The feedback function in the programs Microsoft are a great idea for make a quick review of the document, give some indication or a brief explanation of a specific section of a work.
In the case of Excelif you wish simple comments and notes, you just have to perform a series of quick steps and you’re done. In this way, you can keep notes about your document handy for your personal use or share them with others working with the same spreadsheet.
Throughout this post, we will tell you everything related to how to use comments to document your excel sheet and get the most out of it.
What is the use of comments and notes in Excel and why should you use them?
The use of comments is much more common in Word than in ExcelHowever, the benefits of using this resource with practically the same in both cases.
Some of the main utilities of comments and notes in Excel are:
- Allow add a clarificationdata or reminder.
- They do not take up space to your document.
- They improve teamwork.
- serve for document changes in the file without altering it.
- Is very easy to do.
- The comments can be customized or modified.
These are just some points in favor of the use of comments or notes within Excel. Remember that if you make proper use of themyou can have your annotations without altering the document organization.
What are the differences between a note and a comment in Excel?
Although in general outlines it might seem the same, actually notes and comments in excel are different. This becomes more easily evident when we delve into the functionality of each.
Specifically in Office 365, the functionality of both is:
- Grades: As their name indicates, they are used to take notes or annotations regarding the data reflected in the document. Also, they don’t have the reply box so they are ideal for make clarifications or other details within the spreadsheet.
- Comments: in new versions of Office, comments are threaded and allow users to have discussions or interact with others about the data. include a answer box and when others reply, the conversation is displayed with all comments connected.
It should be noted that in earlier versions of Excel notes were taken as comments, but these did not include answer box.
To create a note in Excel you have to:
- Click on new note in the context menu.
- You can also enter Notes/ New note in the tab Check.
Learn step by step how to use comments in your Excel spreadsheets
Comments are a perfect option to maintain active communication with other users who work on the same spreadsheet in excel. Within them, you can add a comment and it will show a indicator in the corner of a cell.
In this way, when you hover over itthe comment. There are different ways to use them and vary depending on what you need and the operating system that you have
Here we explain it in detail:
Insert comments to create conversations
First of all, you should know that all users with edit access to your file have the power to edit comments.
In the case of Windows, the way to insert threaded comments to create conversations is as follows:
- Right click on the cell and then tap on new comment.
- Write whatever you wish.
- Select the button Postor press Ctrl+Enter.
- Yes Other users have something to addthey should right click on the cell and choose the option reply to comment.
To do this on macOS, you must:
- Right click on the cell and then choose the option new comment.
- Write the comment.
- Press the button Postor the combination of Command+Enter.
- For those who want to answerthey must right click on the cell and select reply to comment.
On the other hand, there Other actions that can be done in comments both in windows like in Mac.
These are:
- To edit a comment or threaded reply: you have to place the cursor over the celllater about the text of the comment and click Edit. you can only edit comments you created yourself.
- To delete a threaded comment: make right click on cell and then press on delete comment.
- To delete a reply: place the cursor over the cellthen on the text and click on Remove.
- To mark the comment thread as resolved: hover over the cell and choose the option resolve thread. Keep in mind that the comment will remain visiblebut no further additions can be made unless you return to open.
insert simple notes
To insert simple notes in Windows Excel you have to:
- Right click on the cell.
- Then press on insert noteor also through Shift+F2.
- Write your annotation.
- click out of cell.
To edit a note, you must right-click on the cell and press on edit note. For its part, to delete it, right-click and choose delete note. On macOS, you can’t insert simple notes inside Excel.
Copy notes or comments to other cells and worksheets
To copy notes or comments in Windows or MacOS, you need to follow the procedure below:
- Select the cell or cells I have the comments to copy.
- Press Ctrl + C (on Windows) either Cmd + C (on mac).
- inside tab Startclick the arrow below Paste, and then select special paste.
- In special paste click on Comments and, immediately afterwards, in To accept.
- To cancel the moving borderselect another cell or press ESC.
- On Mac, select the destination cell and then press Cmd + V.
Other than that, there are some details what you should keep in mind avoid errors in the process. One of them is avoid pressing Enter after clicking OKbecause I know will copy the content of the cell in the paste area in addition to the comment.
Also, you should know that the copied comments will replace existing comments in the target area.
Show or hide comment and note indicators
Other functionality very interesting within notes or commentsis to choose if you want show or hide indicators. By default, Excel displays an indicator when a cell has a note or comment. However, you can change these settings to specify whether you want it to be displayed or not.
To do it in the case of Windows you have to go to the tab File, Archive and then enter Options.
Within the Advanced category, just below Show you can choose between:
- Hide comments and flags throughout the workbook: below cells with comments, Show, select No comments or flags.
- View indicators but show comments only when hovering over cell: below cells with comments, Show and then click Only indicators and comments on activation.
- To always show comments and flags: below the cells with comments, Show, click Comments and indicators. In Office 365, these settings apply to notes, but not to threaded comments..
For MacOS, the settings are different.. You must first enter Excel/ Preferences/ View (In creation). Inside the dialog box Watchin the section of comments – show.
You can choose between:
- Hide comments and flags throughout the book: clicking on No comments or indicators.
- View indicators and show comments when hovering over cell: press on the Only indicators and comments option on activation.
- Always show comments and flags: press on Comments and indicators.
Change the default name of a note or comment
Finally, there is the possibility of change the default name given to a note in Excel. In the case of commentsthe program label with the name of the person currently logged in with your account and cannot be changed.
Consequently, to rename a note in Windows you have to:
- Click on the tab File, Archive and then in Options.
- within category Generalunder Personalize your copy of Microsoft Officetype a name into the box Username.
As additional information, you should know that if the Username section is emptyExcel assigns automatically your username as the value of the box Usernameso you’ll use it for the label.
Furthermore, even though can’t suppress note tagsif possible delete them. The same goes for computers. macOS.
Consequently, to change the default name of comments in macOS here you have to:
- Anger Excel/ Preferences/ General.
- In the dialog box corresponding to Generalspecifically in Personalizeproceed to write a name in the box Username.
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