Where is the revision function of Word, what is revision and its main advantages and disadvantages

Key points of this article

The revision button is in the Review tab at the top of Word. When turned on, added and deleted text will be marked.
Strikethrough indicates pending deletion; text remains on the page until accepted or rejected.
The advantage of revision is that modifications can be traced and decisions can be made item by item, but the cost is that the layout is cluttered and it is easy to forget to close it.
Accept or reject all revisions, close revisions, delete comments, and check author information before finalizing.

If you want your colleagues to see what you have changed, but you can’t find where the"revisions"are in Word, this article is for you. Many people search for "Where is the Word revision function?" because the button is not in a commonly used location, or after receiving someone else's document, the screen is full of red strikethroughs and they don't know what to do.

This article talks about three things: where exactly the revision button is, what the revision marks mean, and what are the advantages and costs of revision editing. After reading, you can judge whether a document should be opened for revisions, and you can also process the revisions left by others one by one.

The following positions are based on the common desktop version of Word. The name and size of the button will be slightly different in different versions and operating systems. If you can't find it, you can first confirm whether there is a review tab at the top of the window. The button may be included in the folding menu in a narrow window.

Where is the revision button and when should it be turned on? One sentence conclusion

The Track Changes button is located on the Review tab at the top of Word, in the Track Changes group. After opening revisions, if you add or delete text, the changes will be recorded instead of being overwritten directly. In Word for Windows, a common shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+E.

One sentence conclusion: open revision when you need to let others see what you have changed; keep it closed when you are writing independently and do not need to trace back.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
Send the manuscript to colleagues or mentors in the hope that they will see the changes	Open the revision and then modify it	Traces of modifications are clear at a glance, and the other party can accept or reject them one by one.
Received a document with revisions from someone else and needs to finalize it	Accept or reject after reviewing each item one by one, and finally close the revision	Prevent other people’s strikethroughs and colors from remaining in the final draft
I write independently and just want clean text.	Keep revisions closed	No red marks will interfere with reading and typesetting
Substantially rewrite an entire paragraph or chapter	Save a copy first and then modify it directly	A full page of strikethroughs makes it difficult for reviewers to judge the final effect.
You need to leave a message for discussion, not change the text	Use comments	Comments do not correct the text, they just hang on the side for discussion.

What is revision and how to read revision marks?

Revisions are a way of recording edits in Word. After turning it on, the newly added text, deleted text and some formatting changes will be retained in the document in the form of marks, making the modification process visible and traceable.

Meaning of common tags

Underline: New text, usually with color.
Strikethrough: The deleted text is still displayed on the page, waiting for confirmation.
Vertical line in page margin: It indicates that this line has been revised, which facilitates quick positioning.
Margin Bubbles: Indicate formatting changes, such as font or paragraph settings being modified.
Different Colors: Usually represent different revision authors.

Where it’s easy to get confused

Strikethrough does not mean that the text has disappeared, it only means that the deletion has not been accepted.
Closing revisions does not clear existing revision marks, it just stops recording new changes.
Revision does not mean revocation. Ctrl+Z undoes the most recent action; accepting or rejecting revisions is the official decision on each change.

The way you view it also affects your judgment

The review view can usually switch between showing all marks, showing only simple markers, or not displaying markers. Choose 'No Display Marks' to see the general effect after the revision, making it suitable for reading through; Switch back to show all marks before you can check each mark. Don't forget to switch back after reading, or you might miss any unaddressed parts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Revision Methods

Revision methods are suitable for documents that require multiple people to go back and forth, such as contracts, papers, and lesson plans. Its advantages and costs are very specific.

Advantages

Traceable Modifications: You can instantly see who changed what in what position.
Decision power is left to the author: Each revision can be accepted or rejected individually; you don't have to accept the entire article at once.
Suitable for multi-person collaboration: Changes themselves are explanations, so there's no need to write a separate revision checklist.
Easy to review: Keep the modification process for easy review of why a particular adjustment was made.

Disadvantages

Messy layout: Strikethroughs and bubbles take up space, making the reading experience poor when printing or taking screenshots.
Easily forgot to close: If you send it with revisions, the recipient may mistakenly think it's the final version.
Hard to read during major revisions: Entire rewritten revisions are almost impossible to read clearly; it's better to revise them first and then compare them with the original.
Personal information may remain: Author names and dates may be retained during revisions. Before sending, try to review Word's built-in document review feature.
Markings may be retained when exporting: If you want to convert to PDF and send, first confirm whether the markings are still visible on the page.

📊 Core Comparison

Method	Can you see any changes?	Whether to decide item by item	Suitable for the scene	The main cost
Modify directly	No	No	Personal writing and final drafts are organized	Others can't tell where he's changed
Revised	Yes	Yes	Multiple people review, contracts, and papers	The layout is messy and needs cleaning
Notes	Just read the comments, don't change the main text	You can reply to each message one by one	Ask questions, discuss, and give suggestions	Text cannot be directly replaced

How to actually use it

Open the Word document and switch to the Review tab.
Click the Edit button (or Ctrl+Shift+E) to start the revision, then make further changes.
When receiving a manuscript with revisions, use "Previous" and "Next" to review each section, and choose to accept or reject each section.
After all processing is complete, confirm there are no residual marks on the page, then close the revision.
Before sending, save as a copy, check the author's information and annotations, and only send or export after confirming accuracy.

If you have two versions of the PDF and need to find out the differences, you can use the PDF comparison feature in the OmniDoc desktop client to compare the two files side by side. Revisions in Word, on the other hand, need to be processed in Word; the two cannot be substituted for each other.

🎯 Which method suits you?

Just want others to see changes: Open revisions and send a copy after modifications.
Only a clean main text is needed: Close revisions and edit directly.
Receiving others' manuscripts: First review, process item by item, then close the revised final draft.
Needs discussion rather than wording: Use comments to post the question in the appropriate position.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What should I do if I can't find the edit button?

First, make sure there is a review class tab at the top of the window. When the window is narrow, the buttons may fold, but zooming in reveals them. The interface varies slightly between versions; you can type "revision" in the top search box.

2. What is the difference between revision and annotation?

Revisions record adding and deleting text, which directly changes the display of the main text; Comments are left on the side, without altering the main text. Discussions require annotations; wording needs revision.

3. After closing revisions, will the original strikethrough disappear?

No. Closing only stops recording new changes; existing revisions still need to be accepted or rejected clause-by-article.

4. Can I accept all revisions at once?

Yes, you can. Word's change grouping usually offers options to accept all and reject all. But before accepting, it's recommended to read through it first to avoid missing others' opinions.

5. Can a revised Word document be directly considered the final draft?

Not recommended. Before publishing, all revisions should be processed, closed revisions, unnecessary comments deleted, and author information checked before saving or exporting.

📝 Summary

The Word revision feature in the Review tab is valuable for making changes visible and traceable, but the trade-off is cluttered and easy to forget to close. Only by enabling revisions in scenarios requiring collaboration and cleaning up traces before finalizing the draft can you consider this feature truly effective.

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