Fix Word Track Changes Showing Author Names of Anonymous Reviewers

You are reviewing a Word document and see author names like Reviewer1 or Reviewer2 in Track Changes balloons instead of the actual person who made the edit. This happens when Word anonymizes reviewer names to protect privacy, often after merging comments from multiple sources or when the document was sent using a specific sharing method. This article explains why Word assigns anonymous author names and provides step-by-step methods to restore or replace those names with identifiable ones.

Why Word Shows Anonymous Author Names in Track Changes

Word uses the author name stored in the document properties to label each Track Changes edit. When a document is shared through certain channels, Word may automatically remove or replace the original author name with a generic label such as Reviewer1 or Anonymous. This behavior is part of the Document Inspector feature, which can strip personal information from the file when you save or send it.

The root cause is the setting Remove personal information from file properties on save. When this option is enabled, Word replaces the author name in Track Changes with an anonymous placeholder. The setting is often triggered by document templates, IT policies, or the user manually running the Document Inspector.

Another common cause is merging comments from multiple reviewers where Word cannot resolve the original author identity. This happens when changes are copied from one document to another or when comments are imported from a system that does not preserve author metadata.

Steps to Replace Anonymous Author Names With Real Names

Follow these steps in order. The first method prevents new anonymous names from appearing. The second method replaces existing anonymous names.

Method 1: Disable the Automatic Removal of Author Names

1. Open the document in Word
   Make sure the document containing anonymous Track Changes is open. You need full editing access, not read-only mode.
2. Go to File > Info
   Click the File tab, then select Info from the left menu. This screen shows document properties and protection options.
3. Click Check for Issues, then Inspect Document
   In the Info pane, click the Check for Issues button. From the dropdown, select Inspect Document. The Document Inspector dialog opens.
4. Uncheck Document Properties and Personal Information
   In the Document Inspector, scroll to the section titled Document Properties and Personal Information. Uncheck the checkbox next to it. Do not run the inspection. Click Close.
5. Go to File > Options > Trust Center
   Click the File tab, then Options. In the Word Options dialog, select Trust Center from the left menu. Click the Trust Center Settings button.
6. Disable the setting that removes personal information
   In the Trust Center dialog, select Privacy Options. Under Document-specific settings, uncheck the box labeled Remove personal information from file properties on save. Click OK twice to close both dialogs.
7. Save the document
   Press Ctrl+S or click the Save icon. This ensures the setting change is applied to the current file. New Track Changes edits will now show the author name from your Word user profile.

Method 2: Replace Existing Anonymous Names Using Find and Replace

1. Open the document after disabling the privacy setting
   Complete Method 1 first. Then proceed with this method to fix existing anonymous names.
2. Press Ctrl+H to open Find and Replace
   The Find and Replace dialog appears. Click the More button to expand the options.
3. Click Format, then select Style
   At the bottom of the expanded dialog, click the Format button. From the dropdown, choose Style. The Find Style dialog opens.
4. Select the Comment Reference or Revision style
   In the Find Style list, scroll and select Comment Reference (for comment balloons) or Revision (for insertions/deletions). Click OK.
5. Click in the Replace With field and click Format > Style
   Click inside the Replace With field. Then click Format > Style again and select the same style you chose in step 4. Click OK.
6. Click Replace All
   Click the Replace All button. Word replaces the style formatting but does not change the author name directly. This step resets the formatting so that Word re-evaluates the author attribute.
7. Close the dialog and save
   Click Close, then press Ctrl+S. The anonymous author names may still appear. If so, proceed to the next method.

Method 3: Use a Macro to Change Author Names

1. Press Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor
   This opens the Visual Basic for Applications editor. If the editor is not installed, you need to install the VBA component from Office setup.
2. Insert a new module
   In the editor, click Insert > Module. A blank code window appears.
3. Paste the following macro code
   Copy and paste this code into the module window:
   Sub ChangeAnonymousReviewers()
Dim rev As Revision
For Each rev In ActiveDocument.Revisions
If rev.Author = "Reviewer1" Or rev.Author = "Reviewer2" Or rev.Author = "Anonymous" Then
rev.Author = InputBox("Enter the real author name for this revision:", "Author Name", rev.Author)
End If
Next rev
End Sub
4. Run the macro
   Press F5 or click Run. For each anonymous revision, a dialog prompts you to enter the real author name. Type the correct name and click OK. The macro continues through all revisions.
5. Save the document
   After the macro finishes, close the VBA editor and press Ctrl+S. All anonymous author names in Track Changes are now replaced with the names you entered.

If Anonymous Names Persist After Applying the Fixes

Word Shows Reviewer1 Even After Changing the User Name

If you changed your username in File > Options > General but Track Changes still shows Reviewer1, the document likely has the privacy setting locked by an IT policy. Check the Trust Center as described in Method 1. If the checkbox is grayed out, your system administrator has enforced the setting. You cannot override it. Ask your IT department to disable the policy for your documents.

Anonymous Names Reappear After Saving and Reopening

This indicates that the document template or a macro is re-enabling the privacy setting each time you open the file. Open the document, go to File > Options > Add-ins, and disable any suspicious add-ins. Also, check the document’s attached template by going to Developer > Document Template. If the template is from an external source, detach it and save the file as a new document.

Track Changes Balloons Show No Author at All

When the author field is completely blank, Word displays an empty balloon or a placeholder like Unknown. This often happens when comments are pasted from a plain text source. There is no direct way to fill in blank author fields via the user interface. Use the macro from Method 3, but modify the condition to check for an empty string: If rev.Author = "" Then. Then assign a name using the InputBox.

Comparison of Methods to Fix Anonymous Author Names in Track Changes

Method	Prevents New Anonymous Names	Fixes Existing Anonymous Names	Requires VBA Knowledge
Disable privacy setting in Trust Center	Yes	No	No
Find and Replace with styles	No	Partial	No
VBA macro to rename authors	No	Yes	Basic
Manually re-typing each revision	No	Yes	No

Now you can identify who made each edit in your Word document by disabling the privacy setting that strips author names or by running a macro to replace existing anonymous labels. Start by checking the Trust Center setting in File > Options. If anonymous names remain, use the VBA macro to assign real names to each revision. For future documents, lock Track Changes with a password to prevent anonymous edits from appearing.