Tracking changes in Microsoft Word and Excel

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Individuals may need to examine and update a document created in Microsoft Word or a spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel.
Changes to a document or spreadsheet are not logged by default, so you won’t know who made changes or when.
To enable tracking and see which modifications were done, follow the steps below.

Track changes in a Microsoft Word document

To track changes in Microsoft Word, choose your version below and follow the procedures.

Microsoft Word Online

  1. Open the document where you wish to track changes in Word Online.
  2. In the Ribbon, select the Review tab.
  3. In the Tracking section, select For Everyone or Just Mine from the Track Changes drop-down option, depending on which changes you wish to track.

Microsoft Word 2019 and newer versions

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

Microsoft Word 2016 and previous versions

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

The Track Changes tool in Microsoft Excel Online (the web version) is always turned on and recording changes.
There is no need to manually switch it on.

Microsoft Excel 2019 and newer

  1. Open the spreadsheet in which you wish to keep track of changes.
  2. In the Ribbon, select the Review tab.
  3. Right-click on a vacant spot on the Ribbon to the right of the Ink section and select Customize the Ribbon.
  4. In the Excel Options box that appears, pick the All Commands option from the drop-down list under Choose commands from.
  5. Click the Review entry in the Customize the Ribbon box.
  6. Click the New Group option below the Customize the Ribbon box.
  7. Right-click the newly established group under Review and choose Rename.
    Give the new group a name.
    We recommend Tracking Changes.
  8. To highlight the new Tracking Changes group, click it.
  9. Select the Highlight Changes and Accept/Reject Changes entries one at a time in the box under Choose instructions from, pressing the Add button after each selection.
  10. The Highlight Changes and Accept/Reject Changes items should now be presented on the right under the new Track Changes group.
    To save the addition of the new group and its entries, click Ok.

With the addition of change tracking options to the Review tab, you can now enable change tracking by following the instructions below.

  1. Click the Review tab on the Ribbon while the spreadsheet is still open.
  2. In the newly added Tracking Changes section, select the Highlight Changes option.
  3. In the newly opened Highlight Changes window check the Track changes while editing.
  4. Choose Since I last saved, All, Not yet reviewed, or Since date (you must input a particular date) for the When entry.
  5. Check the box for the Who entry and select between Everyone and Everyone but me if desired.
  6. To enable change tracking, click Ok.

Microsoft Excel 2016 and older

  1. Open the spreadsheet in which you wish to keep track of changes.
  2. In the Ribbon, select the Review tab.
  3. Select Highlight Changes from the Track Changes menu.
  4. Check the Track changes while editing box in the Highlight Changes window that appears.
  5. Choose Since I last saved, All, Not yet reviewed, or Since date (you must input a particular date) for the When entry.
  6. Check the box for the Who entry and select between Everyone and Everyone but me if desired.

Viewing the changes in a Microsoft Word document

To see the changes in a document with tracking changes enabled, choose your version of Microsoft Word from the list below and follow the procedures.

Microsoft Word Online

When modifications are monitored in a Word Online document, any changes are automatically indicated in the document as emphasized red text.
Changes are also denoted by two vertical lines to the left of the line in the text containing the change.

Do the following to learn more about the change

To see the change, move your mouse cursor over the underlined red text.
Select the highlighted modification.
A little pop-up window with information about the modification displays.

Microsoft Word desktop software

  1. In the Ribbon, select the Review tab.
  2. To view changes, click the drop-down menu to the right of the Track Changes option and choose All Markup.
  3. Any changes are highlighted in red text.
    Hover the mouse cursor over a change to see what was changed, who made the change, and when it was done.

Viewing the changes in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel Online

By following the procedures below, you may examine all changes in Microsoft Excel Online (the web version).

  1. Click the Review tab on the Ribbon while the spreadsheet is open.
  2. Select the Show Changes checkbox.
  3. On the right side of the browser and Excel Online window, a Changes slide-out pane appears.
    Each modification is displayed, and you may examine that change in the spreadsheet by clicking on it.

Microsoft Excel desktop software

When someone modifies a spreadsheet, it is tracked.
A little triangle in the upper-left corner of the cell indicates a change.

Hover the mouse cursor over a cell with the little triangle in the upper-left corner to see the change information.
A remark box appears with the change’s what, who, and when data.