Introduction

Picture this: A partner needs to review an email draft from an associate. In Word, this would be simple. Turn on Track Changes, make edits, and send it back. But in Outlook? There's no Track Changes button. The partner ends up writing a separate email explaining each suggested change, or the associate has to copy-paste everything into Word and back again.

It's a workflow gap that costs legal teams hours every week. In this guide, we'll explore three methods for using tracked changes in Outlook emails, from manual workarounds to automated solutions that bring the familiar Word experience directly into your inbox.

Why Tracked Changes Matter for Legal Teams

In legal practice, precision and clear communication are paramount. Tracked changes provide:

• Clear feedback: Every suggestion is visible
• Review efficiency: Partners can quickly mark up drafts without lengthy explanations
• Collaboration: Associates can easily accept or reject suggestions

The challenge? Outlook doesn't offer this functionality out of the box. Let's explore your options.

Method 1: Manual Tracked Changes Using Formatting

The most basic approach is to manually indicate changes using text formatting. While labor-intensive, this method works without any additional tools.

How to do it:

• Deletions: Use strikethrough formatting to mark text for deletion
• Additions: Use a different color or underline to show new text
• Comments: Add inline comments in [brackets] or a different color

Method 2: Copy-Paste Through Word

A more sophisticated approach is to use Microsoft Word as an intermediary, leveraging its robust tracked changes feature.

How to do it:

• Copy the email content from Outlook into a new Word document
• Enable Track Changes in Word (Review tab → Track Changes)
• Make your edits. All changes will be tracked automatically
• Review changes using Word's familiar interface
• Copy the marked-up content back into your Outlook reply

Method 3: Automated Tracked Changes with Vesence

For law firms that regularly review and collaborate on emails, Vesence brings tracked changes directly into Outlook, eliminating the need for workarounds.

For Partners: Partners can quickly provide feedback and conduct reviews by marking up email drafts directly in Outlook. Every suggestion appears as a tracked change, making reviews faster and more efficient while maintaining full control.

For Associates: Associates can easily review partner feedback with the familiar tracked changes interface, right in their inbox. Accept or reject changes with one click, making collaboration seamless and keeping work moving forward.

Choosing the Right Method

• Manual formatting: Good for occasional simple edits or when no other tools are available
• Word copy-paste: Better for detailed reviews when you need Word's full feature set
• Vesence: Ideal for law firms that regularly collaborate on email drafts and want a streamlined, professional solution

For legal teams conducting frequent email reviews, the efficiency gains from automated tracked changes can be substantial. What once required switching between applications and copying content back and forth becomes a seamless, one-click process.