How to compare two Word documents to see any differences between them

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• You can compare two versions of the same Word document using the Compare Document command in the ribbon's Review tab.
• This feature is especially convenient if a document was modified without using Track Changes.
• The Compare Document feature shows two versions of a document side-by-side along with a list of all changes.

If you have two similar versions of the same document, such as a draft manuscript or boilerplate contract along with revised or edited version of the doc, you can use the Compare Documents feature in Microsoft Word to see exactly what is different between them.

This feature, which can generate what's known as a blackline comparison, is especially common in the legal profession. But even in other professions, this can come in very handy if a party didn't use Track Changes in Word, but simply made changes and saved a new version of the document.

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How to compare two Word documents

The Compare Documents feature takes two versions of a document and displays a third document in which all changes are easy to see.

1. Start Word and open a new blank document.

2. In the ribbon menu, click Review.

3. Click Compare and then, in the drop-down menu, click Compare again.

4. In the Compare Documents dialog box, choose the two documents you want to compare. To do that, click the Folder icon on the left, in the Original document section, and select the Word document. Then do the same with the Folder icon in the Revised document section to select the Word document that has the changes.

5. Optionally, you can click More and customize the settings for your file comparison by choosing exactly what kind of changes you want to see. Also make sure that under Show changes in, New document is selected.

6. Click OK.

You should now see a three-pane Word document. Here's how to use it:

• The center pane displays the compared document. It incorporates all the changes in the revised document, and you can edit it as needed.
• The right pane shows the original and revised documents on top of one another. You cannot make changes to these documents; they are visible for reference only. As you scroll through the document, though, the center and right panes stay in sync and scroll together.
• The left page summarizes every change in the revised document in list form. You can click any change and the center (and right) pane will immediately scroll to that part of the document.
• You can accept, reject, and make additional changes. When you are satisfied with the document, be sure to save this new file.

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.