How to Use Word Document Inspector to Clean a File

Updated 6 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

The Document Inspector in Microsoft Word helps you find and remove hidden metadata, personal information, and other content that you may not want to share when sending a file to others. This includes things like author names, comments, revisions, hidden text, and document properties. Before you share a document externally, running the Inspector ensures you only send what you intend. You’ll need the document saved in a Word format (like .docx) and access to Microsoft Word (desktop version or Word for the webâ€”though the web version has limited options).

What You’ll Need

A Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc) you want to clean.
Microsoft Word installed on your computer (Windows or Mac). The steps below focus on Word 2016 and later, including Microsoft 365.
Administrator rights on your computer (usually not needed, but if Word is installed in a restricted location, you might need them to save changes).
A backup copy of your document, just in case you need to recover something the Inspector removes.

Step-by-Step

Save a backup copy. Before you run the Inspector, save a copy of your original file (e.g., “MyDoc_original.docx”) so you can revert if needed.
Open the document in Word. Make sure you have the file open that you want to clean.
Go to the File tab. Click on File in the top-left corner of the ribbon.
Access Info. In the left sidebar, click Info. You’ll see a section called Inspect Document (on Windows) or Check for Issues (on Mac).
Launch the Document Inspector. Click Check for Issues (on Windows) or the Inspect Document button (on Mac), then select Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.
Choose what to inspect. A dialog box appears with a list of checkboxes. By default, all are checked. You can uncheck any that you don’t want to scan, but for a thorough clean, leave them all checked. Click Inspect.
Review the results. After a few seconds, the Inspector shows a list of categories with a checkmark (no issues) or an exclamation mark (issues found). For each category with issues, click the Remove All button next to it. This permanently deletes that type of content from the document.
Re-inspect if needed. After removing items, the Inspector may ask if you want to re-inspect. It’s a good idea to run it again to ensure everything is clean. Click Reinspect and then Inspect again.
Close the Inspector. Once all categories show a green checkmark (or you’ve removed what you want), click Close.
Save the document. Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac) to save the cleaned version. If you want to keep the original metadata, save as a new file name.

Common Mistakes

Not saving a backup. The Inspector permanently removes content. If you forget to back up, you can’t undo the removal.
Unchecking categories accidentally. If you uncheck a category like “Document Properties and Personal Information,” it won’t be removed, leaving author names and other metadata intact.
Thinking the Inspector removes everything. It doesn’t remove all hidden dataâ€”for example, it may not detect content in embedded objects or macros. It’s not a substitute for careful review.
Running the Inspector on a read-only copy. If the file is marked as final or read-only, the Inspector may not be able to remove items. Make sure the file is editable.
Ignoring the “Reinspect” prompt. After removing items, some categories may still have issues. Running the Inspector again ensures all are cleared.

Tips

Use the Inspector before every external share. Even if you think the document is clean, it’s a quick habit that prevents accidental leaks.
Consider removing personal information from properties manually. If you want to keep some metadata (like title or subject) but remove author, you can edit properties in File > Info > Properties.
For documents with tracked changes, accept or reject all changes first. The Inspector will remove comments and revisions, but it’s cleaner to finalize the document before inspecting.
On Mac, the Document Inspector is under Tools > Protect Document. The interface is slightly different, but the steps are similar.
If you need to share a PDF, convert after cleaning. The Inspector works on Word files; converting to PDF after cleaning avoids embedding hidden data from the Word file.

Troubleshooting

Document Inspector is grayed out. This may happen if the document is protected or if you’re using an older file format like .rtf. Convert the file to .docx (File > Save As > Word Document) and try again.
Inspector doesn’t find anything, but you know there’s hidden content. The Inspector only checks for specific types of content. For example, hidden text might be in a text box or a shape. Manually check for hidden text by toggling the formatting marks (Ctrl+Shift+8) and looking for dotted underlines.
Removing items causes formatting issues. Sometimes removing headers/footers or custom XML can alter the layout. If that happens, undo (Ctrl+Z) and manually remove the specific item instead.
The Inspector says “Remove All” but nothing happens. This can occur if the document is corrupted or if the content is in a locked section. Try copying the entire content into a new blank document and running the Inspector on that.
You can’t find the Inspect Document button. In Word 2010, it’s under File > Info > Prepare for Sharing. In Word 2007, it’s under the Office button > Prepare > Inspect Document. If you’re using Word for the web, the Inspector isn’t available; you’ll need to use the desktop app.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does the Document Inspector remove?

It removes comments, revisions, versions, document properties (like author and company), custom XML data, headers/footers (if you choose), hidden text, and other metadata that might be embedded in the file.

Will the Inspector remove my tracked changes?

Yes, it will remove all revisions and comments. If you want to keep the changes visible, you should accept or reject them before running the Inspector.

Can I use the Document Inspector on a .pdf file?

No, the Inspector works only on Word document formats. For PDFs, you’d need a separate tool to remove metadata.

Does the Inspector work on Mac versions of Word?

Yes, but the steps are slightly different. On Mac, go to Tools > Protect Document > Inspect Document, or use the File > Info > Check for Issues option if available.

Is there a way to undo the removal?

No, once you click Remove All, the content is permanently deleted. That’s why saving a backup before inspecting is strongly recommended.

Does the Inspector remove personal information from the file properties?

Yes, it removes the author, last saved by, and other identifying properties. However, it doesn’t remove the file creation date, which is stored by the operating system.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.