Remove Comments from Word
Delete every comment from a Word document in one step, or keep the comments and remove reviewers' names and dates. No Word needed.
Drop Word documents here
See everything a .docx file reveals about you and your organisation, then save a clean copy.
.docx, .docm, .dotx · Up to 20 files at once
100% in your browser
Why remove comments from a Word document?
Comments are where reviewers discuss what shouldn't be shared: negotiation positions, doubts, internal names and instructions. They travel with the file, along with each reviewer's name, initials and date. Removing all comments deletes the comments and their anchors, the reviewers list and comment replies. If the comments should stay, removing names keeps the discussion but makes it anonymous.
How to remove all comments in Word
- Choose Open File and select the .docx file.
- Check the number of comments and who wrote them in the findings.
- Remove all comments is already selected. To keep the comments but hide who wrote them, choose Keep comments, remove names and dates.
- Choose whether to remove other metadata too, such as tracked changes or the author.
- Choose Remove metadata and download, and open the result in Word to confirm the comments are gone.
Hidden information in a Word file, and what happens to it
| Hidden information | Example | Default action |
|---|---|---|
| Author and last modified by | Jordan Avery, Sam Rivera | Removed |
| Company, manager, template | Northwind Consulting, Proposal.dotm | Removed |
| Dates, revision number, editing time | Saved 14 times, 412 minutes of editing | Removed |
| Comments | Reviewer names, initials and dates | Names and dates removed; or remove all |
| Tracked changes | Deleted text and who deleted it | Names and dates removed; or accept all |
| Hidden text | Text formatted as hidden | Removed |
| Template and data-source paths | C:\Users\jordan.avery\…\Normal.dotm | Removed |
| Revision save IDs (rsid) | IDs that link documents edited in the same session | Removed |
| Custom properties and custom XML | SharePoint fields, sensitivity labels, client codes | Removed |
| Photo metadata | Camera model, GPS coordinates in inserted JPEG and PNG images | Removed |
Why clean Word documents here
- No Word required
- Works in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and Chromebook.
- Finds what the Inspector misses
- Photo GPS, revision IDs, template paths and reviewer lists are found and removed too.
- Your file stays on your device
- Documents are processed locally, with no upload, account or retention.
- Batch cleaning
- Open up to 20 documents and download them all as one ZIP file.
- Choose what to keep
- Keep comments or tracked changes and remove only the names, or remove them entirely.
- Checked result
- The cleaned file is analysed again, with a before-and-after summary.
When to remove metadata from Word documents
- Sending contracts and proposals
- Remove internal comments, negotiation history and the names of everyone who edited the draft.
- Job applications and CVs
- Remove the template path, previous employer's company name and editing history from your CV.
- Legal disclosure and court filings
- Remove privileged comments, tracked changes and author details before documents leave your firm.
- Blind review and anonymous submissions
- Journals, grant panels and competitions often require documents with no author information.
- Publishing templates and policies
- Accept all changes and remove reviewer names before a document goes public.
- Reports with photos
- Remove GPS coordinates from site photos pasted into inspection and property reports.
How this compares with other ways to remove Word metadata
Based on each product's own documentation and pages, reviewed in October 2026.
| Option | Where it runs | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital ToolPad | In your browser | Properties, comments, changes, hidden text, paths, rsids, custom XML, photo EXIF/GPS | Free, batch, any device |
| Word Document Inspector | Word for Windows/Mac | Comments, revisions, properties, headers/footers, hidden text, custom XML, invisible content | One file at a time; can't be undone |
| Windows file Properties › Remove properties | Windows Explorer | Basic document properties | No comments, changes or hidden data |
| Metadata Remover by 4n6 | Windows app | Office, PDF, image and media metadata | Installed desktop software |
| Filestar | Windows app | Removes docx metadata in batches | Installed desktop software |
| Metadact (Litera) | Enterprise software | Firm-wide metadata cleaning | Commercial licence |
How the cleaning works
A .docx file is a ZIP package of XML parts. The tool opens it in your browser and rewrites the properties parts, removes the custom properties, custom XML, reviewers list and thumbnail, and edits the document, headers, footers, footnotes, comments, styles and settings to remove names, dates, revision IDs, template links and hidden text.
Accepting changes removes deleted text and change records and unwraps insertions. Inserted photos are cleaned byte by byte to remove EXIF, XMP and text chunks without re-encoding. The package is saved with neutral timestamps and checked again before you download it.
Sharing the document as a PDF?
A PDF exported from Word inherits the title and author, and adds its own metadata. Clean it with the PDF metadata remover, and permanently black out names or numbers on the pages with Redact PDF. To create Word files from Markdown, use Markdown to DOCX.
Example: send a contract back without the internal discussion
A contract has 23 comments from your legal and sales teams. Open it, keep Remove all comments, and download the clean copy. The counterparty receives the contract text without the margin notes, reviewer names or the reviewers list.
What to expect from the result
Only Word's modern .docx, .docm, .dotx and .dotm formats are supported; save old .doc files as .docx first. Password-protected documents must be unlocked in Word. Macros and embedded objects, such as an inserted Excel sheet, are kept unchanged and may carry their own metadata. Names typed in the text, headers or footers are content, not metadata, so they stay. Accepting changes keeps paragraph breaks around deleted paragraphs, so check the layout afterwards.
Remove Comments from Word questions
How do I remove all comments in Word at once?
In Word, go to the Review tab, open the Delete menu next to Delete comment, and choose Delete All Comments in Document. Without Word, or for several files, open the documents here, keep Remove all comments, and download clean copies.
Can I keep the comments but hide who wrote them?
Yes. Choose Keep comments, remove names and dates. Each comment is attributed to “Reviewer”, the dates are removed, and the reviewers list (people.xml), which can include email addresses, is deleted.
Does removing comments delete tracked changes too?
No. Comments and tracked changes are separate. Set Tracked changes to Accept all changes if you also want to finalise the edits, or remove only the reviewer names from them.
Will removing metadata change my document's content or layout?
No. Text, formatting, images, tables and headers stay the same. Only properties, names, IDs and paths are removed, unless you choose to remove comments, accept tracked changes or remove hidden text. Embedded objects and macros are kept as they are.
Is my document uploaded anywhere?
No. The .docx file is opened and rewritten by your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, and there is no account or file retention. That makes it safe for contracts, CVs, legal drafts and HR files.