# Comments

Course: [Word](https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/word) · Section: Reviewing Documents
Source: https://www.devtutorials.ai/learn/word/reviewing-documents/comments

> Add, edit, reply to, resolve, and delete comments, and move between them.

When people work on a document together, they need a way to ask questions and give feedback without changing the text itself. **Comments** are notes attached to a piece of text, shown in the margin. In this lesson, you'll add, edit, reply to, and delete comments, and move between them.

Open the **Word sandbox** and follow along. The comment tools are on the **Review** tab.

## Add comments

1. Select the text you want to comment on, such as a word, a sentence, or a heading.
2. Go to **Review** > **New Comment**. (In Microsoft Word, you can also press **Ctrl + Alt + M**.)
3. A comment box opens in the margin, linked to your selection. Type your note.
4. Click **Post**, or click back in the document.

The commented text is highlighted, and the comment shows your name and the time.

Always select the exact text your comment is about. "This number looks wrong" is much clearer when it's attached to the number, not to the whole paragraph.

## Edit comments

Comments can be changed after you post them. To change a comment you wrote:

1. Click the comment in the margin.
2. Open its menu (the **⋯** button) and choose **Edit**, or click into the text.
3. Change the text and click **Post** or **Save**.

## Reply to comments

Comments also work as conversations. To answer someone's comment, click **Reply** in their comment and type your answer. Replies stay together in one thread under the original comment, so the whole conversation is in one place.

When the issue is sorted, mark the comment **Resolve** (in its menu). A resolved comment fades out but isn't deleted, so you can still see what was discussed.

## Delete comments

Sooner or later, a comment outlives its purpose and needs to go. To delete one:

1. Click the comment.
2. Open its menu and choose **Delete**, or right-click the commented text and choose **Delete Comment**.

To remove every comment at once (for example, before sending a final version), go to **Review** > **Delete** > **Delete All Comments**.

Comments travel with the file. Before you send a finished document to a customer or a teacher, delete all comments, or they'll see your notes.

## Navigate comments

After adding several comments, finding them becomes important. In a long document, comments can be pages apart. Use the **Previous** and **Next** buttons in the comment area of the **Review** tab to jump from one comment to the next.

In the sandbox, the **Comments** pane on the side lists every comment, so you can also click one there to jump to its text.

If you can't see comments, check that they're turned on: **Review** > **Show Comments**. Hidden comments are still in the document; they're just not displayed.

## Common mistakes

Here are the most common traps, and how to fix them:

| Mistake | What happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Typing the feedback into the text | Your note becomes part of the document | Delete it, then add it as a comment |
| Adding a comment with nothing selected | It's attached to a single point, and readers can't tell what it's about | Select the text first |
| Deleting a comment instead of resolving it | The discussion history is lost | Use **Resolve** when you might need it later |
| Sending a file with comments | The reader sees private notes | **Delete All Comments** before sending |
| Comments seem to have disappeared | They're hidden | Turn on **Show Comments** |

## Exercise

Now it's time to work with comments yourself.

Click **New** in the sandbox title bar, and type these paragraphs:

- `Team Picnic Plan`
- `The picnic is on Saturday at Green Park.`
- `Everyone should bring one dish to share.`

Now do each task and press **Check**.

## What to remember

- Select text, then **Review** > **New Comment** to add a comment.
- Edit, **Reply**, **Resolve**, or **Delete** from the comment's menu.
- **Previous** and **Next** jump between comments.
- **Delete All Comments** removes every comment at once.
- Comments are saved in the file, so remove them before sending a final version.

In the next lesson, you'll track every change made to a document, and accept or reject each one.