How to Use Comments in Microsoft Word (Modern Comments)

This tutorial shows how to use comments in Microsoft Word. Specially, we will be using the new “modern” comments in Word for Microsoft 365.

We will cover this topic in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.

If you are using an older version of Word, please see “How to Use Track Changes in Microsoft Word,” which includes a section about the previous comment system.

We will be covering five tasks today:

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

Plus, the bonus section at the end shows how to temporarily turn off modern comments and return to the older comment system.

Watch all the steps shown here in real time!

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How to Insert Comments

This section shows the primary way to insert a comment. Please see the section below for four alternative ways to insert comments.

Place your cursor near the text you want to comment on or select the text.

Text selected for comment in Word 365 — Figure 1. Selected text

Select the Review tab in the ribbon.

Review tab in Word 365 — Figure 2. Review tab

Select the New Comment button in the Comments group.

New Comment button in the Review tab in Word 365 — Figure 3. New Comment button

Type your comment into the Start a conversation text box on the right side of the screen.

Start a conversation text box in a comment in Word 365 — Figure 4. Start a conversation text box

If you are part of an organization that has an enterprise license, you will be able to @ mention other users in your comments.

Select the Post button or type the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Enter to post the comment.

Comment Post button in Word 365 — Figure 5. Post button

If you need to edit your comment, select the Edit button (pencil icon).

Edit comment button in Word 365 — Figure 6. Edit button

Four Alternative Ways to Insert Comments

Here are four additional ways to insert comments.

Alternative Method 1: Type the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + M.

Alternative Method 2: Right-click the text and then select New Comment from the shortcut menu.

New Comment option in the shortcut menu in Word 365 — Figure 7. New Comment option

Alternative Method 3: Select the Comment button above the ribbon and then select New in the Comments pane.

New Comment button in the Comments pane in Word 365 — Figure 8. New comment button in the Comments pane

Alternative Method 4: Select the Insert tab in the ribbon and then select the Comment button.

Comment button in the Insert tab in Word 365 — Figure 9. Comment button in the Insert tab

How to View Comments

Here are three ways to view comments.

Method 1: Select the Comments button above the ribbon.

Comments button in Word 365 — Figure 10. Comments button

Method 2: Select the Review tab followed by the Show Comments menu arrow. Then, select the Contextual or List from the drop-down menu.

The Contextual view doesn’t show resolved comments, while the List view shows all comments.

Show Comments menu in Word 365 — Figure 11. Show Comments menu

Method 3: Select the comment icon on the page.

Comment icon in Word 365 — Figure 12. Comment icon

Pro Tip: If the Show Comments button is grayed out or the comment icons are not visible on the page, ensure that Simple Markup or All Markup is selected in the Display for Review menu in the Review tab.

Display for Review menu in Word 365 — Figure 13. Display for Review menu

Navigate through the comments by using the Previous and Next buttons in the Review tab.

Previous and Next buttons in the Review tab in Word 365 — Figure 14. Previous and Next buttons

How to Reply to Comments

Type your reply into the Reply text box in the other person’s comment.

Comment reply text box in Word 365 — Figure 15. Reply text box

Select the Post button or type the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Enter to post the reply.

Post reply button in Word 365 — Figure 16. Post reply button

How to Resolve Comments

You can mark a comment as “Resolved” to tell other people (or remind yourself) that an issue has been taken care of. However, you can also reopen a resolved comment, thereby turning it back to a regular comment.

Select the three-dot menu in the comment.
Select Resolve thread from the drop-down menu.

Resolve thread option in Word 365 — Figure 17. Resolve thread option

Resolved comments will no longer appear in the Contextual view.

How to Reopen Resolved Comments

Select the Review tab (see figure 2).
Select the Show Comments menu arrow (see figure 11).
Select List from the drop-down menu (see figure 11).
Select the Reopen button in the comment.

Comment reopen button in Word 365 — Figure 18. Reopen button

How to Delete Comments

Here are two ways to delete comments.

Method 1: Select the three-dot menu in the comment and then select Delete thread from the drop-down menu.

Delete thread option in Word 365 — Figure 19. Delete thread option

Method 2: Place your cursor in the comment or the text connected to the comment and then select the Delete menu arrow in the Review tab.

From there, choose Delete to delete the current comment, or Delete All Comments Shown, Delete All Comments in Document, or Delete All Resolved Comments.

Delete comment menu in Word 365 — Figure 20. Delete comment menu

Pro Tip: How to Make the Delete All Comments Shown Option Available

The Delete All Comments Shown option is not available (grayed out) when viewing all comments. However, it will become available when viewing comments from a specific person.

To view comments from a specific person:

Select the Show Markup menu in the Review tab.
Select Specific People from the drop-down menu.
Select an individual from the submenu.

Specific People submenu in the Show Markup menu in Word 365 — Figure 21. Specific People submenu

How to Temporarily Turn Off Modern Comments

Word currently offers an option to turn off modern comments and return to the older system. However, Microsoft said that it will remove this option in the future.