Restrict Editing puts a lock on a document: the body text becomes read-only, while you decide what reviewers may still do — comment, propose tracked changes, or nothing at all. It is on the Review tab and uses the standard .docx protection model, so restrictions hold in Microsoft Word as well.
Apply protection
- Open the Review tab and click Restrict Editing.
- Choose the allowed mode:
- No changes — fully read-only; the document can be read and copied but not edited.
- Tracked changes only — reviewers can edit, but every edit is recorded and reversible.
- Comments only — the text is frozen; reviewers discuss in the margin.
- Set a password. Without it, no one can lift the restriction.
- Apply the protection and save the file.
From that moment, opening the document shows the restrictions in the Review tab, and edits outside the allowed mode are blocked.
Why restrict instead of just asking
Trust is fine; enforcement is better. Real situations where protection earns its keep:
- Contracts and policies — wording is final; readers may comment but not touch clauses.
- Templates — the structure is the product; users fill in marked areas without breaking the frame.
- Consultant deliverables — you want feedback as comments, not silent rewrites of your recommendations.
- Board papers and formal submissions — the circulated version must match the approved text.
The tracked-changes-only mode is the collaborative sweet spot: reviewers edit freely, but nothing is silently accepted — every change awaits your decision in Track Changes review.
The review workflow around protection
A protected review round typically runs:
- Author finalizes a draft and applies tracked-changes-only protection with a password.
- The file goes to reviewers, who edit (recorded) and comment freely within the rules.
- The file returns; the author — with the password — lifts protection, then accepts or rejects each proposed change.
- A final pass through Compare against the pre-review draft confirms nothing unexpected slipped in.
- The clean file is exported to PDF for distribution.
Removing protection
When the round is over:
- Open Review, Restrict Editing.
- Enter the password you set.
- Click to stop protection. Editing returns to normal.
Keep the password with the document record — protection without the password is not something the author can bypass either, by design. For distribution copies that must never be edited, the stronger guarantee is a PDF export, which ships a rendered copy rather than the editable source.
How protection travels
Protection is written into the .docx itself, not a RixDocs-only flag. A file locked in RixDocs opens locked in Word, and a file Word-protected by someone else is respected here — one more consequence of the byte-preserving engine working on the real document model instead of a lookalike.
What to explore next
- Track Changes — the review mechanism most often paired with protection.
- Comments and collaboration for feedback under restrictions.
- Export, PDF and printing for the un-editable distribution format.