How to Turn Off Comments on a Word Document

To turn off comments on a Word document, first decide whether you want to hide them, prevent new comments, or remove them permanently. In current Microsoft 365 versions, close the Comments pane with the Comments button or use Review → Display for Review → No Markup for a cleaner editing view. These options do not delete the comments from the file.

Key Takeaways

• Closing the Comments pane hides the comment list but keeps every thread in the document.
• No Markup hides comments and tracked-change markup temporarily; it does not remove either one.
• Use Can view sharing permissions or Restrict Editing → No changes (Read only) when other people should not add comments.
• Turning off modern comments only switches Word back to the older comment interface; it does not disable commenting.
• Use Delete All Comments in Document only when you want the comments removed permanently.

How to Hide Comments in Word Without Deleting Them

This is the best method when you still need the reviewer feedback but want a clean page while reading, editing, presenting, or checking the layout.

1. Open the document in Microsoft Word.
2. Select the Comments button near the upper-right corner to close the Comments pane. In some versions, use Review → Show Comments.
3. Open the Review tab.
4. In the Tracking group, open Display for Review and choose No Markup.
5. For older or classic comment layouts, open Show Markup and clear Comments.

The comments remain embedded in the document and can appear again when you reopen the file, select All Markup, or open the Comments pane. Hiding markup is therefore a viewing preference, not a document-cleaning method.

Simple Markup is not the same as turning comments off. It reduces visual clutter but still leaves indicators in the margin. Choose No Markup when you need the cleanest on-screen view.

How to Prevent New Comments in a Shared Word Document

If other people should be able to read the file but should not add comments or suggestions, change the document permissions rather than only hiding your own comment view.

Share the file as view-only

1. Select Share in Word, OneDrive, or SharePoint.
2. Open the link or recipient permission settings.
3. Choose Can view instead of Can review or Can edit.
4. Apply the permission and send the new link.

Can review is specifically designed to let recipients add comments and suggested revisions, so do not use that permission when your goal is to stop comments.

Protect a desktop document as read-only

1. Go to Review → Restrict Editing.
2. Under Editing restrictions, select Allow only this type of editing in the document.
3. Choose No changes (Read only).
4. Select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
5. Add a password if the document needs stronger protection, and store that password safely.

Read-only protection blocks normal editing as well as new comments. Word does not provide a reliable universal switch that allows unrestricted editing while blocking comments only, so use permissions that match the workflow you actually want.

How to Turn Off Modern Comments and Use Classic Comments

Some users search for “turn off comments” because they dislike the modern comment cards and want the older Word comment interface. This setting changes the comment experience; it does not remove existing comments or stop people from adding new ones.

On Word for Windows

1. Go to File → Options.
2. Select General.
3. Clear Enable modern comments.
4. Restart Word.

On Word for Mac

1. Open Word → Preferences.
2. Select General.
3. Clear Enable modern comments.
4. Restart Word.

Microsoft describes this as a temporary compatibility option that may be removed in a future release. If the checkbox is missing, your version of Word may no longer support switching back to classic comments.

How to Turn Off Comments in Word for the Web

Word for the web does not have a permanent “disable comments” button for the current document owner. You can hide the interface or change access permissions.

1. Select the Comments button to close the Comments pane.
2. Use the mode switcher near Share and choose Viewing when you only want to read the file.
3. If you own the file, open Share settings and give recipients Can view access.
4. Remove older review links that still grant Can review or Can edit access.

Changing your own mode to Viewing prevents accidental edits during that session, but it does not change the permissions of other collaborators. To stop their comments, update the sharing link or recipient access.

How to Turn Off Comments in WPS Writer

WPS Writer can open Word-compatible .docx files with comments and tracked changes. The exact ribbon labels may vary slightly by version.

1. Open the document in WPS Writer.
2. Open the View tab and clear Markup to hide revision marks and comment balloons.
3. Use the Review tab when you need to display, reply to, or remove individual comments.
4. To remove all comments permanently, open the Delete menu and choose Delete All Comments in Document.
5. Save the file as .docx when it must be reopened in Microsoft Word.

Hiding Markup in WPS Writer does not delete the review information. Re-enable Markup before saving if another reviewer still needs to see the comments and revisions.

Hide, Resolve, Delete, or Prevent: Which Option Should You Use?

Your goal	Best action	What happens to the comments?
Temporarily clean up the screen	Close Comments or choose No Markup	They remain in the file
Mark a discussion as finished	Resolve the comment thread	It moves out of the active margin but remains available in the Comments pane
Remove feedback permanently	Delete the thread or Delete All Comments	It is removed from the document
Stop recipients from commenting	Share as Can view or enforce read-only protection	Existing comments remain, but viewers cannot add new ones
Use the older comment interface	Clear Enable modern comments and restart Word	The comments stay; only the interface changes

Do not use No Markup as a privacy or final-delivery step. Anyone who opens the file can turn markup back on and read the hidden comments.

Why Are Comments Still Showing in Word?

Comments may remain visible even after you changed one display setting. Check these common causes:

• The Comments pane is still open. Select the Comments button again to close it.
• All Markup is active. Change Display for Review to No Markup.
• You hid tracked changes but not comments. In a classic layout, open Show Markup and clear Comments.
• The file reopened with its default markup view. Hidden markup can automatically reappear when a document is opened by you or another reviewer.
• A resolved thread is still in List view. Resolving a comment does not delete it.
• Print Markup is enabled. Clear it before printing or exporting a clean copy.
• You are opening a different copy. Cloud autosave, emailed attachments, and downloaded versions can contain different comment states.

To inspect the feedback again, follow the guide on how to view comments on a Word document. To clean the file permanently, use the separate tutorial on how to remove comments from a Word document.

How to Hide Comments When Printing or Saving as PDF

A clean screen view does not always guarantee a clean printed or exported file. Check the output settings before sharing the final version.

1. In Word, choose Review → Display for Review → No Markup.
2. Go to File → Print.
3. Under Settings, clear Print Markup.
4. Check the print preview to confirm that comment balloons and markup are absent.
5. Print the file or use the PDF export option required by your workflow.

Turning off Print Markup affects the output only; it does not remove comments from the original Word file. When you need a PDF-specific walkthrough, see how to save a Word document as PDF without comments.

Manage Word Comments with WPS Office

WPS Writer provides familiar review tools for Word-compatible documents, including comment display, replies, deletion, tracked changes, and markup controls. It is useful when you need to open a .docx file, review feedback, prepare a clean copy, and confirm how the document looks before sharing.

Comments and tracked changes are separate review objects. Handle the discussion threads first, then accept or reject the actual text changes. The guide on accepting comments and tracked changes in Word explains the difference.

FAQs

Does No Markup delete comments?

No. No Markup only hides comments and tracked-change markup from the current view. The review data remains in the document until you delete comments and accept or reject tracked changes.

How do I permanently turn off and remove all comments?

Open Review, open the Delete menu in the Comments group, and choose Delete All Comments in Document. Save a separate backup first if the feedback may be needed later.

Can I allow editing but prevent comments?

Word does not provide one universal comments-only lock for every sharing method. Can view prevents editing and commenting, Can review allows comments and suggestions, and Can edit allows full editing. Choose the permission closest to your workflow.

How do I turn comments back on?

Select the Comments button or choose Review → Show Comments. For classic markup, choose All Markup and ensure Comments is selected under Show Markup.

Does resolving a comment remove it?

No. Resolving marks the discussion as complete and removes it from the active contextual view, but the thread can still appear in the Comments pane and can be reopened or deleted.

What happens when I disable modern comments?

Word switches to the older comment interface after you restart the application. Existing comments remain in the document, and users with permission can still add comments.

Will hidden comments appear when I print?

They can if Print Markup is enabled. Choose No Markup and clear Print Markup in the Print settings, then verify the preview before printing or exporting.

Summary

To turn off comments on a Word document without deleting them, close the Comments pane and choose Review → Display for Review → No Markup. To stop other people from adding comments, share the file with Can view permission or enforce read-only protection. To remove comments permanently, use Delete All Comments in Document. Remember that disabling modern comments changes only the interface, not the document’s commenting capability.