Comments let you leave notes on cells without changing the data

A comment in Excel is a small note attached to a cell. When you add a comment, a tiny indicator appears on the cell — usually a small red triangle in the corner. Anyone opening the spreadsheet can hover over that cell to read what you wrote, but the comment does not change the actual cell value or formula.

Comments are useful when you are sharing a spreadsheet with others and want to explain why a number is there, flag something that needs checking, or ask a question about a cell's contents. They keep your notes separate from your data, so formulas and calculations stay clean.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any cell and select "Insert Comment" to add a note that stays hidden until someone hovers over the cell.
  • Excel shows a small red triangle on cells with comments so you know where notes exist.
  • You can edit, delete, or resize comments after you create them using the same right-click menu.
  • Comments are visible to anyone who opens the file, making them useful for shared spreadsheets and team feedback.
  • In Excel online, comments work the same way but are called "Notes" in some versions.

How to add a comment to a single cell

Right-click the cell where you want to add a comment. A menu appears with several options. Click "Insert Comment" (in older Excel versions, this may say "New Comment"). A small box opens next to the cell where you can type your note.

Type whatever you want to say — explain a calculation, flag a number for review, or ask a colleague a question. When you are done typing, click outside the comment box or press Escape. The comment closes, and a small red triangle appears in the corner of the cell to show a comment exists there.

To read the comment later, hover your mouse over the cell with the red triangle. The comment box reappears. If you want to edit it, right-click the cell again and select "Edit Comment", make your changes, and click outside the box when finished.

Deleting or hiding comments

To remove a comment entirely, right-click the cell and select "Delete Comment". The red triangle disappears and the note is gone. If you want to keep the comment but hide it temporarily, right-click the cell and select "Hide Comment" — the triangle stays but the box does not appear when you hover.

You can also delete all comments in a spreadsheet at once. Go to the Home tab, click "Find & Select" (or use Ctrl+H), then choose "Go To Special". Select "Comments" and click OK. All cells with comments are now highlighted. Right-click any highlighted cell and select "Delete Comment" to remove them all.

Resizing and formatting comments

By default, comment boxes are small and may cut off longer text. To make a comment bigger, click inside the comment box (or right-click the cell and select "Edit Comment"). Grab the edge or corner of the comment box and drag it to resize. You can make it as large as you need.

You cannot change the font color or style of the comment text itself in most Excel versions, but you can change the background color of the comment box. Right-click the cell, select "Format Comment", and choose a color from the options. This helps you organize comments by type — for example, red for urgent items and yellow for questions.

Comments in shared spreadsheets and Excel online

When you share an Excel file with others, your comments are visible to everyone who opens it. This makes comments useful for team feedback — you can leave notes for colleagues without emailing back and forth.

In Excel online (the browser version), comments work the same way but may be labeled as "Notes" depending on your version. The process is identical: right-click a cell, select the comment or note option, type your message, and click outside the box. Hover over the cell to read it later.

If multiple people add comments to the same spreadsheet, each person's name appears with their comment so you know who wrote what. This is helpful for tracking feedback from different team members.

When comments are better than other options

Comments work best for brief explanations or questions — a sentence or two about why a number exists or what needs to be checked. If you need to write longer instructions or create a permanent record of changes, consider using a separate "Notes" sheet in the same workbook instead.

Do not use comments to store data you need in calculations. Comments are for human readers only — formulas cannot reference them. If you need information that formulas should use, put it in a cell instead.

Comments also do not print by default. If you want your notes to appear on a printed copy of the spreadsheet, you will need to change the print settings. Go to Page Layout, click the Print Options button, and select "Print Comments" before printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see all comments in a spreadsheet at once?

Yes. Go to the Review tab and click "Show All Comments". Every comment in the spreadsheet appears on screen at the same time. Click "Show All Comments" again to hide them. This is useful for reviewing feedback before you make changes.

What happens to comments when I copy and paste a cell?

By default, comments do not copy with the cell. If you want to copy a comment along with the cell data, right-click the cell, select "Copy", then right-click the destination cell and choose "Paste Special". Check the "Comments" box before pasting.

Can I search for comments by keyword?

Excel does not have a built-in search function for comment text. Your best option is to use Find & Replace (Ctrl+H), click "Options", and look for a "Search in" dropdown that includes comments — this varies by Excel version. Otherwise, use "Show All Comments" to see them all at once.

Do comments stay in the file if I save it as a PDF?

No. Comments are an Excel feature and do not transfer to PDF format. If you need to preserve comments, keep the file in Excel format (.xlsx). If you must share as PDF, copy your comments into a separate document or add them as text in cells.

Can I assign a comment to a specific person or set a due date?

Standard Excel comments do not have assignment or due date features. If you need to track who should address a comment and by when, add that information in the comment text itself — for example, "Sarah: check this by Friday." For more advanced task tracking, consider using Microsoft Teams or a project management tool alongside your spreadsheet.