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

If you don't want content reviewers to accidentally modify your document, you can make the document read only before sending it for review. Another method is to restrict formatting and editing.

Making your document a read-only file means that the document can be read or copied but not modified. If one of the reviewers tries to make changes to a read-only file, the changes can be saved only by giving the document a new name or saved to a new location.

Note: Making your document read only doesn't prevent someone from making a new copy of the document and saving it with a different name or in a different place.

Restrict editing

You can restrict the editing of a document, so that the document opens in view-only mode.

  1. Select File > Info.

  2. Select Protect Document.

Protect document

Change the viewing mode

You can switch from View only to other modes granted by the document owner (Editing, Reviewing).

  1. Select the Viewing tab to open the options.

  2. Select Editing or Reviewing.

Note: The only options that can be selected are the one(s) that the document owner has granted.

Viewing options

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