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How to Remove Unexpected Highlighting and Author Names in OneNote

WPS Content Manager Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to remove unexpected author initials, vertical lines, and yellow highlighting that appear in a personal, unshared OneNote notebook.

How to Remove Unexpected Highlighting and Author Names in OneNote

Product: Microsoft OneNote
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing or reviewing a personal OneNote notebook that suddenly displays revision marks and author indicators.
Observed behavior: The notebook shows yellow highlighting, vertical lines, and author initials, incorrectly suggesting it is shared or edited by multiple users.

Before you start

Verify that your notebook is definitely not shared with other users by checking the sharing settings under File > Share. Ensure you are using the desktop version of OneNote to access the full History ribbon tab.

Solution 1Recommended

Hide Author Indicators

Use this solution to suppress the vertical lines and author initials that appear next to recently changed content.

OneNote automatically tracks changes and associates them with an author, even in local or personal notebooks. These vertical lines and initials are simply author indicators, not proof of unauthorized access.

Navigate to the History Tab

Open your OneNote notebook and click on the 'History' tab located in the top ribbon.

Select Hide Authors

Click on the 'Hide Authors' button. This action will immediately suppress the vertical lines and initials displayed next to your notes.

Author Indicators Hidden: Hiding authors applies to the current view and will clean up your note's interface without deleting any actual content or version history.

Solution 2

Mark the Notebook as Read

Use this solution to remove the unread indicators, such as the unexpected yellow highlighting on recently modified pages.

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If you find Microsoft OneNote's automatic revision marks, highlights, and author indicators confusing, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, clean, and intuitive interface for document creation and note-taking without unexpected tracking indicators getting in your way.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your device.
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Free, lightweight, and incredibly easy to useClean interface without unexpected author indicators or automatic highlightsHigh compatibility with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formatsFamiliar UI that ensures seamless migration for your notes and documents

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my unshared OneNote notebook show author initials?

OneNote tracks changes made by the author to provide a revision history, even in unshared or local notebooks. This feature is designed to help you track your own recent edits over time.

Can I permanently disable the automatic yellow highlighting in OneNote?

The automatic yellow highlighting indicates unread changes. While you can mark the notebook as read to clear current highlights, any future edits made on different devices or after a sync will trigger the highlight again. There is no permanent toggle to completely disable unread tracking.

How can I check if my OneNote notebook is actually shared with someone?

To verify sharing settings, go to 'File' and click on 'Share'. Under the 'Shared with' section, you can see a list of everyone who has access to the notebook. If it only lists yourself, the notebook is private.

Will 'Hide Authors' delete my notebook's version history?

No. Selecting 'Hide Authors' only changes how the page is displayed on your screen by hiding the initials and vertical lines. It does not delete any underlying page versions or history data.

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