How to track changes in Microsoft Word and Excel

After creating a document in Microsoft Word or a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, other people may need to view and edit them. By default, changes to a document or spreadsheet are not tracked, so you wouldn't know who made edits or when. To turn on tracking and view details of which changes were made, select a link below and follow the provided instructions.

Track changes in a Microsoft Word document

To track changes in Microsoft Word, select your version in the list below and follow the steps.

Microsoft Word Online

1. In Word Online, open the document where you want to track changes.
2. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Tracking section, click the Track Changes drop-down menu and select For Everyone or Just Mine, depending on what changes you want to track.

Microsoft Word 2019 and later

1. In Microsoft Word, open the document where you want to track changes.
2. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Tracking section, click the Track Changes option and select For Everyone or Just Mine, depending on what changes you want to track.

Microsoft Word 2016 and earlier

1. In Microsoft Word, open the document where you want to track changes.
2. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Tracking section, click the Track Changes option and select Track Changes.

Track changes in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

To track changes in Microsoft Excel, follow the steps below for your version.

Microsoft Excel Online

In Microsoft Excel Online (the web version), the Track Changes feature is automatically turned on and always tracking changes. There is no need to turn it on manually.

Microsoft Excel 2019 and later

In Excel 2019, you must add the change tracking options to the Review tab in the Ribbon.

1. Open the spreadsheet where you want to track changes.
2. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
3. In a blank space on the Ribbon, to the right of the Ink section, right-click and select Customize the Ribbon.
4. In the Excel Options window that opens, click the drop-down list under Choose commands from and select the All Commands entry.
5. In the box under Customize the Ribbon, click the Review entry.
6. Click the New Group button below the Customize the Ribbon box.
7. Right-click the new group created under Review, and select the Rename option. Enter a name for the new group. We suggest "Tracking Changes."
8. Click the new Tracking Changes group to highlight it.
9. In the box under Choose commands from, select the Highlight Changes and Accept/Reject Changes entries one at a time, clicking the Add button after selecting each entry.
10. The Highlight Changes and Accept/Reject Changes entries should now be listed under the new Track Changes group on the right. Click OK to save the addition of the new group and its entries.

With the change tracking options added to the Review tab, now you can turn on change tracking by following the steps below.

1. With the spreadsheet still open, click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
2. Click the Highlight Changes option in the new Tracking Changes section added above.

3. In the Highlight Changes window that opens, check the box for the Track changes while editing option.
4. For the When entry, choose between Since I last saved, All, Not yet reviewed, or Since date (you must enter a specific date).
5. If desired, check the box for the Who entry and choose between Everyone and Everyone but me.
6. Click OK to enable change tracking.

Microsoft Excel 2016 and earlier

1. Open the spreadsheet where you want to track changes.
2. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
3. Click the Track Changes option and select Highlight Changes.
4. In the Highlight Changes window that opens, check the box for the Track changes while editing option.
5. For the When entry, choose between Since I last saved, All, Not yet reviewed, or Since date (you must enter a specific date).
6. If desired, check the box for the Who entry and choose between Everyone and Everyone but me.
7. Click OK to enable change tracking.

View changes in a Microsoft Word document

In a document with tracking changes turned on, to see the changes, select your version of Microsoft Word in the list below and follow the steps.

Microsoft Word Online

In a Word Online document, when changes are tracked, any changes are automatically noted in the document as underlined red text (A). Changes are also identified by two vertical lines (B) to the left of the line in the document where the change is located.

To see details about the change, do the following.

1. Move your mouse cursor over the underlined red text for the change.
2. Click the highlighted change. A small pop-up window appears with information about the change.

Microsoft Word desktop application

1. Click the Review tab in the Ribbon.
2. Click the drop-down menu to the right of the Track Changes option, and select All Markup to see changes.
3. Any change is underlined and in red text. Hover the mouse cursor over a change to see which change was made, who made the change, and the date of the change.

View changes in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel Online

In Microsoft Excel Online (the web version), you can view all changes by following the steps below.

1. With the spreadsheet open, in the Ribbon, click the Review tab.
2. Click the Show Changes option.

3. A Changes slide-out pane is displayed on the right side of the browser and Excel Online window. Each change is displayed, and you can click any change to view that change in the spreadsheet.

Microsoft Excel desktop application

When someone makes a change to a spreadsheet, it is tracked. A change is noted by a small triangle in the upper-left corner of the cell.

To display change information, hover the mouse cursor over a cell with the small triangle in the upper-left corner. A comment box is displayed with the what, who, and when details of the change.