Getting started with CtrlChanges
CtrlChanges is a plugin for Adobe InDesign and Adobe InCopy that lets you see exactly what has changed in a document — who changed it, when, and what the text looked like before.
The Ctrl menu
Once installed, CtrlChanges adds a Ctrl menu next to Help, with these options:
- Check for updates… — checks whether a newer build of CtrlChanges is available.
- Register… — opens the CLM to license or trial the plugin.
- Help… — brings you to these support pages.
- Track Changes in Document — turns tracking on or off for the current file. This must be enabled for changes to be recorded.
- Show Tracked Changes — toggles whether markers are visible, without stopping tracking.
- Include Tracked Changes in Print — prints the document with change markers visible (Standard and Pro only).
- Include Tracked Changes in PDF — carries change markers into exported PDFs, shown as sticky notes on deleted text (Standard and Pro only).
- Accept All Changes in Document… — finalises all tracked changes and removes the markers. This can’t be undone.
Setting up a user profile
Before tracking changes, assign yourself a name and colour under File → User. If no profile is set, changes are marked in red by default. (Light and Standard don’t support multiple colours.)
The CtrlChanges Pro palette
Pro users get a dedicated palette (Window → CtrlChangesPro) listing every change with its page number, reading order, date, and the user who made it. From the palette you can jump to a change, and accept or reject it individually — or accept/reject an entire story or the whole document at once.
Reading the markers
A small triangle marks where text was deleted; an underline marks where text was added. Turn on Show User Colour in the palette menu to see each collaborator’s edits in their own colour instead of the default red.
Accepting and rejecting changes
Rejecting a deletion brings the removed text back; rejecting an addition removes the new text. Accepting a change finalises it and removes the marker. You can also mouse over any deleted-text marker to see who removed it and when.
Want more control from a script? See the CtrlChanges product page for the Scripting API reference.
Need a hand? Contact our support team.