Word Online autosaving progress but then missing parts of document when I try to print or export?

Question

I have been having issues whereby my progress is showing when I'm editing the document, but then parts of it disappear when I either print or download the document. I also find that my most recent progress does not show on version history.

I'm not sure whether it is a bug with tables, but it seems to happen when I use them. For example, my table will have borders, but they disappear when I go to print, or I will lose some of the information I have entered into it.

I have tried downloading the document, deleting the original from OneDrive and reuploading it, but I experience the exact same issue.

Autosave is on and is saving my progress but for some reason it is not showing when I try to do anything with it.

Unfortunately, my organisation does not have the full Word program and relies on the web app.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Based on your description, this does not appear to be a typical AutoSave issue. Instead, it sounds more like Word for the web may be encountering a problem when rendering or converting the document for printing or PDF export. This is especially noteworthy because the content is visible while you're editing the document, yet certain sections disappear when you print, download, or export it.

To help narrow down the cause, I'd suggest the following checks:

1/ Review the document's version history:

If the file is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, please check its Version History. Previous versions of Microsoft 365 documents can usually be viewed and restored from there.

If your recent changes are not appearing in Version History, it could indicate that the edits are visible in the current browser session but have not been fully written back to the cloud-based copy of the document.

2/ Reopen the document before exporting:

As a next step, try closing the document completely and reopening it directly from OneDrive or SharePoint.

After reopening:

• Verify that the table content and borders are still visible.
• If the content is missing after reopening, the issue is more likely related to saving or synchronization.
• On the other hand, if everything looks correct while editing but disappears only when printing or exporting, the issue is more likely related to the rendering or export process.

3/ Use the Export feature instead of browser printing:

Rather than using the browser's Print option, try:

File > Export > Download as PDF

This method often produces more reliable results because it uses Word's export process rather than the browser's print engine.

4/ Test in a different browser or an InPrivate/Incognito session:

It may also be worth testing the document in another browser, such as:

• Microsoft Edge
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

Additionally, opening the file in an InPrivate or Incognito window can help determine whether browser cache, extensions, or local browser settings are contributing to the issue.

5/ Test with a simplified version of the table:

Since the problem appears to affect tables, try copying one of the affected tables into a new Word for the web document and then export that file as a PDF.

If the issue follows the table, it may be related to specific formatting elements such as:

• Merged or split cells
• Nested tables
• Page breaks
• Custom border settings

In that case, a practical workaround would be to recreate the table using simpler formatting, avoid merged cells where possible, or paste the content as plain text and rebuild the table structure.

6/ Open the file in the desktop Word application, if available:

I understand that your organization primarily uses Word for the web. However, if a licensed user or administrator has access to the desktop Word application, opening the document there could help determine whether the issue is related to the document itself or is specific to Word for the web.

7/ Create a new document and copy the content across:

Another useful troubleshooting step is to create a completely new Word document and copy the content into it.

When doing so, copy everything except the final paragraph mark, then paste the content into the new file and test the export again.

This approach can sometimes resolve issues caused by document-level corruption that may not be immediately visible.

If none of the above steps resolves the problem, I would recommend contacting your organization's Microsoft 365 administrator and asking them to open a support request through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by following this guide: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn.

To help Microsoft's support team investigate, it would be useful to provide:

• The affected document (or a sanitized sample)
• Browser name and version
• Whether the file is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint
• Whether the behavior occurs in other browsers
• Screenshots comparing the editing view with the print/export output
• Confirmation of whether the missing edits appear in Version History

In the meantime, the most reliable workaround would be to copy the affected content into a new document and then use File > Export > Download as PDF, rather than printing directly from the browser.

I hope this points you in the right direction. Please feel free to share any updates or additional findings.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

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