Document Editing Problems

How to Remove Dates from Tracked Changes and Comments in Word on Mac

WPS Content Manager Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove personal information and timestamps from tracked changes and comments in a Word document on Mac, while either preserving or specifically replacing the author names.

How to Remove Dates from Tracked Changes and Comments in Word on Mac

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Preparing a document for anonymous review or final submission where timestamps and specific author details need to be hidden or customized without losing the actual markup.
Observed behavior: Standard Word privacy settings remove all personal information uniformly, but the user wishes to selectively remove dates and alter specific author names, requiring an advanced workaround.

Before you start

Always duplicate your original Word document to create a safe backup before attempting this workaround, as modifying core XML files directly can corrupt the file if done incorrectly.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Word Privacy Options and Edit Document XML

Utilize Word's built-in privacy settings combined with manual editing of the document's underlying XML files to selectively scrub dates and alter author names.

This method involves converting your Word document into a ZIP file to access its core structural XML files. While it sounds technical, carefully following these steps will allow you to alter the metadata of tracked changes and comments on a Mac without losing the document's text or markup.

Apply Word Privacy Settings

Open your document in Word for Mac. Go to 'Word' > 'Preferences' > 'Security' (or 'Privacy' depending on your version) and check 'Remove personal information from this file on save'. Save and close the document.

Convert Document to ZIP

Locate your saved .docx file in Finder. Click on the file name and change the extension from .docx to .zip. Double-click the new ZIP file to extract its contents into a new folder.

Edit the XML Files

Open the extracted folder and navigate to the 'word' directory. Use a plain text editor or an XML editor to open 'document.xml' (which contains tracked changes) and 'comments.xml' (which contains comments). Search for date attributes (e.g., w:date) and author attributes (e.g., w:author) and remove or modify them as needed. Save your changes and close the editor.

Re-compress and Test the Document

Select all the files and folders inside the extracted directory, compress them back into a ZIP file, and rename the extension back to .docx. Open the new file in Word to verify that the dates are removed and the author names are modified correctly.

Use Word Privacy Options and Edit Document XML

XML Editing Precautions: Be extremely careful not to delete essential XML tags or brackets when removing date strings. Accidentally removing structural tags will break the document and render it unreadable.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage Your Documents Effectively with WPS Office

If modifying complex XML files in Microsoft Word feels too risky or tedious, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible and user-friendly environment for editing documents and managing review markups on your Mac.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for Mac.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file. WPS maintains strict formatting compatibility.
3. Manage Reviews: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon to easily track changes, add comments, and finalize your document markup.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats.Intuitive Review tab for easily tracking changes and managing comments.Free, lightweight, and responsive performance on Mac systems.Built-in Document Inspector to quickly clean up hidden metadata.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the option to remove personal information in Word for Mac?

You can find this setting by opening Word, clicking 'Word' in the top menu bar, selecting 'Preferences', and then choosing 'Security' or 'Privacy'. Check the box for 'Remove personal information from this file on save'.

What happens if my Word document becomes corrupted after editing the XML?

File corruption during this process usually indicates that an essential XML tag was accidentally deleted or left unclosed. You must discard the corrupted file and restart the process using the backup copy you created beforehand.

Will the author names be completely anonymous when using Word's built-in privacy tool?

Yes, using Word's built-in 'Remove personal information' option will automatically replace all specific author names with the generic label 'Author'. If you need distinct pseudonyms like 'Reviewer 1' and 'Reviewer 2', you must manually edit the author attributes within the XML files.

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