How to Hide Text and Show Hidden Text in Microsoft Word

You need to hide text and show hidden text in Microsoft Word without deleting anything from the document. The built-in Hidden font effect is worth a look when you need alternate print versions or private editing notes. You can also learn more about clearing formatting in Word to better understand how to work with hidden text.

Fix #1: Hide selected text in Word for Windows

The Hidden effect remains attached to the text, so you can reveal or print it later. To learn more about working with fonts in Word, you can visit the Microsoft Support page on Word display options.

1. Open the document in the desktop version of Microsoft Word.

2. Select the text you want to hide.

3. Open the Home tab and click the small Font dialog launcher in the lower-right corner of the Font group.

4. Under Effects, select Hidden.

5. Select OK.

The selected text should disappear from the normal document view. It still occupies a position in the document and hasn’t been deleted.

You can also select text and press Ctrl + Shift + H to toggle the Hidden effect. That’s the quicker method once you’ve confirmed how the feature behaves. For more tips on working with Microsoft Word, you can visit this page on Microsoft Word tips and tricks.

Fix #2: Show hidden text in Word for Windows

The fastest way to reveal hidden text is the Show/Hide ¶ button. It also displays spaces, paragraph marks, tabs, and other nonprinting characters. To learn more about nonprinting characters, you can visit this Wikipedia page on non-printing characters in word processors.

1. Open the Home tab.

2. Select Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group.

Hidden text should appear with a dotted underline. Select Show/Hide ¶ again when you want a clean document view.

If the text doesn’t appear, turn on its dedicated display setting:

1. Select File > Options.

2. Choose Display.

3. Under Always show these formatting marks on the screen, select Hidden text.

4. Select OK.

Word should now display hidden text even when Show/Hide ¶ is off. This setting applies to Word on your computer, so another person opening the same file may see different content based on their own display settings. You can also learn more about customizing your Windows 11 settings to improve your overall user experience.

Fix #3: Remove hidden formatting from specific text

Showing hidden text doesn’t remove the Hidden effect. Use these steps when the text should stay visible permanently.

1. Reveal the text with Show/Hide ¶ or File > Options > Display > Hidden text.

2. Select the dotted-underlined text.

3. Press Ctrl + D to open the Font dialog.

4. Clear Hidden under Effects.

5. Select OK.

The text should remain visible after you turn off Show/Hide ¶.

Fix #4: Unhide all text in the document

Use this method when an old document contains hidden passages you no longer need.

1. Press Ctrl + A to select the document.

2. Press Ctrl + D to open the Font dialog.

A filled or shaded Hidden box means the selection contains both visible and hidden text.

3. Select the Hidden box until it is empty.

4. Select OK.

All ordinary text in the selection should now be visible. You can also use Ctrl + Shift + H, but I’d use the dialog for a mixed document because its checkbox makes the current state easier to verify. For more information on using keyboard shortcuts in Word, you can visit this page on inserting arrows in Microsoft Word documents.

Fix #5: Edit around hidden text without moving content

Typing while hidden text is invisible can shift that text to an unexpected position. Reveal formatting marks before editing near a hidden passage.

1. Open the Home tab.

2. Select Show/Hide ¶.

3. Place the cursor before or after the dotted-underlined hidden text.

4. Type or insert a paragraph break where needed.

5. Select Show/Hide ¶ again after checking the layout.

Your new content and the hidden passage should now appear in the intended order. It actually works well for maintaining two variations of a short document, provided you keep the formatting marks visible while editing. You can also learn more about fixing Microsoft Word printing issues to ensure your documents print correctly.

Fix #6: Print or export hidden text

Microsoft Word can include hidden text in printed pages and PDF exports. The setting is easy to miss because it lives under Display, not the main Print screen.

1. Select File > Options.

2. Choose Display.

3. Under Printing options, select Print hidden text.

4. Select OK.

5. Open File > Print and inspect the preview.

Hidden passages should appear in the preview and printed output. For a version without them, return to File > Options > Display, clear Print hidden text, and check the preview again.

This option applies beyond the current document. Clear it afterward if internal notes shouldn’t appear in later print jobs. You can also learn more about getting free Microsoft Office 365 for students to access the latest versions of Microsoft Word and other Office applications.

Fix #7: Hide, show, and unhide text in Word for Mac

Word for Mac uses the same Hidden font effect, though its display controls are under Word’s preferences or settings.

1. Select the text you want to hide.

2. Control-click the selection and choose Font.

3. Select Hidden under Effects.

4. Select OK.

The text should disappear from the standard document view.

To display it again:

1. Open the Home tab.

2. Select Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group.

3. If the text remains invisible, open Word > Preferences and choose View under Authoring and Proofing Tools. Some current Word releases label this menu Settings instead of Preferences.

4. Enable Hidden text under Nonprinting characters.

The hidden text should appear with a dotted underline. To unhide it permanently, select it, reopen Font, clear Hidden, and select OK.

Printing controls can vary by the current Mac release. Check Word’s print or display preferences for the hidden-text printing option, then confirm the result in the print preview before printing. You can also learn more about installing Microsoft Office on Linux to use Word on different operating systems.

Fix #8: Manage hidden text from Word for the web or mobile

Word for the web recognizes hidden formatting created by desktop Word, but it doesn’t provide the full Display and Print hidden text controls.

1. Open the document in Word for the web.

2. Check the Home tab for Show/Hide ¶ or the available formatting-marks control.

3. Review the visible content before editing or printing.

4. Choose Open in Desktop App when you need to apply the Hidden effect, change its permanent display setting, or control whether it prints.

Word for Android and iOS also have limited hidden-text controls. Open the file in desktop Word on Windows or Mac when exact visibility and printing behavior matter. You can also learn more about fixing Microsoft Office 365 slow performance issues to improve your overall productivity.

Fix #9: Protect a document containing hidden text

Hidden text isn’t a security feature. Anyone who receives the Word file can reveal it, so remove sensitive information before sharing the document.

For ordinary editing protection, you can make the document read-only:

1. Open the Review tab.

2. Select Restrict Editing.

3. In the Restrict Editing pane, enable the available formatting restriction if you also need to block formatting changes.

4. Open the formatting settings and choose the styles users may apply.

5. If Word asks to remove formatting that isn’t permitted, keep the existing formatting so the Hidden effect isn’t stripped.

6. Under Editing restrictions, enable Allow only this type of editing in the document.

7. Choose No changes (Read only).

8. Select the button that starts protection.

9. Enter and confirm a password when prompted.

10. Store the password somewhere secure.

Readers should be able to open the file but not edit it without removing protection. They can still display hidden text, which is why confidential material belongs in a separate file. You can also learn more about using VBA to show hidden text in Word to automate tasks and improve your workflow.

When Hidden Text Is the Wrong Tool

Use comments for reviewer notes that shouldn’t sit inside the document body. Track Changes works better when collaborators need to approve edits, while separate files are safer for confidential or substantially different versions.

For recurring conditional sections, applying Hidden through a custom Word style is a clever option. You can format related passages consistently without hunting through the document one section at a time.

Conclusion

Fix #1, applying Hidden from the Font dialog, is the smoothest starting point because it shows exactly which formatting Word applies. Hidden text is a useful little gem for alternate print versions, and I’d recommend bookmarking the display and printing settings, but remove confidential text completely before sharing the file.