How to Remove Personal Info From Word Document

Quick Tips

• Use Word’s ‘Document Inspector’ to clear hidden data.
• You can remove metadata like author name and edit history.
• You can save a clean copy of your files for sharing or publishing.

When you send a Word document to someone, there’s often more in the file than just text. Microsoft Word stores extra information like your name, file history, comments and even where the document was saved. This hidden data is called metadata, and it sticks around unless you manually remove it.

If you’re sharing a resume, legal doc, or school project, it’s smart to clean out personal info first. Luckily, Word has a built-in tool that does most of the cleanup for you.

Use ‘Document Inspector’ to Remove Hidden Data

This is the fastest way to find and delete information like author names, previous edits, comments, and other metadata.

Step 1: On the Word document, click File in the top left corner.

Step 2: Select Info.

Step 3: Click the drop-down next to Check for Issues, then Inspect Document.

Step 4: A box will pop up with several options. Keep everything checked, then click Inspect.

Step 5: For any data that was found, click Remove All next to it.

This clears most of the personal and hidden information. Once done, save the document under a new name to keep a clean version.

Delete Metadata

Even after using the inspector, some document properties can still be stored. You can remove those manually.

Step 1: On the Word document, click File in the top left corner.

Step 2: Select Info.

Step 3: On the right, you’ll see ‘Properties’. Click Show All Properties.

Step 4: Delete any personal info listed there.

Stop Word Adding Metadata

If you want Word to stop adding this info in the first place, you can change the default user details:

Step 1: Open the Word document, then click File.

Step 2: Select Options.

Step 3: Click General.

Step 4: Under ‘Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office’, delete or replace your name and initials.

Turn Off and Accept Tracked Changes

If your document has tracked edits or comments, these can show who made the changes and when. You need to either accept the changes or remove them completely.

Step 1: Go to the Review tab at the top of Word.

Step 2: If you see markup, click Accept > Accept All Changes.

Step 3: Then click Delete > Delete All Comments in Document.

This clears out anything tied to your name, like suggestions, edits, or notes. Once this is done, it’s safe to send.

Save a Copy Without Personal Info

You can also instruct Word to automatically remove personal data every time you save.

Step 1: Click File in the top left corner.

Step 2: Select Options.

Step 3: Click Trust Center, then Trust Center Settings.

Step 4: Select Privacy Options.

Step 5: Check the box next to ‘Remove personal information from file properties on save’.

This ensures data like your name and hidden properties don’t get saved in future versions of the file.