After an extensive proof-reading or editing, a Word document may contain multiple track changes and/or comments in the markup area.
Even after accepting the changes and resolving the comments, some of them may linger on in the document, popping up occasionally.
As comments are also involved with tracked changes, it is necessary to either accept or reject the changes, and stop the tracking, before deleting the comments.
Word allows you to do this individually or collectively.
While dealing with tracked changes individually, you can also resolve the associated comment, before moving on to the next change and its comment.
However, you can also attend to all tracked changes first and then collectively remove the comments.
Therefore, we will show you how to:
- Accept changes individually or collectively
- Reject changes individually or collectively
- Delete comments individually
- Delete comments collectively
Let’s begin.
Method #1: Accept Changes Individually or Collectively
Step #1: Open the Word document
Open the Word document containing tracked changes and comments. Click on the Review tab on the top menu bar to change the ribbon. Click on All Markup under All Markup in the Tracking section to turn on the Markup area and make the comments visible. Position the cursor just before the change you want to accept.
Step #2: Accept changes individually or collectively
In the Changes section, click on the small triangle below Accept to open several choices:
Accept and Move to Next: Click on this to accept the change next to the cursor and move the cursor to the next change.
Accept this Change: Click on this if you are accepting only one change next to the cursor.
Accept all Changes Shown: Click on this if you want to accept all the changes currently on display.
Accept all Changes and Stop Tracking: Click on this if you want to accept all changes in the document and stop making tracking changes at the same time. You will need to stop tracking before you start deleting comments.
Method #2: Reject Changes Individually or Collectively
Step #1: Open the Word document
Open the Word document containing tracked changes and comments. Click on the Review tab on the top menu bar to change the ribbon. Click on All Markup under All Markup in the Tracking section to turn on the Markup area and make the comments visible. Position the cursor just before the change you want to reject.
Step #2: Reject changes individually or collectively
In the Changes section, click on the small triangle below Reject to open several choices:
Reject and Move to Next: Click on this to reject the change next to the cursor and move the cursor to the next change.
Reject this Change: Click on this if you are rejecting only one change next to the cursor.
Reject all Changes Shown: Click on this if you want to reject all the changes currently on display.
Reject all Changes and Stop Tracking: Click on this if you want to reject all changes in the document and stop making tracking changes at the same time. You will need to stop tracking before you start deleting comments.
Method #3: Delete Comments Individually
Step #1: Open the Word document with comments
Open the Word document with comments. If the comments are not visible, click on the Review tab on the top menu bar to change the ribbon. Click on All Markup under All Markup in the Tracking section to turn on the Markup area and make the comments visible. Make sure you have stopped change tracking after accepting/rejecting changes (follow Method #1 or Method #2). Position the cursor immediately before the comment you want to delete.
Step #2: Delete the comment
In the Comments section, click the Delete icon to delete the comment next to the cursor.
Step #3: Delete the next comment
In the Comments section, click the Next icon to move to the next comment. Click the Delete icon to delete the comment.
You can also delete a comment by placing the cursor immediately before it and right-clicking. In the dialog that opens, click on Delete Comment.
You can continue the above sequence for individually deleting as many comments as you like. Once you have deleted all comments, Word will automatically close the Markup area.
Method #4: Delete Comments Collectively
Step #1: Open the Word document with comments
Open the Word document with comments. If the comments are not visible, click on the Review tab on the top menu bar to change the ribbon. Click on All Markup under All Markup in the Tracking section to turn on the Markup area and make the comments visible. Make sure you have stopped tracking after accepting/rejecting changes (follow Method #1 or Method #2).
Step #2: Delete all comments
In the Comments section, click on the small triangle below Delete to open a few choices. Click on Delete all Comments in Document. Word will remove all comments, and close the Markup area.
Note
If your document contains only comments and no tracking changes, you can skip Methods #1 & #2, and follow Method #3 or Method #4.
Conclusion
After an intense editing session, a Word document may look rather ugly with all the tracked changes and comments littering the pages. Removing them is very simple as we have shown above, with different methods for various scenarios.