How to Remove Metadata from a Word Document

Quick answer

In Word for Windows, save a copy, then open File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document. Inspect the document properties, remove the personal information you do not want to share, and save the copy. Word for Mac uses a different properties dialog. If you do not have Word installed, you can clean supported DOCX properties in your browser.

Jump to Windows steps, Mac steps, cleaning without Word, or the final verification checklist.

Remove Word metadata on Windows

Use the desktop version of Word. These steps target file properties, such as the author, title, and last editor. Treat comments and tracked changes as a separate decision: removing them can change the document you deliver.

1. Save a separate sharing copy with File > Save As. Keep the working original.
2. In that copy, open File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document.
3. Include Document Properties and Personal Information in the inspection, then select Inspect.
4. Read the results. Select Remove All next to that category if you want those properties removed. Review other categories before deleting anything from them.
5. Select Reinspect, close the inspector, and save the sharing copy. Check it again after any further edits.

Microsoft's Word inspection instructions cover this Windows workflow and the separate Mac options. Menu wording may differ with the language and version of Word.

Remove Word properties on a Mac

Word for Mac does not include the Windows Document Inspector. You can edit the properties exposed by its own dialog:

1. Save a copy, then open File > Properties in Word.
2. On the Summary tab, clear editable values you do not want included, such as the author or title.
3. Review the Custom tab. Select an unwanted custom property and choose Delete.
4. Save, then inspect the saved copy. Clearing visible fields is not a check of every hidden part of a DOCX.

For a second look, open the Office Metadata Viewer and select the saved DOCX. It can show supported properties that remain, along with notices about comments and tracked changes. This is also useful when you cannot find a field in the Mac dialog.

Remove DOCX metadata without installing Word

Use the DOCX Metadata Remover on a Mac, Windows PC, Chromebook, or another device with a current browser. The file is processed locally, without uploading it or creating an account. The tool accepts unencrypted, macro-free DOCX files, up to 100 MB each and 20 documents per batch.

1. Finish editing and save or download the DOCX you intend to share. Keep a separate original.
2. Choose the DOCX in the cleaner and read the detected fields. For example, Author might contain a staff name and Company might contain a client name.
3. Leave checked only the fields you want removed. Supported items include the author, last editor, dates, company, custom properties, and preview thumbnail.
4. Choose Clean, then read the before-and-after report. The tool checks the selected removals and compares the other document parts with the original.
5. Download the cleaned copy. Reopen that download in the viewer before sharing it; do not accidentally attach the original.

Review comments and tracked changes separately

Before a client receives a contract or draft, decide which edits belong in the final text. In Word's Review tab, accept or reject the tracked changes after reviewing them. Turning tracking off only stops new changes from being tracked; selecting No Markup only changes what you see. Microsoft's tracked-change guide explains how to finish that review.

Read the comments pane, including resolved threads. Delete threads that should not travel with the document; resolving a comment keeps it in the file. Microsoft's comment guidance distinguishes resolving from deleting. Also check headers, footers, hidden text, and embedded documents for information that a properties-only cleanup leaves intact.

Verify the exact Word file you will share

Use the Office Metadata Viewer to scan the final saved or downloaded copy. A separate scan avoids relying only on the report from the cleaning operation. Both scans have a defined scope; an empty report is not proof that a document contains no identifying information.

1. Check whether the author, last editor, company, custom properties, or thumbnail you removed still appear.
2. Open the copy in Word and confirm the text, layout, comments, and revisions match your intended final version.
3. If you edit or save again, repeat the metadata check. A later save can write fresh properties.
4. Check the attachment name and share that exact copy. Cleaning a download does not remove versions, permissions, or records stored by OneDrive, SharePoint, or an email service.

Sources and related steps

The Microsoft instructions linked above were checked on November 3, 2026. Use those references for details about your installed version. For a spreadsheet attachment, follow our guide to removing metadata from Excel files.