How to Use Comments in Google Docs (Insert, Reply, Resolve & Delete)

This tutorial shows how to use comments in Google Docs. Comments are important because they are the main tool for interacting within a shared document.

Specifically, we will look at four key tasks:

How to Insert Comments
How to Reply to Comments
How to Resolve Comments
How to Delete Comments

This tutorial is also available as a YouTube video showing all the steps in real time.

Watch more than fifty other videos about Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat on my YouTube channel.

Google can decide to change the appearance of Google Docs at any time, so your interface may look slightly different than the images shown here.

How to Insert Comments in Google Docs

There are six ways to insert a comment in Google Docs: (1) from within the text, (2) from the right margin, (3) from the toolbar, (4) from the Insert tab, (5) from the Comment History, and (6) with a keyboard shortcut.

Important Note: If you use one of the methods that don’t require you to select text or an image, the comment will be attached to the word closest to your cursor.

Comment from within the Text

Select and then right-click text or an image, and then select Comment from the shortcut menu.

Google Docs selected text shortcut menu — Figure 1. Comment option in the shortcut menu

Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button.

Google Docs comment bubble — Figure 2. Comment bubble

Comment from the Right Margin Button

Select text or an image.
Select the Comment button in the right margin. (This button won’t appear until text or an image is selected.)

Google Docs right-margin comment button — Figure 3. Comment button in the right margin

Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button (see figure 2).

Comment from the Toolbar

Select the Comment button in the toolbar.

Comment button in the Google Docs toolbar — Figure 4. Comment button in the toolbar

Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button (see figure 2).

Comment from the Insert Tab

Select the Insert tab in the toolbar.

Google Docs Insert tab — Figure 5. Insert tab

Select Comment from the drop-down menu.

Google Docs Insert menu Comment option — Figure 6. Comment option in the Insert menu

Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button (see figure 2).

Comment from the Comment History

Select text or an image.
Select the Comment History button in the toolbar.

Google Docs Comment History button — Figure 7. Comment History button

Select the Comment button above the Comment History.

Comment button in the Comment History in Google Docs — Figure 8. Comment button in the Comment History

Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button (see figure 2).

Comment with the Keyboard Shortcut

Press Ctrl + Alt + M on your keyboard.
Enter your comment into the text box, and then select the Comment button (see figure 2).

How to Reply to Comments in Google Docs

You can reply to comments from the comment bubble or the Comment History.

Reply from the Comment Bubble

Select the comment bubble in the right margin. (The selected bubble will move slightly to the left.)
Enter your reply into the text box, and then select the Reply button.

Comment reply text box in Google Docs — Figure 9. Comment reply text box

Reply from the Comment History

Select the Comment History button in the toolbar (see figure 7).
Select Reply in the comment.

Comment Reply option in the Comment History in Google Docs — Figure 10. Comment Reply option in the Comment History

Enter your reply in the text box, and then select the Reply button.

Figure 11. Reply text box in the Comment History

How to Resolve Comments in Google Docs

When you resolve a comment, you are telling the other reviewers (or reminding yourself) that the issue is closed. You can resolve comments from the comment bubble or the Comment History.

Important Note: Resolved comments will still appear in the Comment History. They won’t be removed from the document until they are deleted, as shown below.

Resolve from the Comment Bubble

Select the check mark in the comment bubble.

Comment resolved check mark in Google Docs — Figure 12. Resolved check mark

The comment will no longer appear in the right margin.

Resolve from the Comment History

Select the Comment History button in the toolbar (see figure 7).
Select Resolve in the comment.

Figure 13. Resolve option in the Comment History

The resolved comment will remain visible but will have a darkened background.

Pro Tip: Select Re-open to return the comment to the unresolved status.

Re-open option in the Comment History in Google Docs — Figure 14. Re-open option in the Comment History

How to Delete Comments in Google Docs

You can delete comments from the comment bubble or the Comment History.

Delete from the Comment Bubble

Select the More options (three-dot) menu in the comment bubble.

More Options (three-dot) menu in the comment bubble in Google Docs — Figure 15. More Options menu

Select Delete from the drop-down menu.

Comment bubble Delete option in Google Docs — Figure 16. Delete option in the More Options menu

Select the Delete button in the “Delete this comment thread?” dialog box.

"Delete this comment thread?" dialog box in Google Docs — Figure 17. “Delete this comment thread?” dialog box

Delete from the Comment History

Select the Comment History button (see figure 7).
Select the menu arrow to the right of the timestamp.

Menu arrow in a comment in the Comment History in Google Docs — Figure 18. Menu arrow

Select Delete from the drop-down menu.

Delete option in the Comment History in Google Docs — Figure 19. Delete option in the Comment History

Select the Delete button in the “Delete this comment thread?” dialog box (see figure 17).

This is the first in a series about Google Docs. Please leave me a comment if there is a specific topic about Google Docs you would like me to cover in the future.

Related Resources

How to Use Track Changes in Microsoft Word

How to Use Adobe Acrobat DC’s Comment and Mark-Up Tools