How to Add Comments in Microsoft Word

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Learn how to insert a comment in Word, even in your handwriting

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: February 16, 2026 Fact Checked

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Inserting a Comment

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Handwritten Comments

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Managing Comments

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Troubleshooting

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Video

Comments are a great way to collaborate on Word documents or even leave notes for yourself. Adding comments is simple–just select the text you want to comment on and click the comment button. You can also add comments using the right-click context menu or the New Comment button in the Review tab. You can even add hand-written ink comments! This wikiHow teaches you how to add, edit, reply to, and manage comments in Word.

How to Add Comments in Word

Select the text you want to comment on.
Click the Comment icon in the right margin of the document.
Type your comment into the text field.
Click the paper airplane icon to post your comment.

Section 1 of 4:

Inserting a Comment

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This will highlight the text. You'll want to highlight everything on which you wish to leave a comment (e.g., an entire sentence or paragraph).
When you select text, a comment box will automatically appear in the right margin of the document. It looks like a speech balloon with a + at the top left corner.

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A box will appear in the right margin displaying your name and a text field. Type your comment into the text field. Click the
paper airplane icon when you’re done.^{[1]
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Try these alternate methods to insert a comment. There are a couple of other ways to add a comment:
- Place your cursor at any point in the text, then right-click (or Ctrl-click, if you’re on a Mac with no right mouse button) and select New Comment. The closest text will be highlighted, and a comment box will appear in the right margin.
- Select the text where you want to add a comment, or click the page next to it. Click the Review tab at the top of Word, then click New Comment. It’s on the left side of the menu bar.
  - You can also access the New Comment button from the Insert tab.

Section 2 of 4:

Adding a Handwritten Comment

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Click the Draw tab. It’s located in the menu bar at the top of Word.
- You might not see the Draw tab if your computer isn’t touchscreen-enabled. You can still write ink comments, however. To enable the Draw tab, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon (or Word > Preferences > Ribbon & Toolbar on a Mac) and make sure Draw is checked.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/draw-and-write-with-ink-in-office-6d76c674-7f4b-414d-b67f-b3ffef6ccf53
This will switch you to draw mode. You can now use your cursor to draw or write directly on the document in virtual ink.
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Select your preferred drawing tool. You’ll see several options in the toolbar at the top of the page, including a pen, pencil, highlighter, or special effects marker.
- If you don’t like any of the options, click + Add to create a custom drawing tool.
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Write on the document with your cursor. If you have a touch-screen device, you can use your finger or a stylus to write on the screen. Otherwise, use your mouse or trackpad to draw on the document.
- To delete an ink mark, click the Eraser tool, then click the mark you want to delete.

Section 3 of 4:

Managing Comments

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Open the Review tab to access comment tools. If there are comments in your document, you can manage them from the Review tab. You can also use this tab to manage ink comments. From here, you can:
- Delete comments: Click Delete in the Comments section of the Review tab to delete comments. You’ll see the option to delete a selected comment, delete all visible comments, delete resolved comments, or delete all comments from the document.
- Resolve comments: Click this option to mark a selected comment as “Resolved” without deleting the comment.
- Navigate comments: Use the Previous and Next buttons to move between comments in your document.
- Show or hide comments: Click the Show Comments dropdown to select how you display comments in the document (i.e., as a list in the sidebar or in the context where the comment was originally placed). You can hide comments altogether by selecting No Markup next to Track Changes.
- Hide or delete ink comments: Click the Hide Ink button at the far right side of the menu to hide all ink marks in your document. You can also click the down arrow next to Hide Ink and select Delete All Ink in Document.
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Reply to, resolve, or edit comments. You can perform a variety of actions on comments in your document from the comment itself:
- Click the text field below the comment to reply. Type your reply into the text box, then click the
  paper airplane icon to post your reply.
- Click the thumbs up icon to like a comment.
- Click the ••• button to see additional options. From this menu, you can:
  - Edit your comment
  - Resolve your comment or comment thread
    - This will hide the comment, but it won’t delete it. You’ll see a comment icon with a checkmark on it in the right margin of the document. Click the icon to view the comment.
  - Generate a shareable link to your comment
  - Delete the comment/comment thread
This button is typically visible at the top of the ribbon menu no matter which tab you have open. When you click it, a list of all comments will appear on the right side of the document.

Section 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting

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Why can’t I add comments? This may have to do with the permission or protection settings for your document. Go to File > Info > Protect Document (or Tools > Protect Document on a Mac). Make sure the document isn’t set to Read Only or protected for comments.
- If you’re trying to add comments to a document someone else shared with you, you might need to ask them to adjust the document settings so you can add comments.
Make sure you have markup enabled in the Review tab. Click the Markup menu next to Track Changes. Make sure you have Simple Markup or All Markup selected.
This is usually a compatibility issue. The document may have been created in an earlier version of Word than the one you’re currently using. To fix this problem, go to File > Save As and save your file in the .docx format. You should now be able to resolve comments.