Click the File tab to go to the Backstage area. However, it’s not difficult to open the DIP, either. Unfortunately, once the DIP has been closed, it’s not so obvious how to show the it again. Open the Document Information Panel Through the Backstage Once it’s closed, however, the user may not know how to open the Document Information Panel again. It’s very easy for a user to accidentally (or sometimes on purpose) hide the DIP: This is done by simply clicking on the “ X”, as shown below. When opening a document uploaded to a SharePoint Library, the DIP often opens automatically. For Office documents that are not stored in SharePoint, the panel can be used to view and edit the Document Properties fields that are built in to Office documents. One of the most convenient ways to enter, edit, or view the SharePoint metadata for a Microsoft Word document (or other Microsoft Office document) is to use the Document Information Panel (DIP).