How to Add Comments on Microsoft Word

Today's TipsMake will guide you to add annotations to Microsoft Word documents in many ways.

Table of Contents

Add captions by right-clicking
Add annotations using Track Changes
Add handwritten captions
Reply to a comment

Add captions by right-clicking

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Double-click the Word document you want to edit. The document opens in Microsoft Word.

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Click and drag your mouse over some text. The text will light up. Highlight any content you want to annotate (such as entire sentences or paragraphs).

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Right-click or two-finger click to select text. A drop-down menu will appear.

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Click New Comment . It's at the bottom of the right-click menu.

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Enter comments. The legend will appear on the right side of the Microsoft Word window.

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Click anywhere on the document. The comment will be stuck in place and you can continue adding comments to other sections.

You must save the document before closing it, or your comments will be lost.

Add annotations using Track Changes

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Double-click the Word document you want to edit. The document opens in Microsoft Word.

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Click the Review tab . The tag is in the blue section at the top of the document. A new set of options related to document editing opens.

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Click Track Changes . This feature is at the top of the Word page, near the middle of the screen. When you click on it, the "Track Changes" feature on Microsoft Word will be enabled.

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Click the drop-down menu next to Track Changes . The following editing options will appear:

Simple Markup – Simple markup by drawing a vertical red line to the left of any text added or deleted (does not show other edits).

All Markup – Mark all the changes you make to the document in red text and a comment box on the left side of the page.

No Markup – Shows your changes next to the original document but does not highlight them with red text or callouts.

Original – Does not show your changes, only shows the original document.

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Click All Markup . This option allows you to leave comments for other users to see if needed.

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Click and drag your mouse over some text. The text will light up. Highlight any content you want to annotate (such as entire sentences or paragraphs).

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Click the New Comment button near the middle of the "Review" tool row at the top of the Word window.

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Enter your caption. The legend will appear on the right side of the Microsoft Word window.

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Click anywhere on the document. The comment will be stuck in place and you can continue adding comments to other sections.

You must save the document before closing it, or your comments will be lost.

Add handwritten captions

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Double-click the Word document you want to edit. The document opens in Microsoft Word.

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Click the Review tab . The tag is in the blue section at the top of the document. A new set of options related to document editing opens.

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Click Track Changes . This feature is at the top of the Word page, near the middle of the screen. When you click on it, the "Track Changes" feature on Microsoft Word will be enabled.

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Click the drop-down menu next to Track Changes . The following editing options will appear:

Simple Markup - Draws a vertical red line to the left of any text added or deleted (does not show other edits).

All Markup - Marks all changes you make to the document in red text and a comment box on the left side of the page.

No Markup - Shows your changes next to the original document, but without highlighting them in red text or callouts.

Original - Does not show your changes, only shows the original document.

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Click All Markup . This option allows you to leave comments for other users to view if needed.

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Click Ink Comment . It's in the upper-right corner of the "Comments" section in the top toolbar.

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Enter your comments in the box on the right side of the page.

If your computer doesn't have a touch screen, you can click and drag your mouse to draw.

The horizontal lines in the frame will disappear when you post a caption.

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Click or tap anywhere on the document. The comment will be stuck in place and you can continue adding comments to other sections.

You must save the document before closing it, or your comments will be lost.

Reply to a comment

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Double-click the edited Word document. The document opens in Microsoft Word.

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Place the mouse pointer over the annotation. Several options will appear below the comment.

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Click Reply . Options are on the far left, just below the caption you choose.

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Enter your response. Your comment will be indented below the original comment.

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Click anywhere on the document. Your response to the annotation will be attached to the document.

Jessica Tanner

Update 10 November 2023

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