3 Ways to Reduce the Size of a Microsoft Word Document

If you’ve ever tried to email or upload a Word file only to be blocked by its size, you’re not alone. Microsoft Word documents can get bloated fast—especially if they include images, tracked changes, or embedded objects. The good news? Shrinking them down doesn’t take much effort. Here are three straightforward ways to reduce the size of a Word document.

1. Compress Images in the Document

Images are usually the biggest space hogs in Word files. If you’ve copied and pasted large photos directly into your document, they’re likely in full resolution—way more than necessary.

How to fix it:

• Click on any image in your document.
• Go to the Picture Format tab.
• Click Compress Pictures.
• Choose your resolution (Email or Web is usually enough).
• Uncheck “Apply only to this picture” if you want to compress all images.
• Click OK.

This alone can reduce your file size dramatically.

2. Turn Off or Accept Tracked Changes

If your document is loaded with edits or comments, Word keeps all that information in the background. Even if the changes are hidden from view, they still add weight to the file.

What to do:

• Go to the Review tab.
• Click Accept All Changes to finalize edits.
• Delete any lingering comments.

Once all changes are accepted, save the file again. You’ll usually see a noticeable size drop.

3. Save the File in a More Efficient Format

Word offers two main formats: .doc (older) and .docx (newer). If you’re still using .doc files, you’re wasting space. The .docx format is compressed by default.

To switch formats:

• Click File > Save As.
• Choose Word Document (*.docx) from the dropdown.
• Save it under a new name.

This format switch alone can cut the file size by 20–70%, depending on the content.

Final Tip: Use “Save As” Instead of “Save”

Over time, repeatedly hitting “Save” can bloat a file with background data. Doing a “Save As” every once in a while creates a fresh copy without the junk.

Wrapping Up

You don’t need fancy software or technical know-how to shrink your Word files. Just compress your images, finalize your edits, and make sure you’re saving in the right format. It’s quick, painless, and can make sharing your work much smoother.