Excel footnotes work differently than in Word — you add comments instead

Excel does not have a built-in footnote feature the way Word does. Instead, you use comments to attach notes to individual cells. A comment appears as a small red triangle in the corner of a cell, and when you hover over it or click it, the note pops up. This works well for spreadsheets because your data stays clean while readers can still see explanations, sources, or calculations without scrolling to a separate page.

If you need something closer to traditional footnotes — numbered references at the bottom of a printed sheet — you can create them manually by adding rows below your data and linking cells with formulas. But for most spreadsheet work, comments are simpler and more practical.

Key Takeaways

  • Comments in Excel attach notes to specific cells and show as small red triangles that reveal text when you hover over them.
  • To add a comment, right-click a cell, select "New Comment" (or "Insert Comment" in older versions), type your note, and click outside the comment box to save it.
  • You can edit, delete, or show all comments at once using the Review tab in the ribbon.
  • For printed footnotes at the bottom of a page, you will need to add them manually as text rows below your data.
  • Comments stay attached to cells even if you move or copy data, making them useful for documenting formulas and data sources.

How to add a comment to a cell

Right-click the cell where you want to add a note. A menu appears. Select New Comment (in Excel 2019 and newer) or Insert Comment (in older versions). A text box opens next to the cell with your username already typed at the top. Delete the username if you do not want it, then type your note.

Click anywhere outside the comment box when you are done. The comment closes, and a small red triangle appears in the top-right corner of the cell. Hover your mouse over that triangle to read the comment again. The comment stays there until you delete it, even if you close and reopen the file.

If you are working in Excel Online (the browser version), right-click the cell and select New Comment. The process is the same, but the comment appears in a sidebar on the right instead of floating next to the cell.

Editing and deleting comments

To change a comment you already wrote, right-click the cell with the red triangle and select Edit Comment. Make your changes and click outside the box. To remove a comment entirely, right-click the cell and select Delete Comment.

If you want to see all comments in your spreadsheet at once, go to the Review tab in the ribbon (at the top of the screen). Click Show All Comments. Every comment in the sheet appears on screen, and you can scroll through them. Click Show All Comments again to hide them.

Using the Review tab to manage comments

The Review tab gives you control over how comments appear and move through your sheet. After you click Review, you will see buttons for New Comment, Delete, Previous, and Next. Use Previous and Next to jump from one comment to another without scrolling.

You can also set whether comments show automatically or only when you hover over them. In older versions of Excel, this option is under File > Options > Advanced, then scroll to the "Display" section and look for "For cells with comments, show". In newer versions, the setting is usually in Review > Show Comments menu.

Creating manual footnotes for printed sheets

If you need numbered footnotes that appear at the bottom of a printed page (like you would see in Word), Excel does not automate this. You create them by hand: add rows below your data, type your footnote text, and use cell references or superscript numbers to link them.

For example, if you want a footnote on a number in cell B5, you could type a superscript 1 next to it (select the cell, type the number, then format it as superscript using Home > Format Cells > Font > check "Superscript"). Then scroll down, add a row, and type "1. Your footnote text here." This approach takes more work than comments, but it prints the way you want.

Comments versus cell notes in newer Excel versions

Starting in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365, Excel introduced notes as a separate feature from comments. Notes are simpler — they do not show your username, they do not have edit history, and they are meant for quick annotations. Comments are better for formal documentation because they track who wrote them and when.

To add a note instead of a comment in newer versions, right-click a cell and select New Note. The process is nearly identical, but the note appears slightly different and behaves more like a sticky note. Both comments and notes work the same way for most purposes, so use whichever your version offers.

Tips for using comments effectively in spreadsheets

Keep comments brief. A sentence or two is usually enough — if you need to explain a lot, consider adding a separate documentation sheet in the same workbook. Use comments to explain why a formula exists, where data came from, or what a number means, not to repeat what is already obvious from the cell content.

If you share a spreadsheet with others, comments are visible to everyone who opens the file. If you need private notes that only you can see, use a separate document or a locked sheet. When you copy a cell with a comment, the comment comes along with it, so be careful not to duplicate notes accidentally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I print comments in Excel?

Yes. Go to File > Print, then click Page Setup (or look for a "Settings" or "Options" button depending on your version). Find the option that says "Print" and change it from "Nothing" to "At end of sheet" or "As displayed on sheet". This prints all comments on a separate page or alongside your data.

What happens to comments if I delete a row or column?

Comments stay attached to their cells. If you delete a row, the comment in that row is deleted too. If you move a cell, the comment moves with it. If you copy a cell with a comment, the comment copies to the new location as well.

Can I format text inside a comment?

In desktop Excel, you can make text bold, italic, or change the font size by selecting the text inside the comment and using the formatting buttons that appear. In Excel Online, formatting options are more limited — you can usually only make text bold or italic.

How do I see who wrote a comment?

The username appears at the top of the comment box when you open it. If multiple people edit the same spreadsheet, each comment shows the name of whoever wrote it. In newer versions with notes instead of comments, the author information may not be as prominent.

Can I search for comments in a large spreadsheet?

Excel does not have a built-in search for comment text. Your best option is to use Review > Show All Comments to display every comment at once, then use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Command+F on Mac) to search the visible text. This works in Excel Online but not in desktop Excel.