Remove Metadata From Word Documents
BeforeShare creates a new DOCX copy without supported hidden document properties, comments, and tracked-change traces. It runs locally in your browser. Keep the original: comments and deleted revision text cannot be recovered from the cleaned copy.
What Word metadata is removed?
- Core properties such as title, author, last editor, subject, keywords, revision number, and created or modified dates
- Extended properties such as company, manager, application, app version, template, and total editing time
- Custom document properties stored in docProps/custom.xml
- Word comments, comment identities, dates, text, and associated people records
- Tracked-change author, date, session, and deleted-text traces; current inserted text is accepted and deleted tracked text is discarded
What stays in the cleaned DOCX?
- Current document text, images, formatting, styles, hyperlinks, and embedded media are kept unless they belong to a removed review-metadata part
- Names, signatures, or private details visible on the document pages remain visible and need separate editing or redaction
Important DOCX limits
- Only .docx is supported; legacy .doc and macro-enabled .docm files are not accepted
- Cleaning is not visible-content redaction and does not certify a document for legal or forensic disclosure
- Keep your original before cleaning because comments, review identities, and deleted tracked text are intentionally removed from the new copy
Hidden properties are only part of what a document can reveal. Before you send it, the file privacy checklist covers the visible checks for PDF and Word files.
How to remove metadata from a Word document
- Choose the DOCX file — Select the .docx document you want to inspect. The file stays in your browser.
- Review the detected fields — Check supported document properties, comments, and tracked-change traces before cleaning.
- Download and review the cleaned copy — Create a new DOCX, check the post-clean receipt, then open the downloaded copy before sharing it.
BeforeShare practical guide · TuliAI
Word review history can expose text that is no longer on the page
Illustrative example: a DOCX proposal contains company properties, a reviewer comment and a tracked edit from an old price to a new one. A recipient who opens the review pane can learn more than a person reading the final page. Cleaning changes the review history in the new copy, so keep your original.
| Data | What it means | What to do or expect |
|---|---|---|
| Author, company and custom properties | Hidden package properties | Supported values removed |
| Comment text and reviewer identity | Review records | Removed from the cleaned DOCX |
| Tracked insertion / deletion | An edit and its previous text | Insertion accepted; deleted text discarded |
| Name in the current paragraph | Visible document text | Still present |
The output represents the current document after supported tracked edits are resolved. It is not an archive of the negotiation and is unsuitable if you need to preserve revision evidence. Hidden text, custom XML, headers, hyperlinks and embedded content can have additional privacy implications; a clean supported-metadata receipt does not certify that every possible Word feature was sanitized.
Use Word’s Document Inspector for a broader review
In Word for Windows, save a copy, then use File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document. Choose the categories to inspect and review the findings before Remove All. Microsoft documents categories such as hidden text, headers and custom XML that go beyond ordinary document properties. Our test below lets you inspect the original and cleaned DOCX package yourself.
See test files, results and limits →
Sources and scope
Reviewed on . Examples explain the supported cleaner behavior; measured results are in the linked experiment. To report an error, contact us.
Word metadata removal FAQ
How do I remove metadata from a Word document?
Choose a .docx file above, review the detected properties and review traces, then create and download the cleaned copy. Processing stays in your browser.
Does the cleaner remove the author name and company?
It removes supported core, extended, and custom DOCX properties, including author, last editor, company, manager, app version, dates, and editing time when present.
Does it remove comments and tracked changes?
Yes. The cleaned copy removes Word comments and review identities, accepts current inserted text, and discards deleted tracked text. Keep the original if you need that history.
Does it redact names in the visible document?
No. Visible text, images, signatures, and other page content are outside metadata cleaning and must be edited separately.
How do I remove personal information and the author name from a Word document?
Choose the DOCX file in the tool above. BeforeShare lists the author, last editor, company, comments, and tracked-change traces it finds, then creates a copy without that supported DOCX metadata. Word also has a built-in Document Inspector (in Word for Windows: File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document, then Remove All next to Document Properties and Personal Information); BeforeShare shows the fields first and works in the browser without installing anything. Visible text, such as a name typed in the document, is not changed.