How to Edit the Author Name in Microsoft Word

Quick Tips

• You can add, replace, or remove authors to ensure accurate attribution in the document’s metadata.
• To set a default author name, go to File > Options > General and update the User Name field.
• To change the author name for an individual document, go to File > Info and select Properties or Show All Properties, then update the Author field.

How to Add, Change, and Delete the Author Name in a New Word Document

If you are creating a new document, you can change the author’s name before working on the document. However, this change would also affect the related settings on other Office apps such as PowerPoint and Excel.

Step 1: Click on the Start menu, type Word, and hit Enter to launch Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Once launched, click on the File tab.

Step 3: Click on the Info menu, and you should see the author’s name under Related People.

Step 4: To add a new author other than yourself to the list of authors, place your mouse cursor on the Add an author field and input details of the new author.

Step 5: To change or delete the author’s name, click on the More menu and select Options.

Step 6: Under Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office section and type in the name in the boxes next to Username and Initials.

Step 7: If you would like to use the new name for the foreseeable future, check the box beside Always use these values regardless of sign-in to Office and click OK.

Step 8: To confirm if the changes are in place, click on the File tab and select Info.

How to Add, Change, and Delete the Author Name in an Existing Word Document

If you want to change the author’s name for existing documents, take the steps below:

Step 1: Click on the Start button, type Word, and hit Enter to launch Word.

Step 2: To view the existing author name on the Word document, click on the File tab.

Step 3: Click on the Info menu, and you should see the author’s name under Related People.

Step 4: Right-click on the Author name, then click on Edit Property.

Step 5: Go to the dialog box labeled Edit person and provide the new author name.

Step 6: To remove the author, right-click on the Author name and select Remove person.

How to Change and Delete the Author Name of a Comment in Word

We regularly insert comments in Word, especially when collaborating with colleagues and clients. If you would like to change or delete the author’s name to hide personally identifiable information, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Word file with the comments.

Step 2: Click on the File tab.

Step 3: Click on the Info menu and select Check for Issues under Inspect Document.

Step 4: Click on Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.

Step 5: Ensure the check box beside Document Properties and Personal Information is checked.

Step 6: Click on Inspect.

Step 7: Once the inspection check is done, click on Remove All beside Document Properties and Personal Information, and this should change the name showing on comments to Author.

Step 8: Click the Close button.

Leaving comments on a Word document is a great way to inform another party of your thoughts and track changes. If it’s a shared document, it makes a lot of sense to ensure the author’s name that comes with the comment shows your identity.