Ampler’s Clean document strips a Word file of hidden document and picture metadata before you send it out — the author, company, and edit history that a document quietly carries.
Quick answer: Click Clean document on the Ampler ribbon, select which areas to clean (document metadata, picture metadata, and more), and press Enter.
How to use it
Click Clean document, choose what to remove, and press Enter.
- Click Clean document on the Ampler ribbon.
- Select which areas to clean and press Enter.
Clean removes document metadata (author, company, edit history, and more) and picture metadata embedded in the images.
Keyboard shortcut
Clean document has no default shortcut. To assign one, open the Settings dropdown on the Ampler ribbon, choose Shortcuts, click Set shortcut on the function, and press your key combination.
Why use it
A Word document stores more than its visible text. Document properties record the author, the company, and the editing history; images can carry their own embedded metadata. Sent without clearing them, a file can reveal who worked on it and for how long. Clean document removes both the document and the picture metadata in a single pass.
How consultants use it
A document that leaves the firm carries risk beyond its visible content, so sanitising it before it reaches a client is standard practice — the same discipline applied to slide decks. Three conventions govern it:
- Strip identifying metadata: author, company, and edit history are removed so the file doesn’t reveal who worked on it or for how long.
- Clear picture metadata: images can carry embedded data of their own, which is cleaned alongside the document properties.
- Sanitise before it leaves the firm: cleaning is the last step before an external send, on a par with proofreading.
Clean document does all of this in one step.
Tips & best practices
- Clean as the final step before sending a document outside the immediate team.
- Work on a copy if you still need the original metadata or comments internally.
- Apply the same discipline to slide decks with the PowerPoint Clean tool.
Availability
Included in Ampler for Word and the Ampler Suite, on Windows desktop Word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you remove metadata from a Word document?
Click Clean document on the Ampler ribbon, select the areas to clean — document and picture metadata, and more — and press Enter.
How do you remove author and company information from a Word file?
Ampler’s Clean document strips document metadata, including the author, company, and edit history, in a single pass.
Does cleaning a document remove picture metadata too?
Yes. Clean document removes the embedded picture metadata alongside the document properties.
Why should you clean a Word document before sharing it?
Because the file stores hidden information — author, company, edit history, and picture metadata — that you may not intend to share. Clean document removes it before the document leaves the team.