Password-protect your Word document to prevent unwanted changes
You can lock a Word document so that only someone with the correct password can edit it, view it, or open it at all. Word offers three different protection levels depending on what you need: you can require a password just to open the file, require a password to make changes while letting others view it, or restrict editing to specific people while allowing comments. The method you choose depends on whether you want to block access entirely or just prevent accidental edits.
All three methods work on both Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Word, though the exact menu locations differ slightly. The process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- Word documents can be password-protected three ways: requiring a password to open, requiring a password to edit, or restricting who can make changes while allowing comments.
- On Windows, password protection lives in File > Info > Protect Document; on Mac, it is in Tools > Protect Document.
- A password to open the file encrypts the entire document and is the strongest protection, but you must remember the password or the document becomes unrecoverable.
- A password to edit lets others view the document without a password but blocks changes unless they enter the correct password.
- If you forget the password, Microsoft cannot recover it, so write it down or store it somewhere you can retrieve it later.
Require a password to open the document (Windows)
This is the strongest protection: the entire document is encrypted, and no one can even view it without the correct password. On Windows, open your Word document and click File in the top left. Then click Info in the left sidebar.
Look for the button labeled Protect Document (it may say "Protect Document" or show a shield icon). Click it and select Encrypt with Password. A dialog box will appear asking you to enter a password. Type a password you will remember — Word does not show you what you typed, so type it carefully. Click OK. Word will ask you to type the password again to confirm. Type it exactly the same way and click OK.
Save the document. The next time anyone tries to open it, Word will ask for the password before the document appears. If the wrong password is entered, the document will not open.
Require a password to open the document (Mac)
On Mac, the process is similar but the menu is in a different place. Open your Word document and click Tools in the top menu bar. Scroll down and click Protect Document, then select Encrypt with Password.
A dialog box will appear. Type your password in the field labeled Password. Remember that Word does not show you what you typed. Click OK. Mac will ask you to enter the password again to confirm it matches. Type it exactly the same way and click OK.
Save the document. From now on, anyone opening it will need to enter the password first.
Require a password to edit but allow viewing without one
This option lets people open and read your document without a password, but they cannot make changes unless they enter the correct password. This is useful when you want to share a document for review but prevent accidental edits.
On Windows, go to File > Info > Protect Document and select Restrict Editing. On Mac, go to Tools > Protect Document and select Restrict Editing. A panel will open on the right side of your screen. Check the box next to Limit formatting to a selection of styles or Allow only this type of editing (the exact wording varies by version).
From the dropdown menu, select Tracked Changes or Comments Only depending on what you want to allow. If you choose Tracked Changes, people can edit the document but all changes will be marked so you can see what they changed. If you choose Comments Only, people can add comments but cannot change the actual text. Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. Word will ask for a password. Enter one and confirm it, then click OK.
Save the document. When others open it, they will see a message that the document is protected. They can read it and add comments or tracked changes, but cannot edit the text directly without the password.
Restrict editing to specific people
If you are using Microsoft 365 (the subscription version of Word), you can restrict editing so that only specific people you name can make changes. This works differently from a password because you control who can edit by their email address rather than by sharing a password.
Open your document and click File > Info > Protect Document (Windows) or Tools > Protect Document (Mac). Select Restrict Access. A panel will open. Click Restrict Access again and select the people you want to allow to edit. Only those people will be able to make changes when you share the document with them. This method requires that the document is saved to OneDrive or SharePoint, not just on your computer.
Remove password protection from a document
If you need to remove the password protection later, open the document and enter the password when prompted. Then go to File > Info > Protect Document (Windows) or Tools > Protect Document (Mac) and select Encrypt with Password or Restrict Editing depending on which type you used. Delete the password from the field (leave it blank) and click OK. Save the document. The protection is now removed.
If you used Restrict Editing, click the Stop Protection button in the right panel instead. Word will ask for the password you set. Enter it and click OK. The restriction is now removed.
What to do if you forget the password
Microsoft cannot recover a lost password. If you encrypted your document with a password to open it and you forget that password, the document is permanently locked and unrecoverable. There is no back door, no recovery option, and no way for Microsoft support to help you.
For this reason, write down your password or store it in a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or the built-in password manager in your web browser. If you use a password manager, make sure you remember the master password for that manager, or you will have the same problem in reverse.
If you are protecting a document that other people also need to access, tell them the password through a separate channel — never in the same email or message as the document itself. For example, send the document in one email and the password in a text message or phone call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I password-protect a Word document on my phone or tablet?
The Word app for iPhone, iPad, and Android does not have a built-in password protection feature. You must use the desktop version of Word on Windows or Mac to set up password protection. Once protected, you can open the document on your phone by entering the password, but you cannot add or change the protection from the phone app.
What happens if someone tries to open my password-protected document?
If the document is encrypted with a password to open, Word will display a dialog box asking for the password before the document appears. If they enter the wrong password, the document will not open. If the document is restricted to tracked changes or comments only, it will open normally but they will see a message that editing is restricted, and the edit buttons will be grayed out.
Can I protect just part of a Word document and leave the rest editable?
Yes, but only with the Restrict Editing feature. You can select specific sections of the document and protect only those sections while leaving others editable. Go to File > Info > Protect Document > Restrict Editing, then check the box for Protect sections. Select which sections you want to protect and click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. This does not work with password-to-open encryption, which protects the entire document.
Is password protection the same as saving a document as read-only?
No. Read-only means the file cannot be edited, but someone can still open it without a password and make a copy that they can edit. Password protection actually encrypts the document or restricts editing at the file level. Password protection is stronger because it prevents access or editing entirely, depending on which type you choose.