You've been editing a document with track changes enabled. There are red lines, strike-throughs, comments, and revisions everywhere. Now you need to convert it to PDF. What happens to all those track changes? Should you accept them first, or can you convert with changes still visible?
This is a common question, and the answer depends on what you want. Our Word to PDF tool can convert your document whether you've accepted changes or not. Let me explain what happens to track changes when you convert to PDF with our tool, and when you should accept changes first versus keeping them visible.
What Happens to Track Changes
When you convert a Word document with track changes to PDF, here's what happens:
Track changes can be visible in PDF. If track changes are showing in Word when you convert, they'll appear in the PDF. Red lines, strike-throughs, and formatting changes will be visible.
Comments might not convert. Word comments don't always convert to PDF comments. They might disappear or appear as text.
The final document shows. If you convert with "Final" view (changes accepted), the PDF shows the final version without track changes.
Markup view shows changes. If you convert with "Final Showing Markup" view, the PDF shows all the changes.
The choice is yours. You can choose whether to show changes or hide them in the PDF.
Should You Accept Changes First?
The answer depends on your purpose:
Accept Changes If:
You want a clean final document. If the PDF is the final version for sharing, accept changes first. You want a clean document without markup.
The document is for publication. If you're publishing or submitting the document, accept changes first. You don't want track changes visible.
It's going to clients or stakeholders. For external sharing, usually accept changes first. Track changes can look unprofessional.
You're archiving the final version. If this is the version you're keeping, accept changes to have a clean document.
Keep Changes Visible If:
You want to show what changed. If you need to show reviewers what was modified, keep changes visible.
It's still in review. If the document is being reviewed and changes need to be visible, keep them.
You want a comparison document. If you need a PDF that shows before/after, keep changes visible.
Internal review only. For internal documents where changes should be visible, keep them.
How to Convert with Track Changes
If you want track changes visible in the PDF:
Show all markup in Word. Make sure track changes are visible in Word (Final Showing Markup view).
Convert with our tool. Use our Word to PDF tool to convert your document.
Check the result. Open the PDF and verify that changes are visible.
Note: Track changes will appear in the PDF as they do in Word, but some PDF viewers might display them differently.
How to Convert Without Track Changes
If you want a clean PDF without track changes:
Accept all changes in Word. Go to Review → Accept → Accept All Changes.
Or use Final view. Switch to Final view (hides changes but doesn't accept them).
Convert with our tool. Use our Word to PDF tool to convert your document.
Result: You get a clean PDF without track changes visible, with all formatting and fonts preserved correctly.
Best Practices
Here's what I recommend:
For final documents: Always accept changes before converting to PDF with our Word to PDF tool. You want a clean, professional document.
For review documents: Keep changes visible if reviewers need to see them. But consider that PDF isn't ideal for collaborative review—Word is better.
Save both versions: Consider saving both a version with changes (for review) and a version without changes (for final sharing).
Document your choice: If you're keeping changes visible, note why so others understand.
Use our Word to PDF tool: Our Word to PDF tool preserves formatting and fonts whether you've accepted changes or not, ensuring your PDF looks professional.
Test the PDF: Always check the PDF to see how track changes appear. They might look different than in Word.
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Final report for stakeholders
- Solution: Accept all changes, then convert to PDF
- Reason: You want a clean, professional document
Scenario 2: Document still in review
- Solution: Keep changes visible, convert to PDF for review
- Reason: Reviewers need to see what changed
- Note: Word might be better for this, but PDF works if needed
Scenario 3: Comparison document
- Solution: Keep changes visible, convert to PDF
- Reason: You want to show before/after
Scenario 4: Archiving final version
- Solution: Accept all changes, then convert to PDF
- Reason: You want the final, clean version archived
Getting It Right
Here's the simple rule I follow: if the PDF is going to stakeholders, clients, or anyone outside your immediate team, accept changes first. You want a clean, professional document. Track changes are perfect for collaboration in Word, but they look messy in a final PDF.
If the document is still in review and you need to show what changed, keeping changes visible can work. But honestly? Word is better for that kind of collaborative review. PDFs are better for final, polished documents.
The key is thinking about your audience. What do they need to see? A clean final version, or the editing process? Most of the time, they need the final version. Accept the changes, then use our Word to PDF tool to convert, and you're done.
Our Word to PDF tool ensures your PDF looks professional whether you've accepted changes or not. Fonts are embedded correctly, formatting is preserved, and your document maintains its professional appearance. Always check the PDF after converting to make sure everything appears the way you want before sharing.
Ready to convert your document? Use our Word to PDF tool to create a professional PDF that preserves all your formatting and fonts perfectly.
