How to Password Protect a Word Doc (Windows and Mac)

To password protect a Word doc on Windows, open it in the Word desktop app and go to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password. Type the password, select OK, type it again, select OK, and then save the file. From then on, Word asks for the password before it shows the contents.

Applies to: Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016 on Windows, plus Word for Mac. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 6, 2026.

Before you add a password

A password to open a document encrypts the file, which means the contents are scrambled until the correct password is entered. That is strong protection, and it comes with a few rules worth knowing first.

• Use the desktop app. You need Word installed on a Windows PC or a Mac. Word for the web cannot add a password and cannot open a document that is encrypted with one.
• Passwords are case-sensitive. “Report2026” and “report2026” are different passwords.
• The limit is 15 characters. Microsoft states that a Word document password can be a maximum of 15 characters long.
• A forgotten password cannot be recovered by Word. Microsoft says Word will not be able to recover a lost document password for you. Store it in a password manager or another safe place before you close the file.
• Keep a backup while you test. Save a copy of the document somewhere safe until you have confirmed the password works. Remember that older copies you already emailed or saved elsewhere stay unprotected.

Password protect a Word doc on Windows

This is the method Microsoft documents for Word on Windows. It adds a password that is required to open the file.

1. Open the document in Word. The file should open normally, with the ribbon across the top.
2. Select File in the top-left corner. Word switches to a full-page menu, called Backstage view.
3. Select Info in the left column. You see a set of large buttons, including Protect Document.
4. Select Protect Document. A menu of protection options opens.
5. Choose Encrypt with Password. A small Encrypt Document box appears with a password field.
6. Type your password and select OK. Word asks you to enter it a second time.
7. Type the same password again and select OK. The box closes, and the Info page shows that a password is required to open the document.
8. Save the file (press Ctrl+S). Microsoft notes that you need to save the file to make sure the password takes effect.

Microsoft’s own instructions are in Protect a Word document with a password.

Password protect a Word doc on a Mac

Word for Mac has no File > Info page, so the control is in a different place.

1. Open the document in Word for Mac.
2. Select the Review tab, and then select Protect Document. You can also open the same window from the Tools menu in the menu bar by choosing Protect Document. The Password Protect window opens.
3. In the Security section, type a password in the box for opening the document. If you also want to limit who can change the file, type a password in the box for modifying it.
4. Select OK. Word asks you to type each password again to confirm it.
5. Confirm the password, select OK, and save the document.

The same window has a separate Protection section. That section limits certain kinds of changes, such as tracked changes or form filling, and does not stop anyone from opening the file.

Set the password while saving (Windows)

Word on Windows has a second route through the Save As window. It is useful when you want a password to open, a password to modify, or both, in one step.

1. Select File > Save As, and then select Browse. The standard Save As window opens.
2. Select Tools, next to the Save button, and choose General Options.
3. Type a password in Password to open. Optionally, type a different one in Password to modify.
4. Select OK, re-enter each password when asked, and select OK again.
5. Select Save.

The two passwords do different jobs. A password to open keeps the contents private. A password to modify lets anyone read the file, but only people who know the password can save changes to it.

Which kind of protection do you need?

Word has several features with similar names. Choose the one that matches what you are trying to prevent.

Feature	What it does	Stops people from reading the file?
Encrypt with Password	Requires a password before the document opens	Yes
Password to modify	Lets people read the file, but asks for a password to save changes	No
Restrict Editing	Limits the document to read-only, comments, tracked changes, or form filling	No
Always Open Read-Only	Opens the file in a view-only mode that the reader can choose to leave	No
Mark as Final	Labels the file as finished and discourages editing	No

Microsoft states plainly that Mark as Final is not a security feature, because anyone who receives the file can remove the status and edit it. Use it as a courtesy label only.

Let people read but not edit

If the goal is to stop changes instead of hiding the contents, use Restrict Editing on Windows:

1. Select Review > Protect > Restrict Editing. A pane opens on the right.
2. Under Editing restrictions, check Allow only this type of editing in the document and make sure the list says No changes (Read only).
3. Select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
4. Type a password and confirm it. The password is optional, but without it anyone can turn the restriction off.

To turn it off later, go to Review > Restrict Editing, select Stop Protection, and enter the password if Word asks. Microsoft points out that a read-only document can still be copied into a new file, so this does not keep the text private.

Confirm that the password works

1. Save and close the document, and then close Word.
2. Open the file again from File Explorer or Finder. A Password box should appear before any text is shown.
3. Type the password exactly as you created it and select OK. The document opens normally.

Run this test before you delete any unprotected copy or send the file to someone else.

Remove or change the password

You must know the current password to do this, because you have to open the document first.

1. Open the document and enter the password.
2. Go to File > Info > Protect Document > Encrypt with Password.
3. To remove the password, delete everything in the password field. To change it, type the new password in its place.
4. Select OK, confirm the new password if you entered one, and save the file.

On a Mac, open Review > Protect Document, clear or replace the password in the Security section, select OK, and save.

Share a protected document safely

• Send the password through a different channel from the file. If the document goes by email, give the password by phone call or text message.
• Tell recipients they need the Word desktop app. A link that opens the file in a browser will not work for an encrypted document.
• If you need a version that anyone can view, you can convert the Word document to a PDF, but treat that PDF as a separate, unprotected copy.
• To protect many files at once, encrypting the storage is more practical than adding a password to each document. See how to password protect a folder in Windows 11 for the options Windows offers.

Troubleshooting

Protect Document or Encrypt with Password is missing

Check which Word you are using. The browser version does not have Encrypt with Password. On a Mac, the command is under Review or Tools, not under File. If you are in a browser, open the file in the desktop app first.

The document will not open in a browser

This is expected. Microsoft’s documentation says Word for the web can’t open documents that are encrypted with a password or protected with Information Rights Management. Open the file in the Word desktop app instead. A document that only has a password to modify opens in the browser for reading, but cannot be edited there.

Word did not ask for a password when the file was reopened

The password is applied only when the file is saved. Open the document, repeat the steps, save, close Word completely, and test again. Also make sure you are opening the copy you protected and not an older one with the same name.

Word says the password is incorrect

Check that Caps Lock is off and that your keyboard is set to the language you used when you created the password. Type it by hand instead of pasting it, in case a space was copied along with it.

Word offers to open the file as read-only

The document has a password to modify, not a password to open. Anyone can view it. If the contents need to be private, add a password to open with Encrypt with Password.

The option is unavailable on a work or school computer

Organizations can manage how Office files are protected, and some use their own tools, such as sensitivity labels or rights management, in place of document passwords. Ask your IT department which method is approved before you look for a workaround.

Frequently asked questions

Can I recover a forgotten Word document password?

Not through Word. Microsoft says that if you lose or forget the password, Word won’t be able to recover it. In an organization, an IT administrator may be able to help with Microsoft’s DocRecrypt tool, but only if it was set up before the file was encrypted.

Is password protecting a Word doc the same as encrypting it?

For a password to open, yes. The command is named Encrypt with Password because the file is encrypted with it. A password to modify and Restrict Editing do not hide the contents.

Can I password protect only part of a Word document?

You cannot put a password to open on one section. What you can do is use Restrict Editing to make the document read-only and then mark specific parts as exceptions that people are allowed to change.

Can I add a password in Word on the web or on my phone?

Word for the web cannot add a password to open. Microsoft’s instructions cover the desktop apps for Windows and Mac, so use one of those to add, change, or remove the password.

Does the password stop someone from deleting or copying the file?

No. The password protects the contents. The file itself can still be copied, moved, renamed, or deleted by anyone who has access to the folder it is stored in.

How long can the password be?

Up to 15 characters, according to Microsoft. Within that limit, a longer password that mixes letters, numbers, and symbols is harder to guess than a short one.

Once the reopen test passes, record the password somewhere safe and remove any unprotected copies you no longer need.

Related: How to unlock a document in Word.

Related: How to lock a Word document from editing.