Previously, we covered how to use the track changes and compare tools in Microsoft Word. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to track changes in Google Docs.
As a freelancer, you may come across clients who use Google Docs to collaborate on content. Understanding how to use Google Docs’ editing tools will enable you to work efficiently with these clients.
Google Docs is an incredibly useful tool for collaborating on documents with team members. One of its most powerful features is the ability to track changes as multiple people edit a document. This allows you to see exactly who made what changes accept or reject edits and revert to earlier versions.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to use Google Docs to track changes and collaborate effectively on documents.
Overview of Tracking Changes
When you turn on change tracking in a Google Doc, Google Docs will highlight any additions, deletions, or formatting changes made by you or other editors This makes it easy to identify edits and review changes made by different people.
Here are some key things to know about tracking changes in Google Docs
- Edits made by each person will be color-coded for easy identification.
- You can choose to accept or reject individual changes.
- You can also review the history of changes made to see older versions.
- Final accepted changes are incorporated into the document while rejected changes are removed.
- You can turn off change tracking to clean up the document.
How to Turn On Change Tracking
Turning on change tracking is simple:
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Open the Google Doc you want to track changes in.
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Click Tools in the top menu bar and select Track changes.
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In the pop-up box, click Turn on.
Once change tracking is turned on, Google Docs will start highlighting any new changes made in the document so you can identify who made what edits.
How Editors’ Changes Are Highlighted
With change tracking turned on, any additions, deletions, or formatting changes made by editors will be color-coded:
- Additions: Shown in blue text with underlining
- Deletions: Shown in red text with strikethrough
- Formatting changes: Shown in purple text
A colored box with the editor’s initials will also appear next to their changes.
This makes it very easy to see at a glance who changed what.
Reviewing Changes
To review changes made by others:
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Click on a colored highlight to open the right sidebar.
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The sidebar will show the change details including:
- Who made the change
- Date of change
- Specific edits added/deleted
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Click the Previous and Next arrows to navigate between changes.
Reviewing each change in the sidebar allows you to see the context of edits made by different people.
Accepting or Rejecting Changes
Once you’ve reviewed a change, you can choose to accept or reject it:
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To accept a change, click the check icon in the sidebar. This finalizes the edit.
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To reject a change, click the X icon in the sidebar. This reverts the edit.
Accepted changes will be incorporated into the final document while rejected changes will be removed.
Accepting or rejecting each change gives you granular control over which edits to keep and which to discard.
Reviewing Version History
In addition to reviewing individual changes, you can also look at the entire version history:
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Click File in the top menu and select Version history.
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This will show you every saved version of the document, along with:
- Timestamp
- Editor who made changes
- Short summary of edits
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Click on a version timestamp to see the document contents at that point.
Reviewing the version history allows you to go back to specific points in time to see the state of the document and overall editing progression.
Turning Off Change Tracking
Once you’ve made your final edits and reviewed all changes, you can turn off change tracking:
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Click Tools in the top menu.
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Select Track changes.
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In the pop-up, click Turn off.
This will remove all change highlighting and clean up the document for final export.
The version history will still be preserved in case you ever need to review older versions.
Best Practices for Change Tracking
Here are some tips for getting the most out of Google Docs’ change tracking when collaborating:
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Communicate expectations upfront – Let editors know you plan to use change tracking and will review their edits. This sets clear expectations.
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Review changes frequently – Don’t let edits pile up. Reviewing frequent smaller changes is easier than sorting through many major revisions down the line.
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Use built-in comments – Use comments to discuss changes with editors rather than editing back-and-forth indefinitely.
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Accept/reject judiciously – Don’t reject changes without understanding why they were made. Discuss if unsure.
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Export clean version – Once all changes are reviewed, export a clean copy without highlights for final use.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key takeaways about how to track changes in Google Docs:
- Turn on change tracking under the Tools menu to start highlighting edits.
- Review colored highlights in the right sidebar to see details of each change.
- Accept or reject changes individually after reviewing.
- Check version history to see the timeline of all changes made.
- Turn off tracking and export a clean copy when done reviewing.
- Communicate expectations with collaborators and review frequently.
Change tracking makes it simple to collaborate with multiple people while maintaining control over the editing process. Following these steps will help you use Google Docs to its full potential for document collaboration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about tracking changes in Google Docs:
How do I turn on change suggestions instead of highlights?
Under the Tools > Track changes menu, select “Suggesting mode” instead of “Tracking mode”. This will add change bubbles instead of highlights.
Can I see changes made before I turned on tracking?
No, Google Docs will only start tracking changes after you explicitly turn on the feature. Any earlier changes won’t be captured.
Can I exclude certain editors from change tracking?
No, change tracking applies to all editors once enabled. There is no way to selectively exclude certain Google accounts from having their edits tracked.
Is there a character or word limit for Tracked Changes?
No, there is no limit on the number of tracked changes. Google Docs will continue tracking all edits made regardless of document length.
Can I track changes in real time as others edit?
Not in real time. Changes will appear for you once the other editor saves their changes, usually within seconds. There is no live editing view.
Can I revert to an older version?
Yes, clicking on an older timestamp in the version history will open a editable copy of the document at that point. You can copy content from old versions this way.
Conclusion
Change tracking is an indispensable tool for collaborating on documents in Google Docs. Following this guide will teach you how to turn on tracking, review edits from different users, accept or reject changes, understand the full version history, and turn tracking off to finalize the document.
Start using change tracking whenever multiple people need to work on a Google Doc together. The ability to track, accept, and revert changes will make your team’s collaborative editing process much smoother.
What Is Track Changes in Google Docs?
Google Docs is an internet-based word processor that enables multiple users to read, edit, and review a document simultaneously. But this functionality, though convenient, can make following the edits difficult. The track changes tool helps with this problem.
Track changes is a built-in function that displays edits in a document according to who made them and when that person applied them. With track changes, you can either edit the document directly or suggest changes using Suggesting mode. You can:
- Suggest edits without making direct changes to the document
- View your client’s or other editors’ edits and suggestions remotely
- Restore previous versions of a document
These capabilities make track changes a great tool for editors.
Enable Suggesting Mode
Suggesting mode will allow you to suggest changes to a document rather than making direct edits. It’s also what will enable your changes to be trackable.
To turn on Suggesting mode, either select Suggesting from the drop-down menu at the top right of the document or highlight the text for which you’d like to make a suggestion and select the green pencil icon that appears. If your client accepts your suggestion, they will apply it to the document.
