Ever sent a Word document out for feedback and wished you could see exactly what changed, or recover a chunk of text you accidentally deleted an hour ago? The “See Edit History� feature in Microsoft Word—properly called Track Changes and Version History—lets you do just that. This guide walks you through viewing, managing, and restoring edits in both the desktop and online versions of Word, so you can collaborate with confidence and never lose work again.
Ingredients
- 1 Microsoft Word document (with edits already made)
- Microsoft Word 2016 or later (desktop) OR Word for the web
- Optional: A co-author’s or reviewer’s edits (tracked changes)
Instructions
- Open the document in Microsoft Word. This works for both the desktop app and the free online version at office.com.
- To see tracked edits (Track Changes): Go to the Review tab in the ribbon. In the Tracking group, click Track Changes to turn it on (if it’s not already). Any edits you or others make will now be recorded as colored markup.
- To view the edits: With Track Changes on, you’ll see insertions (underlined), deletions (strikethrough), and formatting changes in the text. To see a cleaner view, click the Markup button in the Tracking group and choose All Markup to see everything, Simple Markup for a clean look with a red margin line, or No Markup to see the final version without the clutter.
- To accept or reject changes: In the Changes group on the Review tab, click Accept or Reject to move through each edit. Use Accept All or Reject All from the dropdown to do them all at once.
- To see the full version history (for autosaved versions or co-author edits): Click File > Info > Version History (desktop) or click the document name at the top of the window and choose Version History (online). A sidebar will list all saved versions with timestamps.
- To restore an old version: Click on a version in the list to open it. Then click Restore (desktop) or Restore this version (online) to make it the current version. This will overwrite your current document, so save a copy first if you want to keep the current one.
- To compare two versions: In the desktop app, go to Review > Compare > Compare… and select the two documents you want to compare. Word will show a combined document with all differences highlighted.
Tips
- Turn on Track Changes before editing if you want a record of who changed what. It’s not retroactive—it only records edits made after it’s on.
- Use Simple Markup for a clean read when you just want to see the final text without the red ink. The red margin line shows where changes are.
- Save a copy before restoring an old version—restoring overwrites your current file. Use “Save As� to keep the current version as a backup.
- Version History is only available for documents saved to OneDrive or SharePoint (or locally with File > Options > Save > “Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving�). If you save only to your hard drive, you won’t have version history.
Serving Suggestions
Use this feature when you’re collaborating on a report with colleagues, reviewing a friend’s resume, or editing a thesis chapter. It’s also great for personal use—like tracking your own edits to a novel or a budget spreadsheet. The Version History is especially handy when you’ve made a series of changes over several days and want to go back to “last Tuesday’s version.�
Variations
- Google Docs alternative: Use “Version history� under File > Version history > See version history. It works similarly, but you can also name versions for easy reference.
- Track Changes in Google Docs: Turn on “Suggesting� mode (the pencil icon) to get a similar edit-tracking experience.
- Mac vs. Windows: On Mac, Version History is under File > Browse Version History. The Review tab works the same.
- Mobile: The Word mobile app lets you view and accept/reject changes, but you can’t create a new version history.
Storage and Reheating
Your edit history is stored as part of the document file (for Track Changes) or in the cloud (for Version History). Track Changes are saved in the .docx file itself, so they travel with the document. Version History is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint for 25 days (or longer if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription with versioning settings). To keep a permanent record, save a copy of the document with all changes accepted and another with all changes rejected. If you need to keep a clean copy, accept all changes and then save as a new file—this removes the markup but keeps the final text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who made a specific edit? Yes, if Track Changes was on when the edit was made. Hover over a change and a tooltip will show the author’s name and timestamp. If you’re using Version History, you’ll see the version author but not individual edits within that version.
Why can’t I see Version History? Version History is only available for documents saved to OneDrive, SharePoint, or Teams. If your document is saved only to your local drive, you won’t see it. Also, you need a Microsoft 365 subscription for some features like “Version History� in the desktop app; the free web version offers a simpler history.
What’s the difference between Track Changes and Version History? Track Changes shows edits as you make them (with author names and timestamps) within the document. Version History shows snapshots of the entire document at different times—useful for seeing what the document looked like yesterday, not just what changed.
Can I recover an unsaved document? Yes, in Word go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents (desktop). This shows autosaved versions from the last few days. In the online version, unsaved changes are usually kept in the browser for a short time.
How do I turn off Track Changes? Go to Review > Track Changes and click it to turn it off. But note: turning it off doesn’t delete existing markup—it just stops recording new edits. To remove all markup, accept or reject all changes.
Can I print a document with the edit history? Yes, but you’ll need to choose the right print setting. In the Print dialog, under Settings, choose “Print Markup� (or “List of Markup� to print a summary). This prints the document with the tracked changes visible.
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