Check how much time have you spend on a Word document

Do you know how much time you are spending on writing your Word document? The good news is that in MS Word you can easily find out the working time spend on a document. Word automatically keeps track of the time spend and stores this information in each respective document.

How Word keeps track of the time?
When you open a document, a timer starts. The timer continues to count the time till your document is open. It doesn't matter whether you are writing, scrolling or just thinking; timer keeps on counting the time. When you save the document, the time spend so far will be added in the ‘Total Editing Time'. When you again save the document, the additional time is also added to the 'Total editing time'. If you close the document without saving it then additional time won't be added.

Advantage
The best part is that if you switch to some other program (checking mails, website) without closing the document on which you were working then timer won't count this time. It will start counting the time again when you bring back to the document.

Disadvantage
The problem with Word timer is that it will keep on counting the time even when you are not typing anything and just thinking about what to write. As long as your document window is in front, timer will continue. Suppose you have left for 2 hours without closing your document then come back, make changes in the document and saved it. Now this 2 hours will also be added in 'total editing time'.

How to check the time spend on a document?
The time tracking feature is present in MS Word 2010, 2007 & 2003. Here we are considering Word 2007.

1.  Open your document.
2.  Go to Office button-> Prepare-> Properties.

3.  Now click Document Properties-> Advanced Properties.

4.  Click the statistics tab under properties window.

5.  Here you will see Total Editing Time.
6.  It shows the time that you have spent on your document.

For existing Word document:
Make sure the document is not close. Go to the location where you have saved your document and right click it. Go to Properties-> Details tab-> Total Editing Time.