Highlighten

Highlighten / Highlight keywords in Word documents

Guide · Word

Highlight keywords in Word documents — all of them at once.

Word's Find and Replace can highlight one word at a time, and it changes your document to do it. Highlighten marks every keyword in its own color on a separate copy, so the original .docx stays exactly as it was.

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Close-up of a lilac highlighter marking a line in a printed Word document, with peach and yellow marks above

Step by step

Three steps.

  1. 1

    Open the .docx files

    Drop one document or a whole folder. The free version reads up to 3 Word (.docx), text or HTML files.

  2. 2

    Type the keywords

    Each word or phrase gets its own color. Counts show how often each one appears.

  3. 3

    Preview, then print

    Check the highlighted preview inside the app, then print or export a highlighted PDF (Pro).

A smiling administrative coordinator highlighting a printed document with a lilac highlighter

No changes to your files

Highlighten never edits the document. Highlights live in the preview and in the new PDF you print or export.

Questions

Does it work with older .doc files?

Yes, with Pro. Pro also reads ODT, RTF, PDF, scans and Excel.

Can I use it for free?

Yes. The free version reads up to 3 Word (.docx), text or HTML documents at a time, with unlimited words and colors.

Does it work on Windows?

Yes. Highlighten for Windows (Windows 10 version 2004 or later, and Windows 11) does the same, and is pending approval in the Microsoft Store.

More guides

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Get Highlighten

macOS 14 or later · Free to download · Pro $19.99 once