SharePoint Document Issues

How to Show Original Word Documents by Default in SharePoint

Bushra Parveen Sep 25, 2026 868 views

Question details

A SharePoint team needs operators to view the original approved Word document by default, while supervisors can review and edit tracked changes without creating duplicate files.

How to Show Original Word Documents by Default in SharePoint

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing document revisions and visibility across different user roles in a SharePoint library.
Observed behavior: Teams want a unified document where ordinary users see the approved version, and reviewers can manage pending tracked changes securely.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions in your SharePoint site to configure document library settings and manage versioning features.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable Content Approval and Versioning in SharePoint

Instead of relying on Microsoft Word's Track Changes display settings, use SharePoint's native content approval to securely control document visibility based on user roles.

Using Word's internal Track Changes display is not a secure way to hide revisions from standard users, as anyone can toggle the display back to 'All Markup'. SharePoint's Content Approval system provides a robust solution at the library level.

Access Library Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library. Click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner and select 'Library settings'. If prompted, click 'More library settings'.

Open Versioning Settings

Under the 'General Settings' column, click on 'Versioning settings' to access the version control configurations.

Require Content Approval

In the 'Content Approval' section at the top, select 'Yes' for the option 'Require content approval for submitted items'.

Configure Draft Visibility

Scroll down to the 'Draft Item Security' section. Change the setting for 'Who should see draft items in this document library?' to 'Only users who can approve items (and the author of the item)'.

Save and Manage Approvals

Click 'OK' at the bottom of the page. An 'Approval status' column will automatically be added to your library. Modified files will now have a 'Pending' status and remain invisible to ordinary users until a supervisor approves them.

Enable Content Approval and Versioning in SharePoint

Simplified Document Management: This method eliminates the need to manually maintain separate 'original' and 'revised' copies of your Word documents, ensuring operators only interact with finalized content.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit and Track Changes Seamlessly with WPS Office

While managing document approvals and versions in SharePoint, you can use WPS Office as a highly capable, free alternative to Microsoft Word. It offers full format compatibility, robust collaboration tools, and a lightweight design.

1. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your locally synced SharePoint document.
2. Enable Track Changes: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Track Changes' to start recording your edits.
3. Save and sync: Save the document. Your tracked changes will safely sync back to SharePoint for supervisor approval.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats including .docx and .doc.Built-in Track Changes feature for seamless team collaboration.Lightweight software with fast processing speeds and no lag.Free to use with a highly familiar user interface for seamless migration.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I simply hide tracked changes in Word before uploading to SharePoint?

You can change the display view to 'No Markup' in Word, but this only alters how the document is displayed locally. Any user can easily switch the view back to 'All Markup' to see the revisions. SharePoint's Content Approval is the only secure method to restrict visibility.

What happens when a document draft is rejected in SharePoint?

If a supervisor rejects a pending document, its status changes to 'Rejected'. The draft remains visible only to the author and approvers, while ordinary users will continue to see the last published 'Approved' version.

Does WPS Office support Track Changes for synced SharePoint files?

Yes, WPS Writer fully supports Track Changes. You can edit your synced SharePoint documents using WPS Office, and all tracked changes or comments will be perfectly preserved when the file syncs back to your SharePoint library.

Document & File Issues