How to Remove Tracked Changes and Comments Before Making a PDF

By Joe Bishop · Updated 7 November 2026 · 5 min read

Quick answer: in Word, go to Review → Accept → Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking, then Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document. Save, then make your PDF. Switching the view to "No Markup" only hides changes; it doesn't remove them.

Why it matters

When we tested SwapDoc's Word to PDF converter with a document that still had tracked changes, the PDF showed them all: new words underlined in colour, deleted words struck through, and a line in the margin. Comments were left out, but that varies between converters and settings, and Word itself can print them in a side panel.

It's not just about looks. Deleted text can reveal earlier drafts: a different price, a negotiating position, or someone's frank opinion. Tracked changes and comments also carry the name of whoever made them. If you're sending a Word file rather than a PDF, everything is still inside it even when it's hidden on your screen.

Word for Windows

1. Open the Review tab.
2. If Track Changes is highlighted, click it to turn it off, so your next edits aren't tracked.
3. Click the arrow under Accept and choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking. To go through them one by one instead, use Next and Accept or Reject.
4. In the Comments group, click the arrow under Delete and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
5. Save the document, then convert it.

Do a final check with Inspect Document

Go to File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document, tick everything and click Inspect. Word lists any comments, revisions, hidden text and personal information (such as author names in the document properties) and offers a Remove All button for each. It's the quickest way to be sure nothing is left. Save a copy first if you might need the history later.

Word for Mac

1. On the Review tab, turn off Track Changes.
2. Click the arrow next to Accept and choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking.
3. Click the arrow next to Delete (in the comments area) and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
4. Save, then use File → Save As → PDF, or upload it to a converter.

Google Docs

Google Docs calls tracked changes suggestions.

1. Go to Tools → Review suggested edits.
2. Click Accept all (or Reject all).
3. Open the comments panel (the speech-bubble icon at the top right) and resolve or delete each comment.
4. Download with File → Download as PDF or Word.

If you download as Word without doing this, suggestions arrive as tracked changes and comments as Word comments, ready for the next person to read.

LibreOffice Writer

1. Go to Edit → Track Changes → Manage and click Accept All.
2. Untick Edit → Track Changes → Record Changes.
3. To delete comments, right-click any comment and choose Delete All Comments.

Already sent it?

If you've sent a Word file with tracked changes, the person receiving it can see the history. There's no way to pull it back, so send a corrected version and, if it's sensitive, ask them to delete the first one. If you sent a PDF showing markup, send a clean PDF with a short note.

A routine that prevents it

• Keep the reviewed draft (Report-v3-with-comments.docx) and make a clean copy for sending (Report-final.docx).
• Run Inspect Document on the clean copy.
• Make the PDF from the clean copy and open it to check before you send it.

Next step: convert the clean copy to PDF, or read PDF or Word: which should you send?

Frequently asked questions

Do tracked changes show up when you convert Word to PDF?

Often, yes. In our test they appeared as coloured, underlined and struck-through text. Accept or reject them before converting.

Does switching to No Markup remove tracked changes?

No. It only hides them on your screen. Anyone you send the file to can show them again.

How do I delete all comments in Word at once?

Review → arrow under Delete → Delete All Comments in Document.

How do I check a Word document for hidden information?

File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document (Word for Windows).