Rename authors

Overview

Rename authors (a/k/a Author Changer) is a module in the Toolkit utility of the Legal Productivity Suite for Microsoft Word by Craftware Solutions LLC. It modifies the author metadata of comments and tracked changes in a document. It facilitates collaboration between colleagues, practice groups and organizations by enabling you to standardize comments and edits by multiple reviewers.

This module is available as a complimentary, standalone application in Microsoft Marketplace under the title of Author Changer for Comments and Tracked Changes or directly within Microsoft Word (Home tab > Add-ins > More Add-ins/Store).

Use case

This module serves two primary functions.

Conform authors

This module is useful when you have multiple individuals or departments reviewing a document, and you would like to conform the author of tracked changes and/or comments prior to transmitting the file to another party (e.g., opposing counsel or a client).

Remove or change timestamps

This module can also remove and change timestamps to a date and time you specify if you don't want the receiving party to know when the document was reviewed. Microsoft Word's Document Inspector can accomplish the removal of timestamps, but the author of comments and tracked changes is changed to "Author." This module allows you to maintain the author (or change it as desired).

Microsoft Word's Document Inspector (File tab > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Privacy Options > Document Inspector)

Support

If you require support, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This renaming module provides two ways to change the authors of comments and tracked changes in a Microsoft Word document. You have the option to change authors as a whole or individually. To verify an author was changed after the workflow, use your mouse to hover over the comment or tracked change in the document. Please note, all authors of comments and/or tracked changes in the document can be viewed using Microsoft Word's Specific People feature (Review tab > Show Markup (Tracking grouping) > Specific People).

All authors

Renames all authors in the document. After entering the new author's name and initials, select the desired workflow options.

Renaming all authors

Specific authors

Lists all authors of comments and tracked changes in the document. Hovering over each segment of the donut chart shown below will show the number of comments and tracked changes by author. Only the author(s) specified with a check will be renamed during the workflow.

Only checked authors will be renamed

Enables you to specify whether comments and/or tracked changes are renamed.

Comments

Renames the author for preexisting comments in the document.

Tracked changes

Renames the author for the enabled track change elements.

Insertions

Affects tracked changes where new content was inserted.

Deletions

Affects tracked changes where content was deleted.

Formatting

Affects formatting changes made while track changes was enabled.

Workflow options

Additional options while renaming comments or tracked changes.

Execution scope

Controls if processing is performed on the entire document or the currently selected content.

Timestamps

Specifies how the timestamp of the comment or tracked change is affected while the author is renamed. You can specify whether the timestamp is left unmodified, removed or changed as desired using the date and time picker that appears when this option is set to Change timestamps.

Latest workflow options

How can I permanently change the author of future tracked changes and comments?

This module changes the author of preexisting comments and/or tracked changes. To change the author of newly inserted comments and/or changes, ensure the desired author is entered in Microsoft Word's General Options (File tab > Options > General).

Microsoft Word's General Options (File tab > Options > General)

How can I verify the author was changed?

To verify an author was changed after processing, use your mouse to hover over the comment or tracked change in the document. Please note, all authors of comments and/or tracked changes in the document can be viewed using Microsoft Word's "Specific People" feature (Review tab > Show Markup (Tracking grouping) > Specific People).

How do I delete comments by a specific author?

Our delete or resolve comments module allows you to quickly accomplish this task.

Why did I receive an error?

We're aware of errors being generated or the application hanging during processing. First and foremost, we apologize for the inconvenience this causes you, your team and/or organization. Errors are equally frustrating for us since we want a smooth, uninterrupted experience for users of our products.

Since we cannot access or view the content in your document, it's difficult to determine the exact cause of the issue. We'll continue to investigate and work towards a solution, but we've implemented the workaround described below in the interim.

Using the Selection option of the Execution scope, you can perform the renaming operation in smaller sections of the document. This approach reduces the likelihood of encountering the error or application hanging since fewer elements are being processed at one time. We recommend starting at the beginning of the document and working your way to the end. Regrettably, unlike the Document option of the Execution scope, the Selection option will not work for headers, footers, footnotes and endnotes. Please save your document after processing each section to ensure your changes are not lost if the error or hanging occurs again.

2/8/2026 update: We have rewritten an integral part of this workflow to address the errors and hanging that were occurring for some users. We're so confident in our revamped implementation that we've made the utility available as a complimentary, standalone application on Microsoft Marketplace. We greatly appreciate your patience as we worked through this issue and encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions, concerns or feedback.