OmniDocWord Track Changes: What It Does and How It Works
Learn what Word's track changes feature records, how insertions, deletions and comments appear, and why reviewers rely on it before accepting edits.
If you have opened a Word file and found colored underlines, strikethrough text and notes in the margin, someone has probably used track changes. The feature records edits so that anyone reading the file can see what was added, what was removed and who made each change. Many people first meet it when an editor, colleague or client returns a contract, thesis draft or report, and they are not sure whether the text in front of them is final.
This article explains what the feature records, why reviewers depend on it, and how the markup works in practice. It focuses on the concept rather than the clicks needed to turn it on, so it does not walk through settings. The ideas apply to any Word document, and you do not need a special tool to follow them.
What does track changes do in Word? The short answer
Track changes keeps a visible record of each edit in a Word document, so every reader can see what changed and decide whether to accept or reject it.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You received a marked-up draft | Read the markup before editing anything | The markup shows the reviewer's proposed changes without merging them into the text yet |
| You are sending a draft to reviewers | Decide whether they need to see the edit history | Reviewers see each change, so the file should match the review you want |
| You need the clean final text | Accept or reject each change, then reread the result | Accepted changes become normal text and the markup is removed |
| You need to know who changed a sentence | Check the reviewer name and time on the markup | The record stores the name set on the reviewer's copy of Word and the date of each change |
| The file will leave your team | Remove markup and check for deleted text before sending | Deleted text can still be visible in the markup if you do not remove it |
Word track changes: how the markup works
When track changes is on, each edit is recorded as a revision instead of silently replacing the original text. The exact colors and display depend on the settings of the person who reads the file, but the logic is the same across versions.
Insertions appear as new text with a distinct color and underline. Deletions stay in the text with a strikethrough, so the reader can still see the words that were proposed for removal. A bar in the margin usually marks the lines that contain a revision, which helps readers find changes in long documents.
Comments are separate notes attached to a passage. They are often reviewed alongside tracked changes, but they do not alter the text on their own.
What the record stores
Each revision keeps several pieces of information:
- The text that was inserted or deleted
- The type of change (insertion, deletion or formatting)
- The name of the reviewer, taken from the Word user name on that copy
- The date and time of the edit
This record is what lets an author trace a sentence back to the person who proposed it and the moment it was changed.
Common points of confusion
- Track changes is not version history. It records edits within a single file as they happen. Separately saved copies are different files, and they do not show the same record unless you saved them along the way.
- Accepting a change does not check it. Accepting only makes the edit part of the text. Whether the wording is accurate, consistent or legally sound is still a separate review.
- Turning the feature off does not clear existing markup. It only stops new edits from being recorded. Revisions already in the file stay until someone accepts or rejects them.
- Comments and tracked changes are different. A comment explains an edit or asks a question. A tracked change alters the text, even if both appear in the same margin.
Why reviewers use it
Editors, legal teams, co-authors and managers use track changes because it separates proposing an edit from deciding on it. The author of the document keeps the final say. Each change can be accepted, rejected or discussed, and the trail shows which suggestions were made and by whom.
This matters most when several people touch the same text. A contract redline shows exactly which clause the other side wants to change. A manuscript edit shows which sentences an editor shortened, without hiding the author's original wording. In both cases, the record makes it easier to explain later why a sentence ended up the way it did.
📊 At a glance
| Markup type | How it appears | What it tells the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Insertion | New text in a distinct color with an underline | Words the reviewer wants added |
| Deletion | Existing text with a strikethrough | Words the reviewer proposes removing |
| Formatting change | A note in the margin | A style or font change, not a wording change |
| Comment | A note in the margin tied to a passage | The reason behind an edit or a question, without changing the text |
Putting it to use
If you have been handed a marked-up draft and need a clean version, this order keeps the record intact and makes review manageable:
- Save a copy of the marked file before you change anything, so the full history stays available.
- Read the document once with all markup showing, and do not accept or reject anything yet.
- Note the reviewer names and check whether the same person made several related edits.
- Accept or reject changes one at a time, starting with edits that affect meaning, such as numbers, dates and obligations.
- Reread the clean version from start to finish to catch sentences that no longer fit after the changes.
If you need to compare two versions of a PDF rather than Word markup, OmniDoc's desktop client includes a compare feature for PDFs, which you can get at download.omnidoc.top. It works on PDF files, so it does not replace the revision record in a Word document.
🎯 Which approach fits you?
- You are reviewing a draft: Leave track changes on so every edit is visible to the author.
- You are the author accepting edits: Go through changes selectively, and keep a copy of the marked version.
- You are sending a finished file outside your team: Accept or reject all changes, check for remaining markup and comments, and confirm no deleted text is still in the file.
- You need to compare two separate files: Use a comparison method rather than relying on the markup, since separately saved copies do not share one record.
❓ FAQ
1. Is track changes the same as comments?
No. Track changes records edits to the text, such as insertions and deletions. Comments are notes attached to a passage that explain or question an edit. The two often appear together, but a comment does not change the words on the page.
2. Does track changes work in PDF files?
A PDF does not carry Word's revision record, so changes made in Word are not stored in the PDF as tracked changes. To see differences between two PDFs, use a comparison method, such as the compare feature in OmniDoc's desktop client.
3. What happens if I turn track changes off?
New edits are no longer recorded, but any markup already in the file stays visible. You still need to accept or reject those existing revisions before the text is clean.
4. Can I see the original wording after I accept changes?
Not in the same file. Once you accept a change, the original text is gone from that document. If you need the original, keep a copy of the marked version before accepting anything.
5. Does accepting all changes check the document for mistakes?
No. Accepting makes the edits part of the text and removes the markup. It does not verify facts, numbers or wording, so reread the final version before you share it.
📝 Summary
Word track changes records each insertion, deletion and formatting edit, along with the reviewer and time, so the author can decide what to keep. The markup is a review tool, not a version history, and accepting changes removes the record from that file. Save a copy before you accept anything, then reread the clean text.
