Microsoft word: Accept all formatting changes, without accepting others

Alec Jacobson

October 04, 2016

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I just received some feedback on a document I converted to Microsoft Word. The copy-editor diligently unified the converted formatting during editing. This created hundreds of "tracked changes" that made it very difficult to find the "real" content changes (insertions/deletions, comments, etc.).

I don't use Word often and found it very difficult to work with so many tracked changes. The long list just ran down and off the bottom of the window with no apparent way to even scroll through them.

There is a way to show only the interesting changes. Review > Markup Options > [unselect Formatting]

Alternative to accept permanently and get rid of all of the Formatting changes. You can Review > Markup Options > [unselect all but Formatting], then Review > Accept > Accept All Changes Shown, then Review > Markup Options > [select all but Formatting], to bring back the other changes.