How to Save a Word Doc as PDF Without Comments

To save a Word doc as a PDF without comments in desktop Word, choose File → Save As or Save a Copy → PDF, open More Options → Options, and set Publish what to Document rather than Document showing markup. If you create the PDF through the Print screen, clear Print Markup. Both methods can leave the comments in the original .docx file while excluding them from the PDF.

Key Takeaways

• For a clean PDF, export Document, not Document showing markup.
• When using Print to PDF, make sure Print Markup is turned off.
• No Markup hides review content but does not delete comments or tracked changes.
• In Word for the web, select Download as PDF, not Download as PDF with comments.
• In WPS Writer, leave Comments unchecked under PDF Advanced Settings → Content.

Choose Whether to Hide or Remove Comments

Before exporting, decide whether you only need a clean PDF or also need to clean the Word source file. These are different tasks. Word can keep comments and tracked changes in the .docx file while producing a PDF that shows only the final document.

Your goal	Best method	What happens to the Word comments?
Create a clean PDF but keep review history	Export Document instead of Document showing markup	They remain in the .docx file
Print or create a PDF without visible markup	Clear Print Markup	They remain in the .docx file
Deliver a clean Word file and PDF	Delete comments and accept or reject tracked changes	They are removed from the cleaned copy
Remove review data and personal information	Run Document Inspector on a copy	Selected review data is removed

Changing the display to No Markup can help you preview the clean document, but it is not the same as deleting review data. Likewise, resolving a comment thread marks the discussion as finished; it does not erase the thread from the source file.

Save as PDF Without Comments in Word for Windows

This is the most reliable desktop method because Word lets you choose whether the PDF contains markup.

1. Open the document and save your latest changes.
2. Select File → Save a Copy. For a new or unsaved file, use File → Save As.
3. Select a folder, then choose PDF (*.pdf) as the file type.
4. Select More Options, then open Options.
5. Under Publish what, choose Document. Do not choose Document showing markup.
6. Select OK, save the PDF, and open it to inspect every page.

You can also use File → Export → Create PDF/XPS. The important setting is still Publish what: Document. The separate Document properties checkbox controls metadata such as document properties; it is not the setting that removes comment balloons or tracked-change markup from the PDF.

If you want to keep the comments for your internal team, stop here. You do not need to delete them from the Word file. For instructions on temporarily hiding the review interface while you work, see how to turn off comments on a Word document.

Use Print to PDF Without Comments

Print to PDF is another option, especially when a system or workflow requires a printed PDF. However, you must check the print setting because Word can print comments and tracked changes when markup is enabled.

1. Select File → Print.
2. Under Settings, open the menu that normally says Print All Pages.
3. If Print Markup is checked, select it to clear the check mark.
4. Choose Microsoft Print to PDF or another PDF printer.
5. Select Print, name the file, and save it.

Use the print preview as your first quality check. If the preview still has a wider right margin, comment balloons, revision bars, or deleted text, return to the settings and confirm that Print Markup is off. Save As or Export is usually preferable when you need Word's PDF options, accessibility tags, or document bookmarks.

Save as PDF Without Comments on Mac

Word for Mac uses a simpler Save As workflow. Hide review markup before exporting, then verify the resulting PDF.

1. Open the Review tab and set the review display to No Markup if comments or tracked changes are visible.
2. Select File → Save As or Save a Copy.
3. Open File Format and choose PDF.
4. Name the file, choose a location, and select Save.
5. Open the PDF and confirm that no comment balloons, reviewer names, or revision marks appear.

If you create the PDF from the macOS Print dialog instead, check the Word print options and make sure markup is not included. Interface wording can vary by Word version, so the preview is the final authority. For documents containing confidential review history, make a separate clean copy before removing anything.

Download a PDF Without Comments in Word for the Web

Word for the web now separates the two export choices clearly.

1. Select File.
2. Select Export.
3. Choose Download as PDF to exclude comments.
4. Do not choose Download as PDF with comments.
5. Select Download and inspect the saved file.

This method lets you preserve comments in the online Word document while downloading a clean reading copy. If you cannot find the export choices, check that the file is open in Word for the web rather than a browser preview or another Microsoft 365 viewer.

Export a Clean PDF in WPS Writer

WPS Writer can export a .docx file to PDF and lets you decide whether comments are part of the exported content.

1. Open the Word document in WPS Writer and review the comments under Review.
2. Select Menu → Export to PDF. Some versions also provide an Export to PDF shortcut near the top-left corner.
3. In the export window, open Advanced Settings.
4. Under Content, leave Comments unchecked.
5. Choose the page range and save location, then select Confirm and Export to PDF.
6. Open the PDF in WPS PDF or another viewer and inspect the pages.

The Comments option is important: enabling it is how WPS preserves comments in the converted PDF. For a clean output, leave it disabled. This does not require deleting the original comments from the .docx file.

Remove Comments and Tracked Changes from the Source File

For a client handoff, legal filing, public download, or final archive, you may also need a clean Word file. Work on a copy so that the review history remains available in the original.

1. Select File → Save As and create a separate final copy.
2. In the copy, open Review.
3. Open the Delete menu in the Comments group and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
4. Use Accept or Reject to process tracked changes. Comments and tracked changes are separate, so deleting comments does not accept edits.
5. For a deeper check, select File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document.
6. Inspect the copy and remove comments, revisions, document properties, or other hidden information only when appropriate.

Document Inspector can remove information that may be difficult to restore, which is why it should be used on a copy. If you only want a PDF without visible comments, the export settings are enough; do not remove internal review history unnecessarily. For a detailed cleanup tutorial, see how to remove comments from a Word document.

Why Does the PDF Still Show Comments or Markup?

The PDF was exported as “Document showing markup”

Recreate the PDF and select DocumentPublish what. Simply changing the on-screen view may not correct an export option that is still set to include markup.

Print Markup is still enabled

Open File → Print, expand the settings menu, and clear Print Markup. Check the preview before creating another PDF.

You are seeing tracked changes, not comments

Deleted text, insertion marks, formatting changes, and revision bars come from Track Changes. Export without markup for a clean PDF. To clean the Word source file as well, accept or reject the changes.

The marks are PDF annotations

Comments added in Adobe Acrobat, WPS PDF, Preview, or another PDF editor are separate from Word comments. Open the PDF's Comments or Annotations pane and remove those annotations from the PDF itself.

You opened an older PDF

Save the new export with a distinct name, such as proposal-final-no-comments.pdf, and confirm the folder and modified time. Browser tabs and cloud previews can continue showing a cached earlier version.

Resolved Word comments still exist

Resolving a thread does not delete it. A correct no-comment export should still exclude the thread, but the comment remains in the Word file and can reappear when the document is reopened in a review view.

Final PDF Checklist Before Sharing

• Open the PDF in a viewer other than Word.
• Scan every page for comment balloons, reviewer initials, revision bars, and deleted text.
• Confirm that the page width and margins match the clean Word layout.
• Test important hyperlinks and bookmarks.
• Check headers, footers, page numbers, tables, and images.
• Search the PDF for reviewer names or internal notes when confidentiality matters.
• Keep the reviewed .docx and the final PDF as separate files with clear names.

If you need to review the original feedback again before producing the final copy, use the steps in how to view comments on a Word document.

Export Word Files to PDF with WPS Writer

WPS Writer provides comment-review controls and PDF export in the same desktop workflow. Before sharing, leave Comments unchecked in the export Content settings and verify the PDF output. Feature names and placement can vary slightly by WPS Office version.

FAQs

Can I save a PDF without comments but keep the comments in the Word file?

Yes. In desktop Word, export the PDF with Publish what set to Document, not Document showing markup. If you use the Print dialog, clear Print Markup. The comments remain in the .docx file.

Does No Markup delete comments from Word?

No. No Markup only changes what you see. Comments and tracked changes remain in the Word document and can be shown again.

Why are comments still showing in my PDF?

The PDF may have been exported as Document showing markup, Print Markup may still be enabled, or the visible marks may be PDF annotations added after export. Check the export settings and create a new PDF.

Can Word for the web download a PDF without comments?

Yes. Choose File, Export, and Download as PDF. Do not choose Download as PDF with comments.

Do resolved comments appear in a PDF?

Resolved comments are not deleted from the Word file. Use a no-markup PDF export for the output, or delete the threads if you also need a clean source document.

How do I remove tracked changes as well as comments?

For the PDF only, export the document without markup. For a clean Word source file, accept or reject all tracked changes and delete comments separately.

How do I export from WPS Writer without comments?

Choose Menu, Export to PDF, open Advanced Settings, and leave Comments unchecked in the Content options before exporting.

Is Save As PDF better than Print to PDF?

Save As or Export is usually the better choice because it exposes Word's PDF options. Print to PDF is useful when needed, but you must clear Print Markup and then verify the result.

Summary

To save a Word doc as a PDF without comments, export the file as Document rather than Document showing markup, or clear Print Markup before using Print to PDF. Word for the web provides a direct Download as PDF option without comments, while WPS Writer lets you leave Comments unchecked in PDF Advanced Settings. Delete comments and process tracked changes only when you also need a clean Word source file.