When collaborating in Microsoft Word, it helps to understand the features that come with Microsoft Word. That includes how to use Microsoft Word comments.
You can collaborate easier and even protect your document if needed by using Microsoft Word comments. They also make editing and revising a document easier.
This article covers all of these collaboration features. Plus, we’ll also look at five premium Microsoft word templates.
Microsoft Word comments and tracking changes is another great feature that’s helpful in collaboration.
The tutorial was written using a macOS with Microsoft Word version 16.64. If you’ve got a different operating system or a different version of Word, your steps may be slightly different.
Throughout this tutorial, we use the Letterhead Microsoft Word template from Envato. Download it to follow along or use your own Word document.
This versatile stationery template can easily be adapted for longer documents. Let’s get started with our tutorial:
1. How to Track Changes
To track changes, start by clicking on the Review tab. After you’ve clicked on the Review tab, click on the Track Changes button. This feature tracks changes that are made to the document. The changes appear in red and also appear on the side of your document.
2. Review Changes
After changes have been made, you can either accept or reject changes. To accept the changes made, click on the Review tab. After you’ve looked at the changes, click on the Accept button in the toolbar to accept them.
When you click on the accept button, it gives you a chance to accept the changes one by one. To change this, click on the arrow next to the Accept button. After clicking on the button, a menu appears. These are the options in the menu:
- Accept and Move to Next
- Accept This Change
- Accept All Changes Shown
- Accept All Changes
- Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking
To reject the changes, start by clicking on the Review tab. In the toolbar, there’s a Reject button. Click on this button to reject changes one by one.
For more options, click on the arrow next to the Reject button. When you click on the arrow, a menu drops down. Here are the menu options:
- Reject and Move to Next
- Reject This Change
- Reject All Changes Shown
- Reject All Changes
- Reject All Changes and Stop Tracking
Remember when using the Accept and Reject buttons that the Accept button makes changes permanent, and the Reject button removes the changes.
To look at the changes without accepting or rejecting the changes, then use the Previous Change and Next Change buttons. These buttons are in the toolbar of the Review tab next to the Accept and Reject buttons.
3. How to Add New Comments to Word Documents
Adding comments to a Word document is easy. Start by clicking on the Review tab. Next, click on the New Comment button in the comments section of the toolbar. This allows you to add comments to Word documents.
To add a comment to a specific area, highlight the text, then press the New Comment button.
You can’t add a comment to text that’s in a textbox or a footer.
When adding comments to your Word document, you can use two views to see the comments. They are:
- Contextual. These Microsoft Word comments are next to the document’s content.
- List. These Microsoft Word comments only show up in the Comments pane, not necessarily next to the content in the document.
To change the view of your comments, click on the Review tab. Next, click on the Show Comments button. When you click on this button, a menu appears. Choose the option that’s right for you.
During editing, it can be helpful to add comments to Word documents. If you don’t want to have the comments in your finished document, then delete them.
There are two methods you can use to delete Microsoft Word comments:
1. One at a Time
Deleting Microsoft Word comments as you work can be helpful. To delete one comment at a time, start by clicking on the Review tab. Select a comment. Next, click on the Delete Comment button in the Comment section of the toolbar. By pressing this button, you can delete comments in the document one at a time.
2. All at Once
If you’re reading the added comments to a Word document, it can be helpful to quickly delete them all at once. The first step is to click on the Review tab. Next, click on the arrow next to the Delete Comment button in the comment section of the toolbar.
When you click on the arrow, a menu appears. From the menu, click on the Delete All Comments in Document option.
How to Compare Two Microsoft Word Documents and Combine Them
In Microsoft Word, comparing and merging two documents are similar. Here’s how to compare and merge two Microsoft Word documents:
1. Select Two Documents
To compare documents, you need two documents. First, you need to know the file name of both documents. Start by clicking on the Review tab. Next, click on the Compare button in the toolbar.
When you click on this button, a menu appears. Click on the Compare Documents… option. When you click on this option, a Compare Documents window appears. In the window, there are two fields for the document name.
Next to these fields is a Browse for Original button next to the Original Document: field. Click on this button and find your original document. Then click on the Browse for Revised next to the Revised Document: field. After you’ve found both documents click on the OK button.
2. Compare Both Documents
When you’ve clicked on the OK button, you’ll see the changes you’ve made appear in a new document. These changes appear as a comment that you can accept or reject.
What It Means to Lock Your Document
If you’re writing something you don’t want others to see or working on sensitive information, it can help to know how to lock your Microsoft Word document. When you lock your document, you’ve got several options. They are:
- Always Open Read-Only. If this feature is turned on, the person reading the document can only read the document and can’t make any changes to it.
- Encrypt with Password. This feature password protects the documents.
- Restrict Editing. This feature allows you to choose what changes readers can make, such as tracked changes, comments, filling in forms, and reading only.
- Add a Digital Signature. This feature shows the reader that you’re the only person who signed the document. You were the last person who signed and made changes to the document.
- Mark as Final. When this feature is turned on, the reader sees a message at the top of the screen informing the reader of the document’s status. But the reader can click on an edit anyway button that allows them to edit and make changes to the document.
How to Lock Your Document
When using a Mac, you’ve got three options for locking documents:
- block authors
- protect documents
- always open read-only.
Now that we know what some of the options are and their benefits, let’s look into how to protect your document:
1. Protect
Start by clicking on the Review tab above the toolbar. Next, in the toolbar, click on the Protect button. When you click on this button, you’ll be presented with a menu. Choose the option you want. In this tutorial, we’ll choose the Protect Document option.
2. Protect Document Window- Security
In the Password Protect window, you can create a password to open the document. Plus, you can create a separate password to modify the document. If you want a password to open the document, use the first field. The Password: field in the Set a password to open this document: field is where you set your password. So, type a password to have a password-protected document.
Next, you’ll see a Set a password to modify this document: with a Password: field. To set a password for any changes made to the document, use that field.
3. Protect Document Window- Protection & Privacy
If you want a password for specific changes, this is where you add it. Start by clicking the box in front of Protect document for:. Next, click the circle in front of what you want to password-protect. At the bottom of the protection section, you’ll see a Password (optional): field type the password you want to use in it.
The Best Source for Microsoft Word Templates
Now that you’ve learned all about how to add comments to Word documents as well as how to protect your Word document, you may be looking for a Word template to create your next document.
Envato Elements is the top source for digital assets. These digital elements include:
To get unlimited access to these templates, you must pay a low monthly fee to become a subscriber. After you’ve become a subscriber, download as many premium templates and digital elements as you need. Here are some advantages of using professional premium templates:
- Professionals make every premium template look professional and impressive. So, you’ll stand out among your peers who created a document themselves.
- Using a premium template also saves you time because after you download the template, just add your information.
- If you’re creative and are worried about customization, don’t worry. A good premium template is easily customizable.
Top 5 Microsoft Word Templates
You can still use a template if you want to add comments to Word documents. Here are some top Microsoft Word templates to choose from:
1. Enne Professional CV Resume Set
This resume is great if you work in a creative field or are applying to a modern and fun company. The colors add some fun elements to the resume. The template comes with a matching Portfolio page and with a QR code where you can link to your work. It also comes with a matching cover letter page along with the resume page.
2. Corporate Flyer
The Corporate Flyer has a modern design that comes with three color variations. Edit the template in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop. Plus, this template comes with infographics and a contact information section.
3. Invoice Template for Microsoft Word
This is a great option if you’re looking for an invoice Word template. The color is used to highlight important information. This template looks professional and neat.
4. Certificate Award Template
This Microsoft Word certificate has a modern design that can be used for any purpose. It features a signature section where the certificate giver and receiver can add their signature or name. This template comes with both a horizontal and vertical version.
5. Business Card Word Template
The Business Card Word Template has a pretty design on the front and on the back is the information. It’s a vertical business card template. You can easily use this business card template for any field you’re in.
Collaborate in Microsoft Word Today!
Microsoft Word has many helpful features that help make collaborating easier. Save time creating a Word document from scratch and use the premium Microsoft Word template. Download a template and use the features covered in this article in your next project.
