.
# check item by item after completion
After hiding the display, don't rush to save or share, read it item by item first.
| Check item | What do you think? | What if there's a problem? |
|---|---|---|
| Right revision box | Is there a color box on the right side of the page? | Go back to the display marking menu and check that the options related to the annotation box are still checked |
| Left and right vertical line | Is there a vertical line on the edge of the paragraph? | Confirm that the revision view is untagged, not simply tagged |
| Whether the modification is complete or not | Switch back to all the tags and count whether the changes are the same as before. | If the quantity doesn't match, don't save it yet, undo the previous setting. |
| Revision switch | Review whether the revision in the tab is the status you need | Turn it on or off as needed, and then check to see if the new changes are recorded |
| Print and export | Whether the modification mark appears in the print preview or exported PDF | Confirm whether the tag is included in the print settings and read it again before exporting |
# Core comparison
The difference between the three common display methods mainly lies in whether the right side frame and vertical bar are retained.
| Display mode | Right revision box | Vertical line | Suitable for the scene |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show revisions in the comment box | Yes | Yes | When you need to view the reasons for modification one by one |
| Display revisions in an embedded manner | None | Usually reserved | Want the text to be centered while keeping the modified position |
| Unmarked | None | None | Take a screenshot, read through or print a clean version |
Note: unmarked only hidden display, the revision record in the file still exists, you can see it by switching back to any display mode.
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. After turning off the revision, will the box on the right disappear automatically?
Not necessarily. Turning off revisions will only affect future changes. Revisions that already exist in the file will still appear according to the display settings, and you need to adjust the display mode separately.
2. If the revision is hidden, will others still see it when they open it?
The revisions are still saved in the file, and the way the other party opens them depends on their own settings. Hiding the display does not mean deleting the changes. To clean up thoroughly, you need to be confirmed by both parties before accepting the amendments.
3. Why can I only see the vertical bar, but not the changes?
This is usually because the view is set to a simple tag, which only shows the location of the change and does not expand the specific content. Switch the view to all tags and you can see the deleted and inserted text.
4. What should I do if I want a completely clean text?
Save another copy to confirm that you have the right to deal with these changes before accepting all amendments. The text will be rewritten after acceptance. It is recommended that you keep it separately from the manuscript and read it again before giving it to others.
# Summary
To hide the revision box and vertical bar of Word, the key is to adjust the annotation box display and the revision tag view respectively, only change the display, and do not accept or reject the revision. Save the copy before operation, and check the number of changes and printing effect item by item. When you need to restore, you can switch back to all the tags, and the modification record will always be kept in the file.
