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How to Stop Microsoft Word from Calling You “Author” in Track Changes

By Erin Wright 4 Comments

Laptop and paper on wood table with title overlay "How to Stop Microsoft Word from Calling You Author in Track Changes"Does Track Changes identify you as “Author” instead of your user name when you are making edits or writing comments? If so, someone has used the Document Inspector to remove hidden properties and user information from your file. This tutorial shows the basic method to stop Microsoft Word from calling you “Author” in Track Changes and comments and start using your user name, instead.

This tutorial also includes an advanced method for those who need additional help. Only follow the advanced method if the basic method does not work for you because the advanced method requires you to open the Trust Center, which houses many sensitive options.

Important Note: These methods only affect future comments and edits.

There is no straightforward way to change existing “Author” labels to your user name because the Document Inspector’s data removal process is permanent.

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than fifty other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

The images below are from Word in Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). The steps are similar for Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, and Word 2010.

Basic Method to Stop Word from Using “Author”

1. Select the File tab in the ribbon.

File tab in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 1. File tab

2. Select the Info tab in the Backstage view.

Info tab in the Backstage view of Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 2. Info tab

3. Select Allow this information to be saved in your file under the Inspect Document heading.

This option will only appear if the Document Inspector has already removed hidden properties or user data from your file. It will disappear once selected.

"Allow this information to be saved in your file" link in the Info tab in the Backstage view of Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 3. “Allow this information to be saved in your file” option

4. Select the back arrow to return to your document.

Back arrow in the Backstage view of Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 4. Back arrow

5. Enter a new comment to ensure your user name appears instead of “Author.”

Existing comment with "Author" label and new comment with user name
Figure 5. Existing comment and new comment

6. Save your document.

Advanced Method to Stop Word from Using “Author”

Caution: This method requires you to open the Trust Center, which contains many sensitive options. Proceed carefully and complete these steps on a secondary copy of your file rather than on the original.

Note that you may not be able to open the Trust Center if your network administrator has restricted access.

1. Open a secondary copy of your original file. (Please see the caution statement above.)

2. Select the File tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).

3. Select the Options tab in the Backstage view.

Options tab in the Backstage view of Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 6. Options tab

4. Select the Trust Center tab in the Word Options dialog box.

Trust Center tab in the Word Options dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 7. Trust Center tab

5. Select the Trust Center Settings button.

Trust Center button in the Word Options dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 8. Trust Center button

6. Select the Privacy Options tab in the Trust Center dialog box.

Privacy Options tab in the Trust Center dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 9. Privacy Options tab

7. Uncheck the Remove personal information from file properties on save option.

"Remove personal information from file properties on save" option in the Trust Center dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 10. “Remove personal information from file properties on save” option

8. Select the OK button to close the Trust Center dialog box.

OK button in the Trust Center dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 11. Trust Center OK button

9. Select the OK button to close the Word Options dialog box.

OK button in the Word Options dialog box in Word 2019 / Word 365
Figure 12. Word Options OK button

10. Select the File tab in the ribbon (see figure 1).

11. Select the Info tab in the Backstage view (see figure 2).

12. Select Allow this information to be saved in your file under the Inspect Document heading (see figure 3).

13. Save your file.

Additional Resources

If you want to edit anonymously by changing your user name to “Author,” visit “How to Remove User Names from Existing Track Changes in Microsoft Word.”

If you want to change your user name to another name before creating new comments and edits, visit “How to Change Your User Name for Track Changes in Microsoft Word.”

And, if you would like an overview of editing and commenting in Word, visit “How to Use Track Changes in Microsoft Word.”

4 Comments Filed Under: Microsoft Word Tagged With: Track Changes, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Word 2019, Word 365

Home » How to Stop Microsoft Word from Calling You “Author” in Track Changes
Technical Writer and Editor Erin Wright

Meet the Author

Hello! My name is Erin. I am a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world on this blog and YouTube

You can also connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

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Comments

  1. Amy Bachrach says

    May 21, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    Hi Erin –
    Very useful website. Just wondering: When I’m writing a comment in Word, I would like to be able to press “Enter” and get out of the comment bubble whereas it just gives me a line return. Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Erin Wright says

      May 22, 2020 at 7:31 am

      Hi, Amy. Thank you for visiting my site. The Enter button functions like a return in balloons to allow for multi-paragraph comments. So, I’m afraid I don’t have any suggestions. However, that seems like a feature many people would want, so you may want to dig around online to see if someone has found a solution. Best of luck!

      Reply
      • Joe L says

        July 17, 2020 at 11:29 am

        Hey Erin! Do you have any further suggestions if neither of the basic or advanced fixes work? Thanks!

        Reply
        • Erin Wright says

          July 17, 2020 at 12:09 pm

          Hi, Joe. Thank you for stopping by my blog. These are the only two methods I am personally aware of to stop Word from calling you “Author.” However, you may want to explore the Microsoft Community forums to see if anyone else has any workarounds. Best of luck!

          Reply

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