Applies ToWord for Microsoft 365 Word 2024 Word 2021 Word 2019 Word 2016

Advanced Track Changes Options

These settings allow you to customize the look in Word when you're using track changes

In the Track Changes dialog box, you can control how you want markup to appear in your document.

By default, Word assigns a different color for each reviewer’s insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.

You can’t choose which color Word assigns to reviewers, but you can choose colors for different types of markup. If you prefer to have colors determined by the type of markup, instead of by author, select a color from the drop-down menu.

Advanced Track Changes Options dialog box

Markup

  • Insertions     Sets a format (default is Underline) and a color (default is By author) when you insert text into a document. You can change the color to a fixed value, or have no color at all in the Color field.

  • Deletions    Sets a format (default is Strikethrough) and a color (default is By author) when you delete text from a document. You can change the color to a fixed value, or have no color at all in the Color field.

  • Changed lines    shows lines that were changed with a vertical bar where you place it (none, left margin, right margin, or outside margin). This lets you see where changes have been made, even when you can't see them (like blank lines). The default is Outside border.

  • Comments    Sets a color line for comments on changes, such as format changes). The default is By author.

Moves

  • Track moves    Set Word to track when you cut and paste text to another part of a document. The default is On.

  • Moved from    Sets the format for cut text when pasted elsewhere. This can be set to several formats, or turned off with None. The default is Double strikethrough.

  • Moved to    Sets format of text that's pasted from another part of the document. This can be set to several formats, or turned off with None. The default is Double underline.

Table cell highlighting

  • Inserted cells    Sets color of table cells when you insert new ones. The default is Light blue.

  • Deleted cells    Sets color of table cells when you delete cells. The default is Pink.

  • Merged cells    Sets the color of table cells when you merge multiple cells. The default is Light yellow.

  • Split cells    Sets the color of table cells when you split a cell. The default is Light orange.

Formatting

  • Track formatting    This turns on or off track changes on for formatting, such as making something bold or changing font size. The default is On.

  • Formatting    Sets how the text format changes are highlighted in track changes. Choices are changing the color only, or the color and it's formatting while in track changes. For example, you can highlight a format change with violet and a double underline.

Balloons

  • Preferred width    Sets the width of the formatting change note.

  • Margin    Sets which side of the document the formatting change note appears. By default, this is on the Right of the document.

  • Color    Sets the color that highlights the formatted text during change tracking, and the line on the margin that flags a change.

  • Measure in    Sets the units to use for the preferred width measurement.

  • Show lines connecting to text    Sets whether comments are connected to the text that was commented on in a sentence. The default is On.

  • Paper orientation in printing    Sets whether printing orientation is:

    • Auto    Automatically adjusts orientation based on content.

    • Preserve    Keeps whatever the user has set for orientation in a document. This is the default.

    • Force landscape    Forces the document to print in landscape mode when printing with track changes.

  • OK    Saves changes and exits the dialog box.

  • Cancel    Ignores changes, and exits the dialog box.

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