


Comments vs. Notes in Microsoft Excel: What's the Difference?
May 12, 2025 am 06:03 AMThis guide explores Microsoft Excel's comment and note features, explaining their uses and differences. Both tools annotate cells, but serve distinct purposes and display differently in printed worksheets.
Excel Comments: Collaborative Annotations
Excel comments are cell-specific annotations allowing threaded conversations, ideal for collaborative spreadsheets.
To add a comment:
- Right-click the cell and select "New Comment."
- Or, select the cell and click "New Comment" in the Review tab.
A comment box appears for your annotation.
Excel Notes: Simple Cell Annotations
Excel notes are simple annotations linked to individual cells, adding context or extra information.
To add a note:
- Right-click the cell and select "New Note." (Notes cannot be added to cells already containing a note).
- Or, select the cell and click "Notes > New Note" in the Review tab.
A note box appears for your annotation. Click any cell to exit edit mode.
Cells with notes show a red tag; hover to view content. "Show All Notes" displays all notes simultaneously. Edit or delete notes via the right-click menu. Notes can be converted to comments ("Notes > Convert To Comments"), losing formatting and images. Note: This conversion is all-or-nothing.
To print notes: Use the "Page Setup" dialog box ("Page Layout" tab), select "Sheet" tab, and choose "Comments And Notes" options: "At End Of Sheet" or "As Displayed On Sheet."
Comments vs. Notes: A Comparison
Property | Excel Comments | Excel Notes |
---|---|---|
Definition | Threaded, conversation-style annotations | Simple annotations |
Capacity | One thread per cell | One note per cell |
Cell Tag Color | Purple (active); Gray (resolved) | Red |
Formatting | Unavailable | Available |
Date/Time Stamps | Displayed | Not displayed |
Editing/Deleting | Editable, resolvable, deletable | Editable, deletable |
Positioning | Next to cell or in Comments pane | Repositionable anywhere on the worksheet |
Sort/Filter Behavior | Fixed cell position | Adjustable via "Format Comment" |
Size | Adapts to text | Manually resizable |
Display | Individual (hover) or collective ("Show All") | Individual (hover) or collective ("Show All") |
Anonymity | Author ID displayed by default | Author ID deletable |
Conversion | Cannot be converted to notes | Can be converted to comments |
Editor Assistance | Spelling/grammar check | Unavailable |
Printing | With notes at end of sheet | With/without comments; at end or as displayed |
The Review tab offers many more features beyond comments and notes, including accessibility checks, worksheet/file protection, and change tracking.
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