Word: Inspecting and Protecting Documents
Word Inspecting and Protecting Documents

Before sharing a document, you'll want to make sure it doesn't include any information you want to keep private. You may also want to discourage others from editing your file. Fortunately, Word includes several tools to help inspect and protect your document.

Optional: Download our practice document.

Watch the video below to learn more about finalizing your documents.

The Document Inspector

Whenever you create or edit a document, certain personal information may be added to the file automatically, like information about the document's author. You can use the Document Inspector to remove this type of information before sharing a document with others.

Because some changes may be permanent, it's a good idea to use Save As to create a backup copy of your document before using the Document Inspector.

To use the Document Inspector:

  1. Click the File tab to go to Backstage view.
  2. From the Info pane, click Check for Issues, then select Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.
    3. Clicking the Inspect Document command from the Backstage view
  3. The Document Inspector will appear. Check or uncheck the boxes, depending on the content you want to review, then click Inspect. In our example, we'll leave everything selected.
    4. Inspecting the document with the inspector
  4. The inspection results will show an exclamation mark for any categories where it found potentially sensitive data, and it will also have a Remove All button for each of these categories. Click Remove All to remove the data.
    5. Removing information with the document inspector
  5. When you're done, click Close.

Protecting your document

By default, anyone with access to your document will be able to open, copy, and edit its content unless you protect it. There are several ways to protect a document, depending on your needs.

To protect your document:

  1. Click the File tab to go to Backstage view.
  2. From the Info pane, click the Protect Document command.
  3. In the drop-down menu, choose the option that best suits your needs. In our example, we'll select Mark as Final. Marking your document as final is a good way to discourage others from editing the file, while other options give you more control if you need it.
    4. Selecting the Mark as Final command from Backstage view
  4. A dialog box will appear prompting you to save. Click OK.
    5. Clicking OK to save
  5. Another dialog box will appear. Click OK.
    6. Clicking OK to finalize your choice
  6. The document will be marked as final. Whenever others open the file, a bar will appear at the top to discourage them from editing the document.
    7. The document with a Marked as Final notice at the top
Marking a document as final will not actually prevent others from editing it because they can just select Edit Anyway. If you want to prevent people from editing the document, you can use the Restrict Access option instead.

Challenge!

  • Open our practice document. If you opened our practice document to follow along with the lesson, be sure to download a fresh copy by clicking the link again.
  • Use the Document Inspector to check and remove any hidden information.
  • Protect the document by marking it as final.
  • When you're finished, the top of your page should look something like this:
Inspect Protect Challenge Result

FAQs

What does "Mark as Final" actually do?

It makes the document read-only and disables typing, editing commands, and proofing marks. However, users can click "Edit Anyway" to unlock it, so it's a warning rather than security.

How do I put a password on my Word document?

Go to File > Info > Protect Document and select Encrypt with Password. Enter a password you will remember, as it cannot be recovered if lost.

What does the Document Inspector remove?

It searches for and removes hidden metadata (like author name), comments, hidden text, XML data, and personal information attached to the file properties.

Can I undo changes made by the Document Inspector?

Generally, no. Once you click Remove All and save the document, that data is permanently deleted. It is highly recommended to save a backup copy before inspecting.

How do I restrict editing to only specific people?

Use the Restrict Editing option under the Protect Document menu. You can limit formatting changes or allow only comments/tracked changes, and you can set a password to enforce these restrictions.

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