Comments and suggestions in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Comments and suggestions let you add notes or ideas to cells in Google Sheets. They help you and others discuss data without changing the actual numbers or text.

When you want to ask a question about a number in a cell without changing it

When you need to explain why a certain value is entered in a cell

When collaborating with others and want to suggest changes without editing the sheet

When tracking feedback from teammates on specific parts of your data

When you want to keep reminders or instructions linked to particular cells

Steps

Step 1: Right-click the cell where you want to add a comment

- Spreadsheet grid

A menu appears with options including 'Comment' and 'Insert note'

💡 Use comments for conversations and suggestions; notes are for simple reminders

Step 2: Click 'Comment' from the menu

- Context menu after right-click

A comment box appears attached to the selected cell

Step 3: Type your comment or suggestion in the box

- Comment box

Your text appears inside the comment box

Step 4: Click 'Comment' button to post it

- Comment box

The comment is saved and a small orange triangle appears in the top-right corner of the cell

Step 5: Hover over the cell with the orange triangle

- Spreadsheet grid

The comment appears as a popup for reading

Step 6: To reply or resolve, click the comment and use the options inside

- Comment popup

You can add replies or mark the comment as resolved, hiding it

Before vs After

Before

Cell A2 has the value 150 with no notes or comments

After

Cell A2 shows a small orange triangle in the corner; hovering shows a comment saying 'Check if this includes tax'

Settings Reference

Comment notifications

📍 Tools > Notification rules

Choose how and when you get emails about new comments

Default: Notify immediately

Show comment history

📍 Right-click cell > Show comment thread

See the full conversation history for a cell

Default: N/A

Common Mistakes

Adding a note instead of a comment when collaboration is needed

Notes are simple text and do not support replies or notifications

Use comments to allow others to reply and get notified

Ignoring to resolve comments after addressing them

Unresolved comments clutter the sheet and confuse collaborators

Mark comments as resolved once the issue or suggestion is handled

Summary

Comments let you add notes and have conversations linked to specific cells.

They help teams collaborate without changing the actual data.

Remember to resolve comments to keep your sheet clean and organized.