How to Enable Track Changes by Default in ONLYOFFICE Docs

To keep Track Changes enabled after a document is reopened, open the Track Changes menu and choose On for me and everyone. This saves the tracking state for that document and applies it to its co-authors. Choosing On for me only affects your current editing session and does not persist after you reload the file. The ONLYOFFICE Help Center documents these as separate options; its user-facing instructions do not describe a single setting that forces Track Changes on for every document in an installation.

This guide covers the web and desktop Document Editors. Labels and placement can vary slightly with the version or the host application, but the key choice is the same: select the shared option when the document itself should retain tracking.

Choose the behavior you need

Enable Track Changes for the current document

1. Open the document in the Document Editor. Confirm that you have editing or review access. A view-only session cannot be used to change document settings.
2. Open the Track Changes menu. In the web editor, use either the Track Changes control on the Collaboration tab or the Track Changes status-bar control in the lower-right corner. The status-bar control opens a menu with the tracking choices.
3. Choose “On for me and everyone.” This is the persistent, shared option. The editor may display a notice that the tracking state applies to all users. If you choose “On for me,” you only enable tracking for yourself during this session.
4. Make a small test edit and verify it is marked. Insert a word or edit a short phrase. With tracking active, inserted text and other revisions should be visibly marked. Undo the test edit if it should not remain in the document.

To confirm persistence, save or allow the editor to finish saving, close the document, and reopen it. Check that the shared Track Changes state is still on before making substantive edits. If another editor changes the general tracking state, that change can affect everyone; ONLYOFFICE explains that turning it off for everyone changes the shared setting for all users.

What “default” means in ONLYOFFICE

The phrase “by default” can mean either an editor preference or a setting saved with each file. The documented On for me and everyone choice is the second kind: it makes tracking persist for that document. It is not the same as a personal preference that automatically turns tracking on whenever you open any unrelated document.

The current ONLYOFFICE Help Center describes the per-session and shared controls, and says that Review-only access enables Track Changes automatically for the reviewer. It does not document a universal user preference or an administrator switch that turns on tracking for all documents. If the menu is missing, check your access rights and the host application's editor version; a deployment can also customize its interface. Ask the person who manages your document platform whether their integration has a supported workflow for setting document tracking when files are created.

For automated document workflows

Organizations that build their own ONLYOFFICE workflow can set tracking through the ONLYOFFICE Office API. The ApiDocument.SetTrackRevisions(isTrack) method sets the change-tracking mode; the official API example calls it with true to turn tracking on. This is a document API method for code running in a supported document automation context, such as a macro or plugin. It is not a switch to paste into the standard editor's configuration JSON, and it does not by itself establish an organization-wide default for every future file.

const doc = Api.GetDocument();
doc.SetTrackRevisions(true);

Use the method only if you maintain the automation that runs it, and test on a copy first. An integrator may need to adapt when and how the code runs to the specific ONLYOFFICE Docs version and document workflow. If you only need one document or a short editing session, the built-in menu is simpler and avoids custom code.

Common issues and checks

• The setting disappears after reopening: You likely selected “On for me.” Reopen the menu and choose “On for me and everyone.”
• Other people do not see tracking: Confirm that the shared option is active and that their editing session has refreshed. A collaborator can change the shared tracking state, so check the menu again.
• You cannot turn tracking off: If you have Review-only access, this is expected. The feature is enabled for reviewers; the document owner or another authorized user can review, accept, or reject suggestions.
• Changes look absent: Verify tracking is on, then make a test edit. Display mode controls how revisions appear; “Final” displays the document as if changes were accepted and does not itself accept them. Switch to a markup view to inspect the recorded revisions.
• You need this on every new file: The documented per-document menu does not establish an all-files default. Ask your platform administrator or integrator about a supported template or creation-time automation for your deployment, and verify the behavior with a newly created test document.

Quick verification checklist

• The menu says tracking is on for me and everyone.
• A test insertion or deletion appears as a revision.
• The tracking state remains enabled after closing and reopening the document.
• Co-authors see the same shared state, subject to their access rights and any later shared change.
• The final display mode is set to markup when reviewers need to inspect revisions.

ONLYOFFICE’s user guide and API documentation are the references for the steps above: Reviewing documents and Track Changes, Document Editor Collaboration tab, and ApiDocument.SetTrackRevisions. Checked October 6, 2026. Interface details may differ by version and by the application embedding ONLYOFFICE Docs.