How to Change Comment and Track Changes Colors in Word

This guide shows you how to change the color of comments and tracked changes in Microsoft Word, so you can personalize your review workflow or make edits easier to distinguish. You’ll learn where the color settings live, how to adjust them for new edits, and how to apply a consistent color to existing markup. No special tools are needed—just Word for Windows or Mac.

What You’ll Need

• Microsoft Word (2016 or later, including Microsoft 365) installed on Windows or Mac.
• A document that contains comments or tracked changes (if you want to change existing markup colors).

Step-by-Step

1. Open your document in Word. If you haven’t already, open the file that contains the comments or tracked changes you want to recolor.
2. Go to the Review tab. Click on Review in the top ribbon. This is where all the tracking and commenting tools live.
3. Open the Track Changes options. In the Tracking group, click the small arrow (dialog launcher) at the bottom-right corner of the group. This opens the Track Changes Options dialog box. (Alternatively, click the Track Changes drop-down arrow and choose Change Tracking Options.)
4. Click the Advanced Options button. In the dialog box that appears, click Advanced Options at the bottom. This opens the Advanced Track Changes Options window, where you can customize colors for all types of tracked changes.
5. Set the color for insertions, deletions, and formatting. In the Advanced Track Changes Options window, you’ll see drop-down menus for Insertions, Deletions, Formatting, and Changed lines. For each, choose a color from the list (e.g., Red, Blue, Green, or By author). If you select By author, Word automatically assigns a different color to each reviewer—this is the default and is useful for collaboration.
6. Set the color for comments. In the same window, look for the Comments drop-down menu (usually near the top). Choose a color for the comment balloons and comment text. Again, you can pick a specific color or By author.
7. Click OK to save your changes. After you set the colors, click OK in both dialog boxes to close them. The new colors will apply to any new tracked changes or comments you make from now on.
8. Apply the new color to existing markup (optional). If you want to change the color of existing comments or tracked changes, you’ll need to accept or reject them first, then re-insert them with the new color. There’s no direct “recolor” command. Alternatively, you can copy the document content into a new document and re-track the changes, but that’s tedious. A simpler workaround is to select all text with tracked changes, copy it, paste it as plain text into a new document, and then re-enable tracking—but this loses the original author info.

Common Mistakes

• Changing the color for new changes only: The color settings only affect new edits. Existing tracked changes keep their original colors. To change those, you must accept/reject them and redo the edits.
• Using “By author” when you want a single color: If you select By author, different reviewers will get different colors automatically. If you want all changes to be the same color, choose a specific color instead.
• Not closing the dialog correctly: Forgetting to click OK in both dialog boxes will discard your changes.
• Confusing comment color with text highlight: The comment color setting affects the comment balloon and its text, not the highlighted text in the document. To change the highlight color, use the Text Highlight Color tool on the Home tab.

Tips

• Use “By author” for collaboration: When multiple people review a document, keeping By author helps you see who made which change at a glance.
• Set colors before you start editing: If you want a consistent color scheme, set the colors before you begin making changes, not after.
• Customize changed lines: The Changed lines option lets you set the color of the vertical line that appears in the margin next to changed text. This can help you spot edits quickly.
• Save a copy before changing colors: If you’re experimenting, save a backup of your document first.

Troubleshooting

• My color changes don’t apply to existing comments: As noted, color settings only affect new markup. To recolor existing comments, you can copy the comment text, delete the comment, and re-add it with the new color. For tracked changes, you’ll need to accept/reject and redo the edits.
• The Advanced Options button is grayed out: This happens if tracking is turned off. Turn on Track Changes first (by clicking the Track Changes button in the Review tab), then try again.
• I don’t see the Comments color option: In some versions, the Comments color drop-down is located directly in the Track Changes Options dialog (the first one), not in the Advanced window. Look for it there.
• Colors don’t match what I selected: If you chose By author, Word may assign colors based on the reviewer’s profile, which might not match your selection. Choose a specific color to force it.
• My changes are not showing at all: Make sure Track Changes is turned on and that you haven’t set the display to No Markup (in the Review tab, under Tracking, set it to All Markup).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of existing comments without deleting them?

No, there is no built-in way to recolor existing comments. You must delete the comment and re-add it with the new color, or copy the text and create a new comment.

Does changing the comment color affect the text color inside the document?

No. The comment color only affects the comment balloon and its text in the review pane. The highlighted text in the document is separate and can be changed with the highlight tool.

Why do my tracked changes show in different colors for different people?

Because the default setting is By author, which assigns a unique color to each reviewer. To make all changes the same color, change the setting to a specific color.

Can I set a different color for each type of change (insert, delete, format)?

Yes, in the Advanced Track Changes Options window, you can set separate colors for insertions, deletions, and formatting changes.

Will my color settings be saved for future documents?

Yes, the color settings are saved as part of Word’s default options. They will apply to all new documents unless you change them again.

Does this work in Word for Mac?

Yes, the steps are similar. On Mac, go to the Review tab, click the Track Changes drop-down, select Track Changes Options, and then Advanced Options to access the color settings.

Related

• Ajax Powder Cleanser: Safe Surfaces, Steps & Creme Comparison
• Best Games Like Marathon: Why Hunt Showdown 1896 Leads
• Apple Vision vs Phone Camera for Pickleball Tracking