How to change default in Review->Track Changes from "Sll Markup" to "No Markup"

Steven Shapiro 20 Reputation points
2026-10-23T14:32:59.0633333+00:00

In reviewing manuscripts with MS Word  (Version 16.114.1 (26102031) documents I like to use Review->Track Changes->No Markup most of the time but Word alway starts with ->All Markup which I then have to open and change. Is there a way to set this default to "No Changes" instead of "All Changes as default? Thank you.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | MacOS
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AI answer

2026-10-23T14:33:43.65+00:00

Word for Mac does not provide a documented global preference that makes No Markup the default whenever a document opens.

Available behavior

For each document, select:

  1. Review tab.
  2. Open the Display for Review menu, currently showing All Markup.
  3. Select No Markup.

No Markup only hides revisions and displays the document as it would look with the changes incorporated; it does not accept, reject, or delete them. Word may show markup again after the document is closed and reopened.^1^

There is no setting under Word > Preferences or Review > Markup Options > Preferences for changing the startup display to No Markup. The latter controls the appearance of insertions, deletions, formatting, and colors—not the initial Display for Review selection.^2^

If the revisions no longer need to be retained

The only permanent way to prevent tracked revisions from reappearing is to:

  1. Turn off Track Changes.
  2. Go to Review > Accept or Review > Reject.
  3. Accept or reject the outstanding changes.
  4. Remove any comments separately.

Accepting or rejecting changes removes them; selecting No Markup merely hides them.^3^

For manuscript review, where revisions must remain available, the practical option is therefore to keep selecting Review > No Markup after opening the document. Do not accept or reject the revisions merely to preserve that view.

References

  1. macOS
  2. MacOS
  3. Accept or reject tracked changes in Word | Microsoft Support
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  1. Jayden-P 4,225 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-23T14:48:34.76+00:00

    Hi @Steven Shapiro

    Unfortunately, Word for Mac does not provide a built-in setting to make "No Markup" the default display for all documents when they open. I do think you have a valid point, and this feature would be very convenient if it existed.

    However, since Word for Mac currently does not provide a built-in option to make No Markup the default review view, I recommend submitting this as a feature request through Microsoft's Feedback Portal. Product teams regularly review customer feedback when considering future improvements.

    When submitting feedback, please include your Word version, macOS version, and a brief description.

    As a possible workaround, you may be able to use a VBA macro to automatically switch the document to No Markup when it opens. However, please note that VBA macros are only supported in macro-enabled Word documents (.docm). If you save the file as a standard .docx, Word will remove the macro code.

    Private Sub Document_Open()
 On Error Resume Next
 
 With ActiveWindow.View.RevisionsFilter
 .Markup = wdRevisionsMarkupNone
 End With
End Sub

    To use this workaround:

    1. Save the document as a Word Macro-Enabled Document (*.docm).
    2. Add the VBA code in the Visual Basic Editor.
    3. Reopen the document and allow macros to run.

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  2. Bob Jones AKA CyberTaz MVP 438.5K Reputation points
    2026-10-23T15:25:35.0566667+00:00

    My understanding is that this has not been implemented as an option due to privacy, security & legal issues. It's deemed necessary so that anyone opening the document is aware of the markup and to help avoid accidentally distributing documents containing markup.

    The simplest option is to assign a keyboard shortcut to the ShowChangesAndComments command or to the ShowInsertionAndDeletions command They're both toggles to show/hide the markup.

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  3. Stefan Blom 357.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-10-23T15:27:07.2566667+00:00

    What you can do is set your preferred display of tracked changes in Word. Click Word > Preferences > Track Changes. Make the desired changes.

    For example, you can limit the changes to display changed lines in your document.

    Note that the preferences you choose only apply to your installation of Word. Other people will see the changes according to their own preferences.

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