How to Remove Draft from Word Document (Watermark and More)

To remove the DRAFT watermark from a Word document on Windows, select Design > Watermark > Remove Watermark, then save. On a Mac, select Design > Watermark, choose No watermark, and select OK. If the word DRAFT is still there, it sits in the header as a separate object that you can select and delete. And if “draft” for you means the stripped-down Draft view or a Marked as Final bar, those have their own fixes further down.

Remove the DRAFT watermark in Word for Windows

1. Open the document in the desktop Word app.
2. Select the Design tab.
3. At the right end of the ribbon, select Watermark.
4. At the bottom of the gallery, choose Remove Watermark. The faded DRAFT text disappears from the page.
5. Scroll through the whole document to confirm the mark is gone on every page.
6. Select File > Save, or press Ctrl+S.

This works for the built-in DRAFT, CONFIDENTIAL, and custom text or picture watermarks added through the Watermark gallery. On older versions such as Word 2010, the Watermark button is on the Page Layout tab instead of Design.

Remove the DRAFT watermark in Word for Mac

1. Open the document in Word for Mac.
2. Select Design > Watermark.
3. In the Insert Watermark dialog box, select No watermark.
4. Select OK, check the pages, and save the document.

Remove the DRAFT watermark in Word for the web

Word for the web displays watermarks, but its watermark tools are more limited than the desktop app’s. If your version shows Design > Watermark, choose Remove Watermark. If it doesn’t, open the mode menu near the top-right of the page and choose Open in Desktop App, remove the watermark there, and save. The online copy then shows the change.

If DRAFT is still showing after Remove Watermark

Word stores watermarks in the header area, so a mark that survives the gallery command can usually be deleted by hand.

1. Double-click near the top of a page where DRAFT still appears. The header opens and the body text fades.
2. Point at the word DRAFT until the pointer turns into a four-headed arrow.
3. Click once to select it. A frame with sizing handles appears around the word.
4. Press Delete.
5. Repeat in any other section that still shows the mark.
6. Select Close Header and Footer, or double-click the body text.

Delete only the watermark, not the whole header, or you may lose page numbers, a logo, or a running title. Microsoft’s remove a watermark page describes the same header method.

Why DRAFT remains on some pages only

• The document has several sections. Each section can have its own header, and a watermark in an unlinked header is not always removed with the rest. Open the header on an affected page and delete the mark there.
• The first page is set up differently. If Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages is turned on, check the first, odd, and even headers separately.
• DRAFT was typed as regular content. Some templates use a text box, WordArt, or picture placed on the page rather than a real watermark. Click the word in the body of the page, and if a frame appears, press Delete.
• You can’t click the mark. Switch to View > Print Layout, open the header, and try clicking near the edge of the letters.

Our guide to removing any watermark in Word covers other watermark types, such as CONFIDENTIAL and picture marks.

If you mean Draft view

Draft is also the name of a Word view that hides headers, footers, page edges, and most pictures so you can focus on text. If your document looks like one long plain page, you’re probably in Draft view. To leave it:

1. Select the View tab.
2. In the Views group, select Print Layout.

Print Layout shows the pages as they will print. Word remembers the view, so the file may open in Draft view again on another computer until someone switches it.

If the document says Marked as Final

A yellow bar reading MARKED AS FINAL means the author flagged the file as finished. Typing and editing commands are turned off, and a Mark as Final icon appears in the status bar. To edit it:

1. Select Edit Anyway on the yellow bar.
2. Or select File > Info > Protect Document > Mark as Final to switch the status off.

Microsoft notes that Mark as Final is not a security feature. It only discourages edits. If you need to stop other people from changing a file, use a password or read-only setting instead, as shown in our guide to making a Word document read-only.

Check the document before you share it

• Scroll through the first, a middle, and the last page in Print Layout.
• Open File > Print and check the preview, which shows what will appear on paper.
• If you already made a PDF, remove the watermark in the Word file and export the PDF again. The old PDF keeps the DRAFT mark.
• Save the finished file under a clear name so no one reopens an older draft copy by mistake.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Remove Watermark grayed out?

The document may be protected or open as read-only, restricted to certain kinds of edits, or open in a view that doesn’t allow page design changes. Check Review > Restrict Editing, make sure you have edit rights, and save an editable copy if needed.

Can I replace DRAFT with a different watermark?

Yes. Open Design > Watermark again and pick a different option or create a custom one. Our guides cover putting a watermark in Word and editing an existing watermark.

Can I remove DRAFT from several documents at once?

Word has no built-in command for that. Open each document, remove the watermark, and save it. If you create many files from the same template, remove the watermark from the template so new documents start clean.

Does removing the watermark change anything else?

No. It removes only the mark. Your text, headers, and formatting stay the same, unless you delete other header content by mistake when removing it by hand.

How do I add a DRAFT watermark back later?

Choose Design > Watermark and pick one of the DRAFT options. See how to add a draft watermark in Word for the full steps.