Can you really redline a contract in Microsoft Word and still keep reviews clear and under control?
For many teams, the answer is yes, at least at the start. Word gives you a familiar way to surface edits, flag concerns, and keep changes visible as a document moves through review.
This guide walks through how redlining works in Word, step by step, using the tools already built in. We'll also cover where that approach starts to feel limiting and why contract redlining software tools often enter the picture once reviews grow in volume or complexity.
Redlining is simply a way to show edits without quietly changing the text. When someone opens a Microsoft Word document and sees redlines, they’re seeing what was added, removed, or commented on, right where it happened.
In Word, redlining usually happens through Track Changes. As people edit, Word marks up the document so everyone can follow what’s being suggested and why. That makes reviews easier to manage, especially once more than one person gets involved.
For legal teams, redlining in Word helps keep conversations tied to the exact language under review. You can see how a clause evolved, what raised questions, and what still needs a decision, all without bouncing between versions or trying to remember what changed last time.
If you’re redlining in MS Word, everything runs through the Track Changes feature. It’s built into Word, and it’s what turns a normal draft into a redlined document where every edit stays visible.
Once Track Changes is on, all changes show up in the document, and that visibility is what makes the redlining process work. This is especially true for legal documents where even small wording changes matter.
Track Changes also keeps the review organized. You can see who made each edit, follow how language evolved, and comment directly on specific sections.
With Track Changes, you can:
You can view and comment on redlines in the Word mobile app, but full redlining, reviewing, and cleanup work best on a desktop.
Turning on Track Changes only takes a moment, but it’s worth checking before anyone starts editing. If it’s off, Word won’t capture revisions, and those edits can blend into the document without any visibility.
Open your Word document and head to the Review tab in the top menu. You’ll see Track Changes sitting in the toolbar. Click it once, and Word immediately starts recording edits.
A quick thing to confirm before sharing the file: make sure Track Changes is on for everyone reviewing the document. That way, edits stay visible from the first comment to the final pass, and no one has to wonder where changes came from or when they were made.
Here's a simple tutorial on how to redline your legal document in MS Word:
Before making any edits, open the Word file and save a separate copy. This gives you a clear starting point and makes it easy to go back if something feels off later. Naming it clearly helps, too.
Next, switch on Track Changes from the Review tab.
Before you start editing, take a moment to adjust how Word displays changes. In the Review tab, open the Show Markup menu and choose how much change tracking you want to see.
Some people prefer Simple Markup for a cleaner view, while others like seeing every insertion and deletion spelled out.
With everything set, you can edit the document like you normally would. Type new text, delete language that no longer works, or adjust formatting. Word automatically records each change and marks it clearly in the document.
Common redline edits include:
You can also leave feedback alongside edits when something needs discussion rather than a direct change.
Comments are optional, but they help a lot, especially during contract redlining. When language feels unclear or includes risky terms, a comment gives you space to explain your concern without rewriting the clause right away.
You can also flag issues, ask questions, or note why a change was made, all tied to the exact spot in the document.
Plus, comments keep discussions focused. Rather than sending follow-up emails, feedback stays next to the language under review, which makes decisions easier later.
As comments start coming in, you can reply directly inside the document to keep the conversation tied to the exact language under review.
Comments show up in the right margin, so you can scan through feedback as you work. When a question has been answered or a change has been made, you can select Delete Comment to clear it out.
Some teams leave certain notes in place for future reference, especially when decisions might come up again later.
If the document gets busy, the Reviewing Pane helps pull everything into one place. You can see open comments, resolved points, and remaining edits without scrolling through every page.
For example, someone flags a clause with a new comment, you update the wording, reply to confirm the change, and then remove the comment once everyone agrees.
Once edits start piling up, it helps to review them one at a time. Word lets you move through revisions inline, so edits stay visible and easy to follow as you go.
Using this approach keeps reviews focused and prevents missed changes.
For instance, you can:
After reviewing the changes, the next step is deciding what stays and what goes. Word gives you clear options to accept or reject each edit, which helps keep the redline comparison clean and intentional.
When you accept an edit, Word removes the markup and applies the change to the document. The text becomes part of the final version, and the redline disappears.
If you reject an edit, Word restores the original language and removes the proposed change, including any deleted text that was marked during review.
You can work through edits one at a time using the Accept and Reject buttons in the Review tab, or move through changes in sequence if you prefer a steady flow.
Once decisions are made, the document starts to look less cluttered as markup is removed. What’s left is a clean draft that reflects agreed changes.
After all edits are accepted or rejected, save a clean version of the file. Switch the document to Final View to confirm that no markup remains and the text reads the way it should. This step helps avoid accidentally sharing tracked changes that were meant to stay internal.
It’s also a good idea to keep the original document on hand. Having both versions makes it easy to reference earlier language if questions come up later.
When you share the updated file, reviewers should see a clear, finished draft without distractions. That clarity signals the document is ready for the next step, whether that’s approval, signing, or storage.
After redlining wraps up, it’s often useful to step back and see how the same document changed overall. Word’s Compare feature lets you do that quickly and easily. You can find it in the Review tab.
You select two Word documents, usually the original and the revised version, and Word creates a comparison document that pulls the changes into one view. It keeps edits visible in the text, so you can scan additions, deletions, and formatting updates on one screen.
This is especially helpful for version control. When drafts start stacking up, comparing two versions side by side makes it easier to confirm what actually changed and avoid working from the wrong file.
It also helps when edits come from different reviewers, or someone forgets to click Track Changes.
Redlining in Word usually goes smoothly, but a few easy-to-miss mistakes can slow things down or cause confusion later.
Most problems come from version mix-ups or simple setup issues like
Redlining in Word works fine for simple edits and short reviews. Unfortunately, the cracks start to show once documents get longer, reviewers increase, or timelines tighten.
At that point, teams often spend more time managing edits than reviewing the contract itself.
Industry research suggests legal teams could reduce contract turnaround time and boost efficiency by as much as 73% with AI-assisted tools, yet many still rely on manual processes. That gap shows up quickly when Word is doing more than it was designed to handle.
You may want a dedicated redlining tool if you:
For heavier contract work, proper redlining tools reduce friction and keep reviews moving without constant cleanup. That brings us to our next point.
Redlining in Word gets the job done for simple reviews. Track Changes, comments, and comparisons cover the basics and help you move drafts forward without much setup.
However, things change once contract volume grows or reviews start piling up. Manually redlining, managing versions, and keeping context straight can turn into extra work that slows everything down.
When this happens, you need a more reliable and efficient approach.
Aline gives you a smarter way to redline contracts using legal AI built directly into a full contract lifecycle platform.
You can draft, redline, compare, approve, and sign in one place, with AI playbooks guiding reviews and keeping language consistent. Edits stay clear, decisions stay documented, and contracts move faster without the usual friction.
If contract reviews take more time than they should, it may be time to move beyond Word.
Start a trial of Aline and see what AI-powered redlining can do for you.
Redlining in Word starts with turning on Track Changes. Open the document, go to the Review tab, and select Track Changes in the tracking group. From there, edits show up automatically as you type. You can move through edits using the arrows in the changes group and review everything in order.
When Track Changes is on, deleting text creates a visible strikethrough automatically. You don’t need to apply a double strikethrough manually. Word marks deleted text as part of the redlining process, keeping the change clear and easy to review.
Redlining means showing edits directly in the document so reviewers can see what changed. Additions, deletions, and comments stay visible until they’re accepted or rejected. This makes it easier to compare two documents or track how a draft evolved over time.
After reviewing edits, accept or reject all changes using the changes group. You can also use the down arrow next to Track Changes to confirm settings, then switch the view to Final to remove markup. Lock Track Changes can help prevent new edits while you prepare the clean version.
Brent is an attorney, a full-stack JavaScript engineer and the CEO of Aline.
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