How to Change the Author of a Word Document
When you create a Microsoft Word document, it automatically tags your name as the author — pulled from your Microsoft Office account or Windows user profile. That embedded author information travels with the file, shows up in document properties, and appears in tracked changes and comments. Knowing how to update or remove it matters more than most people realize, especially when sharing files professionally or handing off work.
Where Does Word Get the Author Name?
Word pulls author data from two places:
- Your Microsoft Office account name — set in Word's options under your personal info
- The document's built-in properties — stored in the file itself when it was first created or last saved
These two sources can get out of sync. A document created on a colleague's machine will carry their name in its properties even after you've edited it extensively on your own. Understanding which layer you're changing determines which method actually works.
Method 1: Change the Author Name in Word's Settings
This is the most straightforward approach and affects all new documents going forward.
- Open Word and go to File → Options (on Windows) or Word → Preferences (on Mac)
- Under the General tab, find the section labeled Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office
- Update the User name and Initials fields
- Click OK
This change affects your name in tracked changes, comments, and any new documents created after that point. It does not retroactively rewrite the author stored inside an existing file's properties.
Method 2: Edit the Document Properties Directly
The author name embedded in a document's properties is a separate field. Here's how to change it:
On Windows:
- With the document open, go to File → Info
- On the right panel, look for Related People — you'll see the author listed there
- Right-click the author name and select Remove Person or Edit Property
- To add a new author, click Add an author
Alternatively, through advanced properties:
- Go to File → Info → Properties → Advanced Properties
- Click the Summary tab
- Edit the Author field directly
On Mac:
- Go to File → Properties
- Select the Summary tab
- Edit the Author field
This method changes the stored metadata inside the file — the name that shows up when someone checks document properties or inspects the file before sharing.
Method 3: Remove Author Metadata Using the Document Inspector 🔍
If your goal is to strip out personal information entirely before sharing a document externally, the Document Inspector is the right tool.
- Go to File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document
- Make sure Document Properties and Personal Information is checked
- Click Inspect
- When the results appear, click Remove All next to Document Properties and Personal Information
This removes author data, comments metadata, and other embedded personal details in one pass. It's a more aggressive approach — you can't selectively keep some properties and remove others with this method.
Method 4: Change the Author for Tracked Changes Specifically
Tracked changes carry the name of whoever made each edit. If you're cleaning up a document's revision history or correcting a name that appeared incorrectly, this requires a slightly different approach.
The author name on existing tracked changes cannot be edited directly from within Word's standard interface. However:
- Accepting or rejecting all tracked changes removes the associated author attribution
- If you need to change the name attached to future edits in the same session, update your user name (Method 1) before making changes
- For bulk metadata editing across multiple documents, third-party tools or Word macros can be used — though this introduces complexity and requires comfort with scripting or add-ins
What Changes and What Doesn't: A Quick Reference
| What You're Changing | Method to Use | Affects Existing Files? |
|---|---|---|
| Name on future tracked changes | Word Options (Method 1) | No |
| Embedded document author property | File Info or Advanced Properties (Method 2) | Yes, that file only |
| All personal metadata at once | Document Inspector (Method 3) | Yes, destructively |
| Author on past tracked changes | Accept/reject changes or macro | Removes, not edits |
Variables That Shape Your Approach 🖥️
The right method depends on factors specific to your situation:
Version of Word matters. The exact menu paths above apply to Microsoft 365 and Word 2019/2021. Older versions like Word 2013 or 2016 have similar options but the interface layout differs slightly — particularly in the File Info panel.
Purpose of the change is a major factor. Correcting your own name for professional consistency is different from removing all traces of authorship before sharing a sensitive document. The Document Inspector is built for the latter; editing properties manually suits the former.
Shared or collaborative documents add a layer of complexity. In Word documents stored on SharePoint or OneDrive with co-authoring enabled, author data is also tied to Microsoft account credentials. Changing a local profile name may not fully update what other collaborators see.
Number of documents you need to update also matters. Changing one file manually is trivial. Updating author data across dozens of documents consistently requires either a macro-based approach or a dedicated metadata editing tool — both of which require a higher comfort level with Word's more technical features.
The combination of those factors — your Word version, what you actually need the change to do, and the scale of the task — determines which of these methods is worth your time.