How to Remove Redlines and Tracked Changes in Word

If you are wondering how to remove redline in Word, the short answer is that you have to accept or reject the tracked changes, then delete the comments. Open the Review tab, choose Accept → Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking, then use Delete → Delete All Comments in Document. Switching the view to No Markup only hides the redlines; it does not remove them from the file.

What Is a Redline in Word?

A redline is the coloured markup Word shows when Track Changes is switched on: inserted text is underlined, deleted text is struck through, and a vertical line appears in the margin next to every edited line. Lawyers, editors and procurement teams call a marked-up draft a "redline" because the markup was traditionally red.

Each mark is a stored revision inside the .docx file, not a formatting effect. That is why it cannot simply be selected and deleted like ordinary text. Word keeps a record of who made each change and when, and that record stays in the document until someone accepts or rejects it.

How to Remove Redline in Word: Hide vs Remove

The most important thing to understand is the difference between hiding redlines and removing them. The table below shows what each common action actually does to the file.

Microsoft's own guidance on accepting or rejecting tracked changes in Word confirms the key point: the No Markup view only hides changes temporarily, and they reappear when the file is opened again.

How Do You Remove All Tracked Changes in Word at Once?

You remove all tracked changes at once by accepting (or rejecting) every revision in a single command and switching tracking off at the same time. This works in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows.

1. Save a copy of the document first, so you keep the marked-up version for your records.
2. Open the Review tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Changes group, select the arrow under Accept.
4. Choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking. Every insertion and deletion becomes normal text and Track Changes is switched off.
5. To undo every suggested edit instead, open the Reject menu and choose Reject All Changes and Stop Tracking.
6. Check the Display for Review box in the Tracking group is set to All Markup. If no coloured marks remain, the redlines are gone.

Keyboard users can reach the same command on Windows with Alt+R, A, 2, L, and toggle Track Changes with Ctrl+Shift+E. Microsoft lists these in its screen reader guide to tracking changes in Word.

How Do You Accept or Reject Changes One at a Time?

You review changes one by one with the Next, Accept and Reject buttons, which is the safer route when a draft has come back from someone else.

1. Click at the very start of the document.
2. On the Review tab, select Next in the Changes group to jump to the first revision.
3. Select Accept to keep the edit or Reject to discard it. Word moves on to the next change automatically.
4. Repeat until Word tells you there are no more changes.

If several people edited the file, open Show Markup → Specific People and untick the reviewers you are not dealing with yet. Then use Accept → Accept All Changes Shown to apply only the visible reviewer's edits.

How Do You Delete All Comments in Word?

Comments are stored separately from tracked changes, so accepting every change leaves them in place. Microsoft notes that comments are no longer part of the Track Changes feature.

1. Go to the Review tab.
2. In the Comments group, select the arrow next to Delete.
3. Choose Delete All Comments in Document.

Word for Mac uses the same Review tab layout, so the Accept, Reject and Delete menus are in the same places. In Word for the web, the accept and reject options sit under the Reviewing controls on the Review tab.

Why Do Redlines Keep Coming Back?

Redlines usually come back for one of three reasons, and each has a clear cause and effect.

• The markup was only hidden. Choosing No Markup changes your view, not the file. When the recipient opens it, Word shows the stored revisions again.
• Tracking is locked. If someone used Review → Track Changes → Lock Tracking or Review → Protect → Protect Document with a password, you cannot switch tracking off or accept changes until the lock is removed. Ask the document owner for the password.
• Track Changes is still on. If you accept everything but leave tracking on, your next edit creates a new redline. Use the "and Stop Tracking" version of the command.

Redlines also show up on paper if Word prints markup. In File → Print, open the first setting under Settings and clear Print Markup, though accepting or rejecting the changes is the real fix.

How Do You Check a Document Is Clean Before Sending It?

Run the Document Inspector, which scans for comments, revisions, versions and other hidden data in one pass.

1. Save a copy of the file with File → Save As, because removed items may not come back with Undo.
2. In the copy, go to File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document.
3. Keep Comments, Revisions and Versions ticked, plus Document Properties and Personal Information if you want author names removed.
4. Select Inspect, then Remove All next to each item you want gone.
5. Select Reinspect to confirm nothing is left, then save.

If you are tidying a long document at the same time, our guides on how to delete a section break in Word and adding a table of contents in Word cover the other common clean-up jobs.

A Common Mistake We See

A common mistake is sending a contract or CV as "final" after switching to No Markup. On your screen it looks clean, but the recipient sees every deletion, every comment and every reviewer's name. That can expose negotiating positions or earlier wording you never meant to share.

The safe habit is simple: accept or reject everything, delete comments, run the Document Inspector, then export a PDF if the reader does not need to edit. If Word is missing the Review tools you expect, check that you are on a supported desktop version. A Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus licence includes the full Word review toolset, and our support team can help you with activation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove redline in Word permanently?

Go to Review → Accept → Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking, then Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document. Save the file. This turns every revision into normal text and clears the comments, so nothing reappears when someone else opens the document. Hiding markup alone is not permanent.

Does turning off Track Changes remove existing redlines?

No. Turning off Track Changes only stops Word recording new edits. Every revision already in the document stays there and is still visible to anyone who switches to All Markup. You need to accept or reject the existing changes to remove them from the file.

Why can't I accept tracked changes in Word?

The usual cause is that tracking has been locked or the document is protected. Check Review → Protect → Restrict Editing or Protect Document. If a password was set, you need it to stop protection. A file opened in Protected View or as read-only will also block changes until you enable editing.

How do I remove tracked changes in Word on a Mac?

Word for Mac uses the same Review tab. Open Review, use the arrow under Accept to accept all changes, and turn off Track Changes. Then open the Delete menu in the Comments area and choose Delete All Comments in Document to finish the clean-up.

Is a section break the same as a redline?

No. A section break is a layout marker that controls page orientation, columns and headers, while a redline is a tracked revision. Accepting changes will not remove section breaks. If a stray break is causing a blank page or wrong layout, remove it separately using the section break steps linked above.

Does Simple Markup remove the red line in the margin?

No. Simple Markup hides the inline colours and leaves a red line in the margin to show where changes exist. It is a display option for reading a clean-looking draft. The revisions are still stored in the document until you accept or reject them.

Conclusion

Knowing how to remove redline in Word comes down to one rule: accept or reject the changes, delete the comments and confirm with the Document Inspector, rather than just hiding the markup. If you need a current, supported copy of Word for this kind of work, browse our Microsoft Office collection for one-time-purchase and subscription options.

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