How to Use the Document Inspector in Microsoft Word

Understanding the Document Inspector

The Document Inspector is a Word security feature that identifies and removes hidden data and personal information from documents. This is critical before sharing documents externally, as hidden metadata can reveal sensitive information about document creation, editing history, and author identity.

What Document Inspector Finds

The Document Inspector scans for:

• Comments and tracked changes
• Document properties (author, company, creation date)
• Hidden metadata and personal information
• Invisible content and hidden text
• Document statistics and revision numbers
• Language IDs and spell-check settings
• Embedded objects and OLE links
• Document protection and password information

Accessing the Document Inspector

Step 1: Open File Menu

1. Click “File” in the ribbon
2. Select “Info”
3. Click “Check for Issues” dropdown arrow
4. Select “Inspect Document”

Step 2: Review Scanner Options

The Document Inspector displays checkboxes for different content types:

• Comments and Annotations
• Document Properties and Personal Information
• Tracked Changes
• Hidden Content
• Invisible Content
• Custom XML Data
• Headers and Footers
• Watermarks

Step 3: Run the Inspection

1. Ensure all desired categories are checked
2. Click “Inspect”
3. Wait for the scan to complete

Understanding Inspector Results

The Inspector displays findings organized by category:

Comments and Tracked Changes

Shows any comments left in the document. This is important when sharing documents with your final edits accepted and comments removed.

Document Properties

Displays author name, company, creation date, last modified date, subject, and other metadata embedded in the document.

Hidden Text

Identifies any text formatted as hidden (using Format > Text > Hidden). This text appears only when “Show all formatting marks” is enabled.

Document Statistics

Shows document properties like revision count, edit time, and other Microsoft-tracked information.

Removing Information

After inspection completes, you can remove detected information:

Step 1: Review Results

Carefully examine each category. Some information may be important to retain.

Step 2: Select Items to Remove

For each category, you can:

• Click “Remove All” to delete all items in that category
• Some categories don’t have removal options (requires manual deletion first)

Step 3: Confirm Removal

1. Click “Remove All” for each category you want to clean
2. Click “Reinspect” to verify items were removed
3. Click “Close” to finish

Common Items to Remove Before Sharing

Author and Company Information

• Remove so the document appears to come from your organization rather than individual authors
• Important for official company documents

Tracked Changes

• Remove if you’ve already accepted/rejected changes
• Ensure only final edits remain visible

Comments

• Delete all comments before final distribution
• Comments may contain internal discussions not intended for recipients

Hidden Content

• Remove accidentally hidden text
• Ensures all content is visible to readers

When NOT to Remove Information

Some information should be retained:

Document Properties

• Keep descriptive metadata like title and subject
• These help with file organization and search

Revision History

• May want to retain for internal documents showing edit history
• Track changes can document collaboration

Headers and Footers

• Usually intentional and should be kept
• These provide document context and page numbering

Document Inspector Best Practices

Before Sharing Externally

1. Always run Document Inspector
2. Review what will be removed
3. Remove author and company information
4. Remove tracked changes and comments
5. Save the cleaned version separately

Maintaining Version Control

• Keep the original with tracked changes internally
• Create a “clean” version for external distribution
• Label versions clearly (Draft vs. Final)

Security Consideration

• Document Inspector may not catch all hidden data
• External copies, backup versions may still contain old information
• Ensure all old versions are properly deleted

Using Document Inspector with GenText

GenText can help you manage document metadata and track document versions. Combine GenText’s organization features with the Document Inspector for comprehensive document management.

Manual Information Removal

Some items require manual deletion before using Inspector:

Tracked Changes

1. Click “Review” tab
2. Click “Accept All Changes” to finalize edits
3. Or delete individual tracked changes

Comments

1. Right-click each comment bubble
2. Select “Delete Comment”
3. Or use Review > Delete to remove all comments

Author Information

After using Document Inspector:

1. File > Info > Properties
2. Update author, company fields
3. Click “Other Properties” for additional fields

Document Inspector Limitations

• Doesn’t remove all sensitive information
• Some data may persist in document backups
• Doesn’t detect information in linked files
• Text converted to images may bypass inspection

Privacy and Document Management

Protecting document privacy:

• Always use Document Inspector before sharing
• Understand what metadata documents contain
• Develop document security policies
• Train users on sensitive information handling
• Regularly audit documents for hidden data

Document Properties vs. Hidden Data

Document Properties (intentional information):

• Title, subject, keywords
• Version numbering
• Category classification

Hidden Data (typically unintentional):

• Author identification
• Edit history
• Creation and modification dates
• Company information
• Personal comments

Compliance and Legal Considerations

Organizations often require Document Inspector use:

• Government agencies require metadata removal
• Legal documents must have clean histories
• Financial institutions mandate privacy checks
• Healthcare organizations follow HIPAA privacy requirements

Common Document Inspector Scenarios

Submitting to External Client

Remove all internal metadata, author information, and comments before submission.

Archiving Historical Documents

Keep Document Inspector results for audit trail; retain metadata for historical records.

Creating Templates

Remove all metadata from documents you’ll use as templates.

Final Report Distribution

Clean all comments, tracked changes, and personal information before final distribution.

By using the Document Inspector regularly, you ensure your documents meet privacy standards and don’t inadvertently share sensitive information.