Keep Track Changes On When a Document Reopens

To keep Track Changes enabled after a document is reopened, open the document, choose On for me and everyone from the Track Changes menu, and save or allow the editor to save the document. The choice applies to the current document and all its users; it is not a personal, account-wide default for every file. If you only need tracking for your own current session, choose On for me instead.

The distinction matters when a shared draft must capture edits consistently. In the example below, a team is reviewing a project plan. The screenshots are interface illustrations; the menu labels and behavior follow ONLYOFFICE’s current documentation.

What does “by default” mean in ONLYOFFICE Docs?

ONLYOFFICE provides two ways to turn tracking on: a session-level choice and a persistent choice for the document. On for me enables tracking for your current editing session, but the setting turns off for you when you reload or open the document again. On for me and everyone enables tracking for all users and keeps it on when the document is reloaded or reopened.

That persistence is document-level behavior. The official user guide describes the “for me and everyone” setting as applying to all users when the document is reloaded. It also says another user can turn the general setting off for everyone. So this is suitable for an editorial draft or shared policy document, but it is not an unchangeable lock or a tenant-wide preference. The guide does not describe a universal per-user default that automatically starts Track Changes in every new document.

How do you keep tracking on for everyone?

1. Open the document with editing access. Find the document in your connected storage service and open it in the ONLYOFFICE Document Editor. If the file is view-only, ask its owner for editing or review access; a viewer cannot make this document-level change.
2. Open the Track Changes menu. On the top ribbon, select Collaboration, then click Track Changes. Depending on the editor layout, you can also use the Track Changes status control at the lower-right of the status bar. If clicking the control toggles tracking directly, open its menu or arrow to see the scope choices.
3. Select “On for me and everyone.” Do not select “On for me” if coworkers must also have tracking enabled after reopening. The global option takes effect for the current document and all coauthors. ONLYOFFICE may show a notice because the setting changes the shared document state.
4. Make a small, intentional edit. Add a short word or phrase in a safe test location, then confirm the insertion appears as a tracked change. This checks that tracking is actually recording edits, rather than merely showing an active-looking ribbon control.
5. Save and reopen the document. Online deployments typically save changes through the connected storage integration. If autosave is disabled or the host app requests a save, use the available Save command and wait for completion. Close the document, reopen it, and confirm Track Changes is still on. Remove or accept the test edit if it is not part of the document.

Does this setting lock Track Changes on?

No. The shared setting persists across reopen, but another user can choose Off for me and everyone. ONLYOFFICE documents that such a change turns tracking off for all users, and the corresponding alert is shown to coauthors. If your process requires an audit trail, agree who is allowed to change this setting and review the document’s version history or your storage platform’s controls. The “On for everyone” choice should not be described as an administrative enforcement policy.

Review-only access is a different case. ONLYOFFICE says Track Changes is enabled by default for a reviewer and cannot be disabled while a document is shared with Review-only rights. That mode is designed for suggestions: reviewers submit changes, while someone with the appropriate rights accepts or rejects them. Use it when the reviewer should suggest edits without directly editing the base text.

Can an integration enable review when a document opens?

For an embedded Docs integration, the host application controls the editor configuration. ONLYOFFICE’s API FAQ explains that document.permissions determines how the document opens with Track Changes/review mode. To allow both editing and reviewing (including the ability for users to switch into review mode), the configuration includes:

document: {
  permissions: {
    edit: true,
    review: true
  }
},
editorConfig: {
  mode: "edit"
}

With edit: false and review: true, the document opens for review only. These are access permissions supplied by the integration, not a global preference that a regular user can set in the editor. Administrators should apply the option in the host’s document configuration and verify it in the integrated editor. Use the current API documentation for the integration and Docs version before deploying configuration changes.

For ordinary use in ONLYOFFICE Workspace, Nextcloud, ownCloud, or another connected platform, use the editor menu’s shared option rather than editing API configuration. The host application may control permissions, saving, templates, and which toolbar features are available.

Why is the choice missing or not staying on?

• You selected “On for me.” This is only for the current session. Reopen the menu and choose “On for me and everyone.”
• You have review-only or view access. Review-only access enables tracking automatically, while view access does not give you the ability to change the shared setting. Ask the file owner to check the access level.
• The option is overridden by a collaborator. Another editor may have changed the shared setting. Open the Track Changes menu again and check whether the selected state is still on.
• The editor did not save or reload the document correctly. Confirm the host storage reports the document saved, then reopen the same file rather than a downloaded copy or an older version.
• You are looking at a display preference. File > Advanced Settings includes options for how review changes are displayed, such as balloons or tooltips. These affect presentation of review changes, not whether the document is tracking edits.

Verify the result

Reopen the same shared document and check the Track Changes control. Then make one harmless edit and confirm the inserted or deleted text is marked for review. If the control shows tracking on but the edit is not marked, verify that you are in an editable document and that the change was made after tracking became active. If you need tracking to start on every newly created file, use a host-level template or integration configuration only if your platform supports and documents that workflow; the editor’s “On for me and everyone” option applies to the current document.

Official references

• ONLYOFFICE Help Center: Reviewing documents — menu options, persistence, review-only behavior, and tracked-change display.
• ONLYOFFICE Docs API FAQ: Sharing — editor configuration for opening documents with review/Track Changes enabled.
• ONLYOFFICE Docs API: Reviewing — review permissions and how they interact with editing access.
• ONLYOFFICE Help Center: Advanced settings of the Document Editor — display preferences, including how review changes appear.