Why Word’s ‘Show Markup’ Filter Settings Reset Between Sessions

You set the Show Markup filter in Word to show only Comments or Formatting changes, but after closing and reopening the document, the filter reverts to showing all markup. This behavior is not a bug. Word is designed to reset the Show Markup filter to its default state each time you open a document in a new session. This article explains the reason behind this design and shows you how to work around it using a macro or by saving a custom view.

Why Word Resets the Show Markup Filter at Startup

Word does not save the state of the Show Markup filter with the document file. The filter is a runtime setting only. When you close a document and reopen it, Word loads the document from disk without any memory of the previous filter state. This is by design to ensure that every collaborator sees all tracked changes by default when they first open a document.

The Show Markup filter is located under Review > Show Markup. It offers options such as Comments, Ink, Insertions and Deletions, Formatting, and Specific People. Changing any of these filters affects only the current editing session. Word does not write this filter information into the document’s XML or its properties. Therefore, the filter always resets to show all markup types from all reviewers when the document is opened in a new session.

This behavior is consistent across Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. It applies to both local files and documents stored on SharePoint or OneDrive. The only way to preserve a specific filter is to automate the filter application using a macro or to create a custom view that hides tracked changes temporarily.

How to Keep Your Show Markup Filter Persistent

Because Word does not natively save the filter state between sessions, you have two reliable workarounds: a macro that runs automatically when the document opens, or saving a custom view that hides markup. The macro method is the most complete solution because it sets the exact filter you want every time.

Method 1: Record a Macro to Set the Filter and Attach It to the Document

1. Open the document and go to View > Macros > Record Macro
   In the Record Macro dialog, type a name such as SetShowMarkupFilter. In the Store macro in dropdown, select the current document name. Click OK. Word begins recording.
2. Set your preferred Show Markup filter
   Go to Review > Show Markup. Uncheck any markup types you do not want to see, or select Specific People and choose a reviewer. Word records every checkbox change.
3. Stop recording
   Go to View > Macros > Stop Recording. The macro now contains the exact filter settings you applied.
4. Open the Visual Basic Editor
   Press Alt + F11. In the Project Explorer, double-click the ThisDocument object under the current document’s project.
5. Add the Document_Open event
   In the code window, paste the following VBA code to call your recorded macro automatically when the document opens:

   Private Sub Document_Open()
       SetShowMarkupFilter
   End Sub
   

   Close the editor and save the document as a macro-enabled document (.docm).

Now every time you open this .docm file, Word runs the macro and applies your saved filter. Note that .docm files may be blocked by some email systems or security policies. You may need to save a copy of the file as .docx for sharing and use the macro-enabled version for your own editing.

Method 2: Save a Custom View That Hides Markup

1. Set your filter and switch to All Markup view
   Go to Review > Show Markup and set your desired filter. Then go to Review > Display for Review and choose All Markup.
2. Save a custom view
   Go to View > Views > Custom Views. Click Add. Name the view MyFilteredView. Check the box for Document settings. Click OK.
3. Apply the view on each open
   After reopening the document, go to View > Views > Custom Views, select MyFilteredView, and click Show. The filter you saved is applied.

This method does not run automatically. You must manually apply the custom view each time. However, it does not require macros or .docm files, so it works with any .docx document.

If the Filter Still Resets Unexpectedly During a Session

Show Markup filter changes back to All Reviewers after saving

If you set the filter to Specific People and then save the document, the filter should stay until you close the file. If it resets while the document is still open, another user or an add-in might be resetting it. Disable all COM add-ins under File > Options > Add-ins > Manage COM Add-ins > Go. Restart Word and test again.

Filter resets after using Compare Documents

When you use Review > Compare > Compare, Word creates a new document that combines the two versions. This new document does not inherit the filter settings from the source documents. After the comparison finishes, you must set the Show Markup filter again in the new comparison document.

Specific People option is grayed out

The Specific People option under Show Markup is available only when the document contains tracked changes from at least one reviewer. If the document has no tracked changes, the option is disabled. Add a temporary change to yourself, then the option becomes active and you can select individual reviewers.

Show Markup Filter Behavior: Macro-Enabled Document vs Standard Document

Item	Macro-Enabled Document (.docm)	Standard Document (.docx)
Filter persistence between sessions	Yes, if Document_Open macro is used	No, filter resets every session
Security restrictions	May be blocked by email or IT policy	No macro restrictions
Manual workaround available	Macro runs automatically	Custom view requires manual selection
Requires VBA trust settings	Yes, macros must be enabled	No

Word’s design choice to reset the Show Markup filter ensures that no tracked changes are accidentally hidden from collaborators. If you need a persistent filter, the macro method is the most reliable solution for your own editing workflow.