How to Password Protect a Word Document

Storing sensitive information in a Word document? Here’s how you can protect it with a password.

By Aman Rashid | Updated: 28 September 2020 20:53 IST

Share on Facebook Tweet 

Snapchat Share Reddit Email Comment

Besides Word, you can also encrypt documents on PowerPoint and Excel

HIGHLIGHTS

• Documents containing sensitive data should always be encrypted
• You can password protect your Word documents to keep prying eyes away
• You can also password protect PowerPoint and Excel files

JUMP TO

• Microsoft Word: Password protect a document on Windows
• Microsoft Word: Encrypt a document on a Mac

If your workflow involves storing sensitive information on Microsoft Word or other Office apps, you might want to consider password protecting your documents. For instance, you might have to store a Word document containing sensitive information in a public folder for others to easily access. In this case, you probably should encrypt the file and share the password only with those who need to access the document. Follow this guide as we tell you how to password protect a Word document.

Microsoft Word: Password protect a document on Windows

It is always recommended to put a secure password on your documents that contain sensitive information. Now, follow these steps to password protect your Word document on Windows.

1. Launch Microsoft Word on your Windows machine and open a document.
2. Go to File > click Protect Document > click Encrypt with Password.
3. Now enter your desired password and click OK. You'll again have to re-enter your password to confirm, do that and hit OK.
4. With this done, you have password protected your Word document. Now, when you close and reopen your document, it won't open without entering the password.