How to Configure Document Inspection and Metadata Sanitisation in Microsoft Word

When preparing contracts, legal briefs, executive reports, and corporate proposals for external distribution, documents often contain hidden forensic metadata that can lead to embarrassing leaks or regulatory non-compliance. Microsoft Word documents (.docx) silently preserve track changes history, deleted commentary, author names, total editing times, template paths, hidden text, and internal network server headers. Microsoft Word includes the Document Inspector to identify and permanently purge sensitive metadata before files leave your organisation.

Understanding Hidden Metadata in Word Documents

The OpenXML format used by Microsoft Word packages document contents alongside auxiliary XML property streams:

• Document Properties and Personal Information: Author name, initials, organization, company name, manager, template file paths, and absolute hyperlinked server shares.
• Tracked Changes and Annotations: Historical edits, struck-through phrasing, deleted paragraphs, and internal editorial comments exchanged between reviewers.
• Hidden Text: Paragraphs styled with the Hidden font attribute that do not display on screen or in standard print layouts but remain fully readable in raw XML.
• Custom XML Data: Embedded business schemas and metadata tags injected by SharePoint or custom line-of-business macros.
• Headers, Footers, and Watermarks: Lingering background markers from earlier document versions.

Running the Document Inspector in Microsoft Word

To inspect and cleanse a document prior to sharing:

1. Open the completed document in Microsoft Word.
2. Click File in the top-left ribbon corner to access the Backstage view.
3. In the Info section, locate the Inspect Document tile.
4. Click Check for Issues and select Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.
5. If prompted to save changes, click Yes to ensure the latest edits are indexed.
6. The Document Inspector dialogue presents configurable audit categories:
   • Comments, Revisions, and Versions
   • Document Properties and Personal Information
   • Task Pane Apps
   • Embedded Documents and Objects
   • Macros, Forms, and ActiveX Controls
   • Collapsed Headings and Hidden Text
   • Custom XML Data
7. Verify that all relevant categories are checked, then click Inspect.

Purging Detected Sensitive Information

Once the inspection scan finishes, Word flags categories containing hidden data with prominent red exclamation marks:

1. Review the flagged items (e.g. Document Properties and Personal Information found).
2. Click the Remove All button adjacent to the detected category.
3. Word permanently purges the matching metadata records from the underlying document package.
4. Click Reinspect to verify that all targeted categories report clean checkmarks.
5. Click Close, then save the document (or use Save As to maintain an internal un-sanitised working master).

Automating Metadata Removal upon Every Save

For organizations handling sensitive correspondence, Word can be configured to automatically purge personal information whenever a document is saved:

1. In Microsoft Word, click File > Options.
2. Select Trust Center from the left navigation pane and click Trust Center Settings.
3. Click Privacy Options in the left pane.
4. Under Document-specific settings, check the box for:

   Remove personal information from file properties on save

5. Click OK. Every subsequent save operation automatically strips user identities from author fields and revision tags.

Enterprise Policy Enforcement via Group Policy

Systems administrators can enforce metadata sanitisation globally across all workstations using Microsoft Office Administrative Templates (ADMX):

• Navigate in Group Policy to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Word 2016 > Word Options > Security.
• Enable the policy: Remove hidden markup on open and save.
• Enable: Prevent Document Inspector from running specific modules (if custom compliance plugins are utilized).

Configuring Document Inspection and automated metadata sanitisation in Microsoft Word guarantees information security compliance and prevents accidental disclosure of confidential corporate metadata.