Inline Document Comments

Last updated: June 11, 2026

Instead of leaving a general comment on a document, you can highlight any specific text and start a thread anchored to that exact passage. The comment lives alongside the content it's about — no cross-referencing, no ambiguity about what you're reacting to.

How Inline Comments Work

Inline comments are anchored to a specific selection of text in a document. When someone reads the document, they see a highlight on the text, and can click it to open the associated thread. Multiple threads can exist on the same document, each anchored to different passages.

Threads can have replies, so a single inline comment can become a full discussion — all contained in one place without cluttering the main document.

Adding an Inline Comment

  1. Open a document
  2. Select the text you want to comment on — highlight it with your cursor
  3. A Comment icon will appear near the selection
  4. Click the icon and type your comment
  5. Press Enter (or click the send button) to post

The selected text is now highlighted in the document. Anyone with access can see the highlight and open the thread.

Viewing and Replying to Inline Comments

Highlighted text in a document indicates an active comment thread. To view it:

  1. Click on any highlighted text
  2. The thread panel opens to the right, showing the original comment and any replies
  3. Type your reply and press Enter to add it to the thread

You can have multiple threads open simultaneously. Each thread is independent and anchored to its own passage.

Resolving a Thread

When a comment thread has been addressed, resolve it to hide it from the main view:

  1. Open the thread
  2. Click Resolve

Resolved threads are archived, not deleted. You can view all resolved threads by opening the Comments panel and toggling to Resolved. If a resolved issue comes back up, click Reopen on any resolved thread to make it active again.

Permissions

Anyone with comment access to a document can add inline comments and replies. The document owner and editors can resolve threads. View-only users can read existing threads but cannot add new comments or replies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to inline comments if the underlying text is edited? If the specific text the comment is anchored to is deleted or significantly changed, the anchor becomes unlinked. The comment thread is preserved but displayed as an unanchored comment at the top of the document.

Can I @mention teammates in inline comments? Yes — type @ in the comment field to mention a teammate. They'll receive a notification.

Are inline comments included in document exports? Inline comments are not included in Word exports. Exports contain the document content only.

Can I comment on AI-generated content? Yes — inline comments work on any text in a document, including content generated by auto-refresh.

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