When multiple reviewers edit a document, Track Changes can quickly become cluttered with revisions from different people. You may need to review only specific changes, such as those from a manager or a particular collaborator, without seeing edits from everyone else. Word provides a built-in filter that lets you show changes from one reviewer at a time. This article explains how to use the Reviewing Pane and the Show Markup menu to filter Track Changes by reviewer in Word for Windows and Mac.
Key Takeaways: Filtering Track Changes by Reviewer
- Review > Show Markup > Specific People: Displays a checklist of all reviewers to show or hide their changes.
- Reviewing Pane vertical or horizontal: Shows a summary of all tracked changes, including counts per reviewer, for easier navigation.
- Review > Reviewing Pane dropdown arrow: Opens the pane where you can sort or filter changes by reviewer name.
Understanding the Track Changes Filter Feature
Word stores the name of each reviewer who makes a tracked change. The Show Markup menu on the Review tab contains a submenu called Specific People. This submenu lists every reviewer who has made changes in the document. Unchecking a reviewer hides all their insertions, deletions, formatting changes, and comments. The filter does not delete any data — it only controls what is visible on screen. You can also use the Reviewing Pane to see a list of all changes grouped by reviewer, which helps you jump to specific edits quickly. No special permissions or add-ins are required; this feature works in Word 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365 on both Windows and Mac.
Steps to Filter Track Changes by Reviewer
- Open the document with tracked changes
Make sure Track Changes is active. Go to the Review tab and confirm the Track Changes button is highlighted. If it is not, click it to enable tracking before filtering. - Click Show Markup on the Review tab
In the Tracking group, click the Show Markup button. A dropdown menu appears with options like Comments, Insertions and Deletions, Formatting, and Specific People. - Select Specific People
Hover over Specific People in the dropdown. A submenu opens listing all reviewers who have made changes. Each reviewer has a checkbox next to their name. By default, all reviewers are checked. - Uncheck reviewers you want to hide
Click the checkbox next to each reviewer whose changes you want to hide. Only the checked reviewers will appear in the document. For example, uncheck everyone except the reviewer named Jane Smith to see only her changes. - Use the All Reviewers option to reset
In the same submenu, click All Reviewers to show changes from everyone again. This clears the filter and restores the default view.
Using the Reviewing Pane to Filter by Reviewer
- Open the Reviewing Pane
On the Review tab, in the Tracking group, click the Reviewing Pane button. Choose Vertical Reviewing Pane or Horizontal Reviewing Pane. The pane opens on the left side or bottom of the window. - View the summary of changes
The Reviewing Pane shows a summary at the top, including total number of tracked changes and comments. Below that, each change appears as a line item with the reviewer name, date, and type of change. - Sort or filter by reviewer in the pane
Click the header of the Reviewing Pane (the bar that says Reviewing Pane). A small dropdown arrow appears. Click it and select Filter by Reviewer. A list of names appears. Check or uncheck names to filter the pane and the document simultaneously. - Navigate between filtered changes
With the filter active, use the Previous and Next buttons in the Tracking group to jump only among the visible changes. Word skips changes from hidden reviewers.
Common Issues When Filtering Track Changes
Reviewer names appear as Author or Unknown
If a reviewer name is not set in Word Options, changes may show as Author or Unknown. To fix this, ask each reviewer to go to File > Options > General and enter their name in the User name field. Existing changes retain the original name; only new changes will use the updated name.
Filter option is grayed out
The Specific People submenu is unavailable if the document is in a format that does not support multiple reviewers, such as .txt or .rtf. Save the document as a .docx file. Also, if Track Changes is turned off, the menu is disabled. Turn on Track Changes first.
Filter does not hide all changes from a reviewer
If a reviewer made both tracked changes and comments, unchecking their name in Specific People hides only tracked changes. To hide their comments as well, go to Show Markup and uncheck Comments. Alternatively, use the Reviewing Pane filter to hide both types at once.
| Item | Show Markup > Specific People | Reviewing Pane Filter |
|---|---|---|
| Access method | Review tab > Show Markup > Specific People | Review tab > Reviewing Pane > dropdown arrow > Filter by Reviewer |
| Filter scope | Only tracked changes (insertions, deletions, formatting) | Tracked changes and comments |
| Visual feedback | Changes disappear from document body | Changes disappear from document body and pane list |
| Reset method | Click All Reviewers in submenu | Check all names in filter list |
| Best for | Quick toggling of one or two reviewers | Detailed review with navigation and summary counts |
You can now filter Track Changes by reviewer using either the Show Markup menu or the Reviewing Pane. Start by applying the Specific People filter to hide unwanted changes, then use the Reviewing Pane to jump between remaining edits. For documents with many reviewers, save a filtered view by creating a custom view or printing only visible markup. As an advanced tip, combine the filter with the Accept or Reject buttons to process only the visible changes from a single reviewer without affecting edits from others.