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To combine separate files into one Word document, use the desktop app’s Insert > Object > Text from File command and repeat for each file. If you mean merging reviewers’ edits to the same document, use Review > Compare > Combine instead. These workflows produce different results.
Choose the right kind of merge
Word’s merge-related commands address three distinct jobs. Choose the one that matches what you need before following the steps:
- Assemble separate content: Insert the contents of independent documents into one destination file.
- Consolidate reviewer edits: Combine marked-up copies made from the same original into a document where revisions can be reviewed.
- Inspect two versions: Compare an original and a revised copy to see their differences without combining multiple reviewers’ changes.
Microsoft documents the insertion workflow in its instructions for inserting a document in Word.
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Use this method when the files contain separate material you want in one document. It inserts document contents into the destination; it does not reconcile competing edits to the same passages.
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- Open or create the destination document in desktop Word. Click where the first file’s contents should go.
- Select Insert, open the arrow next to Object, then choose Text from File.
- Locate and select the file to insert.
- For every additional file, place the cursor at the desired insertion point and repeat the command.
- Review the assembled document’s formatting and structure. If inserted pages need their own headers and footers, insert that content in a new section so those headers and footers apply only to those pages.
After insertion, check page breaks, styles, numbering, tables, and headers or footers in context. The resulting document may need formatting adjustments to make its sections consistent.
Combine edits from multiple reviewers
If reviewers edited copies of the same original, use Word’s revision-combination command rather than inserting their files as content. Microsoft describes this as a reviewable result with revision marks and source documents shown in panes; the original source file is preserved. See Microsoft Support’s Combine revisions instructions.
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- Open the unmodified original and select Review > Compare > Combine.
- Choose the original document and one reviewed copy. Add a label to identify changes that are not already marked with reviewer information.
- In the additional options, select the setting to show changes in a new document, then confirm.
- Review the combined document and resolve revisions as appropriate, then save it.
- To add another reviewer’s copy, run Review > Compare > Combine again, using the saved combined document as the original and the next reviewed copy as the revised document.
Process further copies one at a time. The output is a document with revisions to inspect and resolve, not simply a sequence of appended files.
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Compare two versions without consolidating reviewers
When you want a difference report between two copies, choose Review > Compare > Compare Documents. Select the original and revised documents. Word creates a separate comparison document based on the original, displaying the revised copy’s differences as revision marks; the original remains unchanged. Follow Microsoft’s instructions for comparing document differences.
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What changes in Word for the web?
Microsoft lists revision comparison and merging as desktop Word features, not features available in Word for the web. If Compare or Combine is missing in the browser, open the document in the desktop app. See Microsoft’s overview of Word for the web and desktop differences.
Copying and pasting in Word for the web is affected by browser limitations, so formatting may not transfer as expected. If you use copy and paste as a fallback for assembling content, inspect the result rather than assuming it matches the source formatting. Microsoft explains the differences in its Word for the web copy-and-paste guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Inserting content is not embedding or linking a file
Text from File inserts the document’s contents into the destination. By contrast, Insert > Object can embed or link an existing file. An embedded object becomes part of the destination file and is no longer connected to its source; a linked object remains connected to the source. Linking may suit a file expected to change, but it does not merge editable text into the document. Microsoft explains the distinction in its guidance on inserting an object.
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