How to Remove Comments from a Word Document (All Methods)

How do you remove comments from a Word document? To delete every comment in desktop Word, go to Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document. To remove only one modern comment thread, select it in the Comments pane, open More thread actions (…), and choose Delete thread.

Key Takeaways

• Delete permanently removes a comment; Resolve only marks the discussion as finished.
• No Markup and Show Comments change what you see, but they do not remove comments from the file.
• Deleting comments does not remove tracked insertions, deletions, or formatting changes.
• Save a backup before using a bulk-delete command or Document Inspector.

Before You Delete: Comments, Resolved Threads, and Tracked Changes

Word uses several review features that can look similar but behave differently. A comment is a note attached to text or a location in the document. A tracked change records an edit, such as inserted text, deleted text, or formatting. A resolved comment remains in the file but is moved out of the active discussion view.

Use Delete when the comment itself should no longer remain in the document. Use Resolve thread when you want to preserve the discussion as review history. Use Accept or Reject for tracked changes. Hiding comments with No Markup is useful while reading, but anyone can show them again later.

Before deleting a large number of comments, save a copy such as report-reviewed.docx. This preserves the original feedback if you later need to check why a change was made.

How to Delete One Comment in Word on Windows or Mac

Current Microsoft 365 versions usually display comments in a pane on the right. The command may say Delete thread because a comment can include replies from several reviewers.

1. Open the document and select Review.
2. Select Show Comments or open the Comments pane.
3. Click the comment thread you want to remove.
4. Select More thread actions (…).
5. Choose Delete thread and confirm if Word asks.

In a classic-comments layout, select the comment and use Review → Delete. You can also right-click a comment balloon and choose the delete command when that option is available. The highlighted text remains in the document; only the attached note is removed.

How to Remove All Comments from a Word Document

Use the bulk command when a review is complete and the final Word file should not contain any comment threads.

1. Save a backup copy of the document.
2. Open the copy and go to Review.
3. In the Comments group, open the arrow beside Delete.
4. Select Delete All Comments in Document.
5. Save, close, and reopen the file to verify that the Comments pane is empty.

This command removes active and resolved comments from the current file. It does not automatically accept or reject tracked changes. If red insertions, deleted text, revision bars, or formatting marks remain, handle them separately in the Changes group.

How to Remove Comments in Word for the Web

Word for the web uses modern comment threads. You need editing permission; a view-only or restricted document will not let you delete review content.

1. Open the file in editing mode.
2. Open the Comments pane.
3. Select the thread you want to remove.
4. Open More thread actions (…).
5. Select Delete thread.

Repeat the process for other threads. When a browser version does not provide the same bulk-delete menu as the desktop app, choose Open in Desktop App and use Delete All Comments in Document there.

How to Delete Comments in Word on iPhone, iPad, or Android

The mobile layout is more compact, but the result is the same.

1. Tap the highlighted text or comment indicator.
2. Open the comment thread.
3. Tap the More button or ellipsis.
4. Select Delete thread.

On tablets that show the Review ribbon, you may also see Delete and Delete All. Menu names can vary slightly by screen size and app version. Save the document and reopen the Comments pane to confirm that the thread is gone.

How to Remove Comments in WPS Writer

WPS Writer can open a Word-compatible .docx file and remove its comment markup from the Review tab.

1. Open the document in WPS Writer.
2. Select the comment you want to remove.
3. Go to Review → Delete to remove the selected comment.
4. To clear the entire file, open the Delete drop-down and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
5. Save the document as .docx, then reopen it to verify the result.

Comments and tracked changes are separate in WPS Writer as well. Deleting comments does not automatically accept changes recorded by Track Changes.

How to Remove Comments and Tracked Changes Before Sharing

A document can look clean while still containing review data. Complete both parts of the cleanup:

1. Use Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document to remove comment threads.
2. Open the Accept or Reject menu in the Changes group.
3. Review changes individually, or use an appropriate Accept All or Reject All command.
4. Turn off Track Changes so new edits are not recorded.
5. Set the display to All Markup once more and inspect the document before saving.

Do not rely on No Markup as a privacy step. It only changes the current view. For a focused explanation of comments versus tracked changes, see how to handle comments and review changes in Word.

Use Document Inspector for a Final Privacy Check

For a client handoff, legal document, public download, or external submission, Word's Document Inspector can find comments, revision marks, document properties, author information, and other hidden content.

1. Save a separate copy of the original document.
2. In the copy, choose File → Info.
3. Select Check for Issues → Inspect Document.
4. Choose the categories you want Word to inspect.
5. Select Inspect.
6. Review the results, then select Remove All only for the information you intend to delete.
7. Run the inspection again and save the cleaned copy.

Use this feature carefully: removed information may not be recoverable with Undo. Keep the original reviewed file until the final version has been approved.

Why Comments Will Not Delete or Keep Coming Back

The document is read-only or protected

You need editing permission to delete comments. Request access, remove editing protection if you are authorized to do so, or save an editable copy.

You deleted a reply but not the entire thread

A modern thread can contain an opening comment and several replies. Open the menu for the thread and choose Delete thread when the whole discussion should be removed.

You resolved the comment instead of deleting it

Resolved comments remain in the Comments pane and can be reopened. Locate the resolved thread and delete it if the review history should no longer remain in the file.

You are viewing tracked changes

Red text, strike-through text, revision bars, and formatting balloons are usually tracked changes rather than comments. Use Accept or Reject to remove that markup.

A co-author added a new comment

In a shared cloud document, another editor can add comments after you clean the file. Confirm that collaboration is finished and check the latest cloud version before final delivery.

You opened an older copy

Check the filename, folder, cloud location, and modified time. Saving the final version with a clear name such as contract-final-clean.docx reduces the risk of reopening the reviewed copy.

Remove Comments from the Output Without Deleting the Source

Sometimes you need a clean PDF or printed copy but want to keep reviewer feedback in the Word source file. In that case, do not delete the comments. Export or print without markup instead.

For PDF output, select the option that exports the Document rather than Document showing markup, or clear Print Markup before printing to PDF. Follow the complete steps in how to save a Word document as a PDF without comments. To hide comments temporarily while editing, see how to turn off the comments display in Word.

Manage Word Comments with WPS Office

WPS Writer provides Word-compatible review controls for opening, checking, and removing comments from .docx files. It is useful when you need to clean a document, verify the final layout, and export a shareable copy from one desktop workflow.

Need to inspect the feedback before deleting it? Read how to view every comment in a Word document. If the wrong author name appears beside new comments, use the guide to change the name shown in Word comments.

FAQs

Can I remove comments without deleting the text they refer to?

Yes. Deleting a comment removes the note or thread, not the document text attached to it. Always verify the paragraph afterward if a reviewer requested an edit that you still need to apply.

What is the difference between deleting and resolving a comment?

Deleting removes the comment from the current file. Resolving marks the discussion as completed but keeps the thread in the Comments pane so it can be reviewed or reopened later.

Does Delete All Comments remove tracked changes?

No. Comments and tracked changes are separate. After deleting comments, use the Accept or Reject commands to process inserted, deleted, and reformatted text.

Can I recover a deleted Word comment?

Not reliably from the current file after it has been saved and closed. Recovery may be possible from Undo before closing, an earlier backup, AutoRecover, or OneDrive and SharePoint version history.

How do I delete resolved comments?

Open the Comments pane in List view, locate the resolved thread, open More thread actions, and choose Delete thread. Resolving a thread alone does not remove it.

Why is the Delete Comment option unavailable?

The document may be read-only, protected, or opened without editing permission. Switch to editing mode, request access, or work in an authorized editable copy.

Can I remove all comments in Word for the web?

You can delete threads from the Comments pane. When the browser interface does not show a bulk-delete command, open the file in desktop Word and use Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document.

Will deleted comments still appear in a PDF?

No, comments deleted from the Word file will not be included in a newly created PDF. You can also keep the comments in the source file and export the PDF without markup.

Summary

To remove comments from a Word document, delete one modern thread from its More actions menu or remove every comment with Review → Delete → Delete All Comments in Document. Use separate Accept or Reject commands for tracked changes, and run Document Inspector on a copy when you need a final privacy check. The same bulk-delete path is available in WPS Writer for Word-compatible files.