Before you share
Remove Revision History (RSID & Tracked Changes) From Word
Before sharing a Word document, remove its revision history — the tracked changes, comments, and the lesser-known RSIDs (revision save IDs). RSIDs are random identifiers Word writes for every editing session; because the same IDs appear across files you've worked on, they can link two seemingly unrelated documents to the same author or machine. Combined with surviving tracked changes and commenter names, they expose how a document evolved and who touched it. MetaDocu physically strips RSID nodes from the document XML, removes the comment and revision parts, and clears the author/company fields — in your browser, nothing uploaded — then verifies the result. Drop your .docx in below to scan and clean it.
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What RSIDs are and why they matter
An RSID (revision save ID) is a random value Word stamps onto runs of text and into settings.xml on each save session. They're invisible in the document but persist in the XML. Because a given machine/install reuses RSID values across documents, a recipient with two of your files can correlate them — establishing that the same person or computer produced both, even when you intended them to look independent. Removing the RSID nodes breaks that cross-file fingerprint.
Revision data hidden in a Word file
The revision-related fields MetaDocu removes from a .docx, alongside the usual metadata.
| Hidden field | What it exposes | Risk | How MetaDocu removes it |
|---|---|---|---|
Author / Creator dc:creator · PDF /Author | The real name (or Office sign-in name) of whoever first created the file — often your full legal name. | High | Cleared from the OOXML core properties / PDF Info dictionary in browser memory; the field is emptied, not just hidden. |
Last Modified By cp:lastModifiedBy | The name of the last person to save the file — exposes internal reviewers and collaboration chains. | High | Stripped from the core properties XML so no editor identity remains. |
Company Company (app.xml) | The organization name baked in from your Office licence — reveals your employer even on a personal document. | Medium | Removed from the extended (app) properties part. |
Manager Manager (app.xml) | The manager name some templates embed — leaks your reporting line. | Medium | Cleared from the extended properties. |
Template path Template (app.xml) | An absolute file path to the template (e.g. C:\Users\<you>\…) — leaks your account name and local folder layout. | High | Path is wiped so no local filesystem clue ships with the file. |
Application & version Application/AppVersion · PDF /Producer · /Creator | The exact software and version used — a fingerprint for targeting known vulnerabilities or deanonymizing authors. | Low | Normalized/removed from app properties and the PDF Producer/Creator fields. |
Revision number cp:revision | How many times the file was saved — hints at how heavily a 'final' document was reworked. | Low | Reset in the core properties. |
Total editing time TotalTime (app.xml) | Cumulative minutes spent editing — can contradict claims about when/how long work was done. | Low | Zeroed out in the extended properties. |
Created / Modified dates dcterms:created/modified · PDF /CreationDate /ModDate | Precise creation and last-edit timestamps — builds a timeline of your activity. | Medium | Removed or reset so no editing timeline leaks. |
Title / Subject / Keywords dc:title, dc:subject, cp:keywords · PDF /Title /Subject /Keywords | Internal codenames, client names, or tags left in the properties even when not shown in the document text. | Medium | Cleared from both OOXML properties and the PDF Info dictionary. |
Revision save IDs (RSID) w:rsid in settings.xml + run-level rsids | Random per-editing-session IDs that let two documents be linked to the same author/machine across files. | Medium | RSID nodes are physically stripped from the document XML, breaking cross-file correlation. |
Tracked changes & comments w:ins/w:del, comments.xml, people.xml | Deleted text, internal review notes and commenter names that survive inside the file after 'accepting all'. | High | Comment and revision parts are removed so no hidden review history ships. |
Custom properties custom.xml | Bespoke fields added by DMS/templates (matter numbers, classifications, internal IDs). | Medium | The custom properties part is cleared. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove revision history and RSIDs from a Word document?
Open the .docx in MetaDocu, scan it, and remove the revision data in one click before downloading — in your browser, nothing uploaded. MetaDocu physically strips the RSID nodes from settings.xml and the run-level markup, removes the comment and tracked-change parts, and clears author, company and last-modified-by. That eliminates both the visible revision history and the hidden RSID fingerprint that can correlate your documents. A verification report confirms what was removed, so you can share the file knowing its editing history doesn't travel with it.
What are RSIDs and can they really identify me?
RSIDs are random per-session identifiers Word adds while you edit. On their own they don't contain your name, but because the same machine reuses RSID values across documents, they act as a correlation fingerprint: someone holding two of your files can show they came from the same source. In analyses of leaked or published documents, RSIDs and other metadata have been used to link or de-anonymize authors. Removing them — which MetaDocu does at the XML level — closes that linkage.
Will removing RSIDs and comments change my document's text?
No. RSIDs are invisible markup, so removing them has no effect on your visible text, formatting or layout. Removing comments and resolved tracked changes deletes the review annotations and any leftover deleted-text remnants — which is the point — but your accepted, final content stays exactly as it reads. The output is the same document you see on screen, minus the hidden revision history and correlation fingerprint. MetaDocu does this locally and shows you a report of what changed.
Share the document, not its history
Strip RSIDs, comments and revision history in your browser — nothing uploaded.