Word Track Changes Shows Author as Microsoft Account: Fix

When you use Track Changes in Word, each edit is labeled with an author name. Some users see their Microsoft account email or display name instead of their preferred name. This happens because Word reads the author information from your Microsoft account settings by default. This article explains how to change the author name in Word so Track Changes shows the name you want.

Why Word Shows Your Microsoft Account Name in Track Changes

Word stores the default author name in two locations: the global Office settings and the document properties. When you create a new document, Word pulls the author name from File > Options > General. If you signed into Word with a Microsoft account, that account display name fills the User name field automatically. Track Changes then uses that name for every edit.

For existing documents, the author name is stored inside the document properties. If you received a document from someone else, or if the document was created under a different account, the author field may still show the old name or the Microsoft account name. Changing the global Office setting does not retroactively update existing documents. You must modify the document properties directly.

Steps to Change the Author Name for Track Changes

Follow these steps to set a custom author name for all new documents and to fix an existing document.

Change the Global Author Name for All New Documents

1. Open Word Options
   Click File in the ribbon. Then click Options at the bottom of the left panel. The Word Options dialog opens.
2. Go to the General tab
   In the Word Options dialog, ensure the General tab is selected.
3. Edit the User name field
   In the Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office section, find the User name text box. Delete the Microsoft account name and type your preferred name. For example, type Jane Smith.
4. Set the initials
   Below the User name field, type your initials in the Initials text box. Word uses initials for comment references and some Track Changes marks.
5. Save the changes
   Click OK to close the Word Options dialog. All new documents you create will now use this name for Track Changes.

Change the Author Name in an Existing Document

1. Open the document properties
   Click File in the ribbon. Then click Info to show the document properties panel.
2. Locate the Author field
   On the right side of the Info page, look for the Properties section. The Author field shows the current author name. If you see your Microsoft account name, hover over it. A pencil icon appears next to the name.
3. Edit the author name
   Click the pencil icon. The author name becomes editable. Delete the existing name and type your preferred name. Press Enter to save the change.
4. Remove additional authors
   If multiple authors appear in the Author field, click the x next to each name you want to remove. Then add your name as described.
5. Save the document
   Press Ctrl+S to save the document. The Track Changes author name for future edits will now use the new name. Existing edits still show the old name.

Remove All Author Information From a Document

1. Open the Inspect Document tool
   Click File > Info. Click the Check for Issues button. Select Inspect Document from the menu. The Document Inspector opens.
2. Select the options to inspect
   In the Document Inspector dialog, ensure Document Properties and Personal Information is checked. All other boxes can remain as default.
3. Run the inspection
   Click Inspect. Word scans the document and shows results. Look for the section Document Properties and Personal Information.
4. Remove the information
   Click the Remove All button next to that section. Word deletes the author name and other personal metadata.
5. Save the document
   Click Close then press Ctrl+S. Author information is removed from the document. Future Track Changes edits will use the global User name setting from Word Options.

If Word Still Shows the Wrong Author Name

Track Changes Still Shows the Old Author Name After Editing Properties

Changing the document author does not retroactively change existing Track Changes entries. Each edit stores the author name at the time of the edit. To fix existing entries, you must accept or reject those changes, then add new edits under the correct name. Alternatively, use a third-party tool to modify the document XML, but Word does not provide a native method to change the author of past Track Changes entries.

The Author Name Keeps Reverting to the Microsoft Account Name

If you change the User name in Word Options but it reverts after restarting Word, your Microsoft account sync may be overwriting the setting. Sign out of your Microsoft account in Word: click File > Account. Under User Information, click Sign Out. Then change the User name again. You can still use Word without signing in, or sign in again after setting the name. Once signed in, the User name field should retain your custom value.

Document Opened From SharePoint or OneDrive Shows a Different Author

When you open a document from SharePoint or OneDrive, the author name may come from the server metadata, not from your local Word settings. In this case, edit the document properties on the server: open the document in the browser, click the document title to expand the details pane, and edit the Author field there. Then open the document in Word. The local change will match the server value.

Global Author Setting vs Document Properties

Item	Global Setting (Word Options)	Document Properties
Applies to	All new documents	Only the current document
Changes existing edits	No	No
Changes future edits	Yes	Yes
Location	File > Options > General	File > Info > Properties > Author
Affected by Microsoft account	Yes	No

To get consistent Track Changes author names, set both the global User name in Word Options and the document author in the document properties. The global setting controls new documents. The document property controls the current document. Future edits in the current document use the document property author. New documents use the global setting.

If you share documents with others, consider using the Inspect Document tool to remove personal information before sending. This removes all author metadata including Track Changes author names. Recipients will see the document as anonymous. You can add your name back after receiving the document by editing the document properties.