Metadata is personal data inside a Word document. This data is hidden, and Word transfers it when sharing documents. You may want to remove sensitive personal data from a document before sharing it.
Some typical metadata elements in a document are:
- Title and Description
- Tags and their Categories
- Who created the document, and when
- Who modified the document last, and when
- Who can access the document, or update it.
2 Methods to Remove Metadata from Word document
- Delete Metadata via the Info tab
- Use an online application to remove metadata
We will show you both methods of how to remove metadata from a Word document in simple, step-wise instructions.
Let us begin.
Method #1: Delete Metadata via Info tab
Step #1: Open Word Document
Open the Word document from which you want to remove the metadata.
Step #2: Get Document Info
Click the File tab in the top menu bar to open the File menu.

Click on the Info tab in the left panel of the file menu.

In the right pane, click the Check for Issues icon.

In the drop-down menu that opens, click the Inspect Document icon.

A Document Inspector dialog box will open.
Step #3: Inspect the Info
Check and select all the metadata content you want to inspect.
Click the Inspect button at the bottom.

The Document Inspector will show you the results of inspection.
If you want to reinspect some data, click the Reinspect button at the bottom to go back and select the relevant metadata content.

Step #4: Remove the Metadata
Once you are satisfied with your review, click the Remove All buttons to remove selective metadata.
Word will remove all the hidden documents and personal information.
Click the Close button at the bottom to close the dialog box.

Step #4: Save the Document
Click the Save tab in the left pane.
Word will save the document without the metadata.

Method #2: How to Remove Word Metadata using Online Tools?
You can use online tools like DOCX Metadata Editor to remove metadata from your Word document online. You only have to click or drop your file on the website to remove the metadata.
No need to open the file. The procedure does not require installation, and the method is fast, reliable, and secure.
Step #1: Open Word Document
I have noticed that Word Documents created online don’t have any metadata. Thus, let us focus on how to remove metadata from offline word files using online tools. There are multiple third-party tools; however, DOCX Metadata Editor is our favorite.
Note: We can remove metadata and edit individual fields in great detail. Open the offline Word document from which you want to remove the metadata.
Step #2: Open DOCX Metadata Editor
Open your favorite browser.
Go to DOCX Metadata Editor.
Click the tab. Click or drop your file here.

File Manager will open.
Select the offline Word document from which you want to remove the metadata.
Click the Open tab.

DOCX Metadata Editor will show the metadata in the right pane.

Step #3: Remove Metadata from the Document
In the top left corner of the screen, click the Clean Metadata icon.

DOCX Metadata Editor will remove metadata from the file.
Click the Download icon to download the changed file.

File Manager will open again.
Save the modified file with a new name.
Click the Save tab to save the new file to a suitable location.

Step#4: Check Metadata Removal
Open the changed document in DOCX Metadata Editor.
The right pane will show the changed metadata.

Kudos! You have finally removed metadata from Word documents. You can now share it with others or upload it online without the fear of leaking personal data.
Conclusion
We hope you have understood the importance of metadata, and why you may need to remove it from Word. You can use the above methods to easily remove metadata from a document before publishing it or sharing it with others.
Please let us know in the comments below if you have anything to add.