Why Word Track Changes Show as Plain Text After Converting to PDF

You have a Word document with Track Changes turned on, and you convert it to PDF. Instead of seeing strikethrough, underline, and colored markup, you see raw text like “Deleted: old text” or “Inserted: new text.” This happens because Word’s built-in PDF export does not embed revision markup as PDF annotations by default. This article explains the exact cause of this behavior and shows you how to export a PDF that preserves Track Changes as visible markup or as a clean final copy.

Why Word Converts Track Changes to Plain Text During PDF Export

Word has two separate PDF generation methods: the built-in Export feature (File > Export > Create PDF/XPS) and the Print to PDF option. Both methods handle Track Changes differently. The root cause is that Word’s default PDF export setting is “Document” — meaning it exports the document in its final accepted state, ignoring any pending revisions. When you select this default, Word applies all changes and outputs only the final text. If you need the revisions to appear as markup, you must explicitly choose “Document showing markup” in the export options. If you choose the wrong setting or use a third-party PDF printer that does not interpret Word revision marks, the result is plain text descriptions of the changes instead of visual markup.

The Difference Between “Document” and “Document Showing Markup”

When you export a PDF from Word, the Publish what dropdown in the Options dialog offers two choices that directly affect Track Changes behavior:

• Document — Word accepts all tracked changes and exports the final text. No markup appears.
• Document showing markup — Word exports the text with strikethrough, underline, balloons, and revision colors embedded as PDF text formatting.

If you see plain text like “Deleted: old text” inside the PDF, you used the Document setting or a PDF converter that does not support Word revision markup.

Why Plain Text Descriptions Appear Instead of Markup

Some third-party PDF converters and online tools cannot read Word’s revision metadata. When they encounter a tracked change, they fall back to displaying the revision text as a plain text comment or inline note. This is not a Word bug — it is a compatibility limitation of the PDF converter. The only reliable fix is to use Word’s own export feature with the correct option.

Steps to Export a PDF With Track Changes Visible as Markup

Follow these steps to produce a PDF that shows strikethrough, underline, and revision balloons exactly as they appear in Word.

1. Open the document and review Track Changes
   Make sure all changes you want to appear are marked. If you have comments you want to include, ensure they are visible on the Review tab. Go to Review > Show Markup and check Comments and Insertions and Deletions.
2. Go to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS
   Click Create PDF/XPS. In the Publish as PDF or XPS dialog, click the Options button in the lower-right corner.
3. Set Publish what to Document showing markup
   In the Options dialog, locate the Publish what dropdown. Change it from “Document” to Document showing markup. Keep all other settings at their defaults unless you need specific PDF/A compliance or bitmap text.
4. Click OK and then Publish
   Click OK to close the Options dialog. Choose a file name and location. Click Publish. The resulting PDF will display all tracked changes as colored strikethrough, underline, and balloons in the margins.

Alternative Method: Print to PDF With a PDF Printer Driver

If the built-in export still produces incorrect output, use the Print to PDF method:

1. Go to File > Print
   Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer. Do not use a third-party PDF printer unless you have verified it supports Word revision marks.
2. Click Print and save the PDF
   In the Print dialog, click Print. Choose a file name and location. This method often preserves Track Changes because Word renders the document to the printer driver using the current display state, including visible markup.

Removing Track Changes Before Export (Clean Final Copy)

If you want a PDF that shows only the final text without any revision history, do the following:

1. Accept all changes
   On the Review tab, click the arrow below Accept and choose Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking.
2. Remove document metadata
   Go to File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document. In the Document Inspector, check Track Changes and Comments and click Inspect. Click Remove All next to the Track Changes item.
3. Export as PDF
   Now go to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS and export with the default Document setting. The PDF will contain only the final accepted text.

If Track Changes Still Appear as Plain Text After the Main Fix

Word Shows “Deleted: text” Instead of Strikethrough in the PDF

This occurs when you use a third-party PDF converter such as Adobe Acrobat Pro or an online tool like Smallpdf. These tools often interpret Word revision data as comments, not as formatting. To fix this, always use Word’s built-in export with Document showing markup. If you must use a third-party tool, first accept all changes in Word, then export a clean PDF, and add revision marks manually in the PDF editor.

The PDF Shows Markup in the Wrong Color or Position

Word uses the author color assigned in Track Changes Options. If the PDF displays incorrect colors, check Review > Track Changes > Change Tracking Options. Ensure the color settings are set to By author or a specific color. Then re-export the PDF. Balloon positions (left or right margin) are controlled by Review > Show Markup > Balloons. Set them to Show All Revisions Inline if you prefer inline markup instead of balloons.

The Exported PDF Is Too Large Due to Embedded Revision Data

When you export with Document showing markup, the PDF can become significantly larger because it embeds each revision as separate text objects. If file size is a concern, accept all changes first, then export a clean PDF. Alternatively, use the Print to PDF method, which sometimes produces a smaller file because it rasterizes the markup instead of encoding it as searchable text.

Word Built-in Export vs Print to PDF for Track Changes

Item	File > Export > Create PDF/XPS	File > Print > Microsoft Print to PDF
Markup support	Full support with Document showing markup option	Preserves visible markup on screen
Comment export	Exports comments as PDF annotations	Exports comments as text boxes
File size	Larger when markup is embedded	Smaller, but text may be rasterized
Searchable text	Yes, text remains selectable	Depends on printer driver settings
Third-party compatibility	Standard PDF format, widely compatible	Standard PDF format, widely compatible

You now know why Word Track Changes can appear as plain text in a PDF and how to fix it. Use File > Export > Create PDF/XPS with Document showing markup to preserve revisions as visible markup. For a clean final copy, accept all changes and remove revision metadata with the Document Inspector before export. As an advanced tip, you can automate this by recording a macro that switches the Publish what setting to Document showing markup and exports the PDF in one step.