Formatting Issues

How to Remove Red Text and Boxes from the Side of a Word Document

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove red text and boxes appearing on the right side of a Word document, which are caused by the Track Changes feature displaying formatting edits.

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing or editing a document where track changes for formatting have been enabled, causing unwanted red markup to display in the margins.
Observed behavior: Text is displayed on the right side of the document inside a red box, indicating formatting changes that have been tracked.

Before you start

Determine whether you want to permanently finalize the document by accepting the changes, or if you simply want to hide the formatting marks while you continue to edit.

Solution 1Recommended

Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking

Use this method if you have finished reviewing the document and want to permanently apply all edits and remove the red formatting boxes.

Navigate to the Review Tab

Open your document and click on the 'Review' tab located in the top ribbon menu.

Accept All Changes

In the Changes group, click the downward arrow on the 'Accept' button and select 'Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking'.

Document Finalized: All tracked edits have been applied to your document, and the red side boxes will no longer appear.

Solution 2

Disable Track Formatting in Advanced Options

Use this method to keep tracking text edits (insertions and deletions) but stop Word from generating red boxes for minor formatting adjustments like font or spacing changes.

Efficient Document Review

Easily Manage Track Changes in WPS Writer

WPS Writer provides a highly intuitive and clean interface for managing document reviews, allowing you to quickly accept, reject, and customize tracked changes.

1. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your Word document that contains the tracked changes.
2. Access the Review Tab: Click on the 'Review' tab on the top toolbar to access all document markup tools.
3. Manage Changes: Click the 'Accept' dropdown to finalize changes, or click 'Track Changes' to customize which formatting adjustments are tracked.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) track changes and formatting markupsEasily toggle specific markup types like formatting, insertions, and commentsClean, user-friendly interface designed for efficient document editingLightweight application that runs smoothly across all your devices

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did red boxes suddenly appear on my document?

Red boxes on the right side margin indicate that the Track Changes feature has been turned on. These boxes specifically appear to show where formatting modifications, such as font size changes or margin adjustments, have been made.

Can I hide the red boxes without accepting the changes permanently?

Yes. You can hide the visual markup by going to the Review tab, clicking 'Display for Review' (or the 'All Markup' dropdown), and selecting 'No Markup'. This hides the boxes while retaining the tracked changes history.

Will the red track changes boxes show up when I print?

By default, tracked changes and formatting boxes will print. If you want to print a clean copy without accepting the changes, go to your Print settings and uncheck the 'Print Markup' option before printing.

Document & File Issues