How to redline in Word

Lawyers redline contracts in Microsoft Word daily. But how do they do it, and is it efficient? Find out in this guide.

Microsoft Word has been the default currency for contracts for decades. Any lawyer that’s ever pushed a contract through revisions will have redlined in Word - or at least tried to. 

But familiarity doesn’t get contracts negotiated faster, efficiency does. And there are certainly more efficient ways to redline contracts in 2025. 

This Juro guide explains how to redline a Word document, and how you can make your current redlining process better. 

What is redlining in Word?

Redlining in Microsoft Word is a feature that enables users to remove, add or edit text within a Word document, with the changes marked up in red. 

When users choose to delete text within the document, the feature adds a red strike through all of the deleted words. If users decide to add words to the document, this red line will appear under the new text to indicate that it’s been suggested.

Each redline will then also connect the suggestions made to a specific individual, making it easy to see who has proposed which changes and when. 

The purpose of redlining in Word is to make any adjustments and edits visible to all parties, and to enable users to propose changes directly within a file without making irreversible changes to the initial document. 

How to redline in Microsoft Word

There are a few different ways to redline in Word, with some more advanced and intuitive than others. Let's run through the main ways to redline in Word now, starting with the manual approach.

How to redline in Word manually

You can redline a document manually in Word by using strikethrough for deletions and red text for additions. This method is more tedious than using track changes but still gets the job done.

1. Open the document and highlight the text you want to remove.
2. Go to the Home tab in the toolbar.
3. In the Font section, click the Strikethrough button (ABC with a line through it). This will put a line through the selected text, keeping it visible but marked for removal.
4. To add text in red, click the Font Color button (an "A" with a line under it).
5. Select a red shade from the dropdown menu and type your changes. The red text will stand out from the original black text.

How to redline in Word using track changes

A more efficient way to redline in Word is by using the Track Changes feature:

1. Open the document.
2. Go to the Review tab in the toolbar.
3. Click Track Changes (represented by an icon of a document with a pencil).
4. Set the markup view to All Markup to see all additions and deletions in red. This will also generate comment bubbles in the right-hand margin, where you can explain the changes.
5. Now, any text you add will appear in red, and any deletions will be marked with strikethrough automatically.

How to accept or reject redlines in Word

If you receive a document with Track Changes, you’ll need to review and approve or reject the edits. Here’s how:

1. Open the document and go to the Review tab in the toolbar.
2. In the Changes section, you'll see four buttons: Accept, Reject, Previous, and Next.
3. Use Previous or Next to navigate through each tracked change.
4. To accept a change, click Accept—this will apply the edit to the document.
5. To reject a change, click Reject—this will remove the proposed edit and revert the text to its original form.

What are the challenges of redlining in Word?

While redlining in Word follows a clear process, the software wasn’t designed for contract management.

We hear from customers daily about their experiences before using Juro. For many, Word is just one of the many tools they have to switch between to finalize even the simplest contracts. Put simply, managing contracts in Word creates inefficiencies and delays throughout the contract process.

The core issue is a lack of centralization. You can add redlines in Word, but it doesn't offer a comprehensive solution for signing, storing, tracking, or organizing contracts beyond that point. 

Pre-Juro, we followed a very manual process. Everything was spread between email and Word, with back and forth meetings to agree contracts; and we had nowhere to store or access these centrally” - Samara Doobay, Legal Counsel, Entourage

On top of that, accepting or rejecting redlines is not the same as actually approving a contract. Those who rely on Word often find themselves in one of two situations: contracts are either shared with counterparties too early, or they’re buried in stakeholders' inboxes, waiting for approval. Both are bad. 

Sales had to wait much longer for legal to draft a contract, and often chased us to speed up the process. Approvals were also really manual - everything took place over email” - Alicja Kwiatkowski, Head of Legal, Iptor

Finally, Word offers limited controls to ensure only pre-approved terms are used. Commercial teams often self-serve with static templates that may be outdated or unsuitable for their needs, and legal lack visibility when this happens. 

Is there a better way to manage contracts?

Fortunately, there is a better way to negotiate and manage contracts, and modern businesses like yours are already making the switch.

Unlike Word, which requires juggling multiple tools and manual processes, Juro is an intelligent contracting platform that embeds AI-driven contract automation into the tools business teams already use. 

This allows teams to create, negotiate, and manage contracts seamlessly, without the version control issues, manual approvals, or compliance risks inherent in Word. 

Legal stays in control, while the entire process is streamlined, centralized, and more efficient—cutting out the repetitive tasks that slow down contract workflows.

With Juro, we trust that everyone is using the right templates and working in the right place. This gives us greater control while allowing teams to move faster" - Emmanuelle Recoules, General Counsel, G.Network

I know what you’re thinking: what if my counterparty doesn’t want to leave Word?

That’s fine too! Juro’s Microsoft Word Add-in means you can move contracts seamlessly between Juro and Word to meet counterparties where they prefer to work.

Edits in Word sync back to Juro, with every version captured and tracked, ensuring accuracy and oversight—even when negotiations happen outside Juro. You can see how it works below.

In other words, you can accelerate negotiations by allowing counterparties to work in their preferred environment, all while preserving your processes and maintaining full control over your contract data. Everyone wins! 

To find out more about Juro’s Word Add-in by filling out the form below.