Track Changes turns a document into an audit trail: every insertion and deletion dated and attributed, and you are the one who decides to accept or reject.
1 Tracked changes in the flesh
Switch “Display for Review” to No Markup to see the final look without losing the tracking — better than accepting changes just to see the result.
2 Comments: discussion without disfiguring the text
- A new comment: for a question or an observation, not an edit — edits go through tracking.
- Replying within the comment: keeps the discussion in place instead of scattered emails.
- Marking resolved: keeps the comment on record and moves it out of the way.
- @-mentions: in shared files, they notify the colleague directly.
3 Compare and combine
| Tool | When to use it | The output |
|---|---|---|
| Compare | Two versions and you do not know the difference | A third document showing the differences as tracked changes |
| Combine | Several reviewers working on separate copies | One document gathering everyone’s comments |
| Version history | Files stored in the cloud | Going back to an earlier version by its date |
Inspect the document before sending it outside the organisation
The file carries more than you can see: tracked changes and comments that were never removed, the author’s name, the save path, and hidden text. From File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document, clean that data out. Official reports have been published with internal comments still inside them.
4 The pre-send checklist
Update the fields
Ctrl + A then F9
Settle the tracking
Accept or reject, then switch it off
Delete the comments
Once they have been dealt with
Inspect the document
Clean out the hidden data
Spell check
And a visual pass over the pages
Export to PDF
With bookmarks
Six steps that separate a draft from a document that gets approved
Export to PDF rather than printing to it
Use File → Export → Create PDF and enable Create bookmarks using Headings. The file then carries a clickable side index — another fruit of the styles from Lesson 2.
5 Protection
| Level | Prevents | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Read-only recommended | Casual editing | A prompt, not real protection |
| Restrict editing | Allows comments only, or forces tracking | Useful for forms and contracts |
| Encrypt with a password | Opening without the password | Losing the password means losing the file |
| Mark as final | Unintended editing | Any user can switch it off |
Chapter 1 summary
- The ¶ formatting marks reveal the document’s real structure.
- Styles give text meaning, and everything is built from them.
- Sections give each part its own margins and numbering.
- The contents page and captions are fields, updated with F9.
- Inspect the document before sending, and export a PDF with bookmarks.
6 Test your understanding
Three quick questions
Pick the answer you believe is correct and you will see the result immediately.
1. You want to see the final look without losing the tracking:
The display option only changes what you see; the changes stay recorded exactly as they were.
2. You have two versions of a contract and do not know what changed:
Compare produces a third document showing every difference as a tracked change.
3. The most dangerous thing that can go out with an external report:
“Inspect Document” surfaces comments, tracking and author data before the recipient does.