Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Editing Comments.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 8, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Once a comment has been added to a cell in a worksheet, it is inevitable that you'll need to edit that comment at some time. How you do so depends on whether you are working with what Microsoft now refers to as comments or what they historically referred to as comments, but are now called notes.
Let's start with notes. These are easy to edit. All you need to do is right-click on a cell to which a comment is attached, then you can choose Edit Comment from the resulting Context menu. If you prefer, you can simply select the cell that has a comment attached and press Shift+F2 or click the Edit Comment tool on the Review tab of the ribbon. Any of these methods result in the insertion point appearing inside of the note. You can then add more text or delete text, as desired.
Another way to edit notes is available if you have all of them displayed on-screen, instead of just note indicators. In this instance, you can edit a note simply by positioning the insertion point within the note box and clicking on the mouse button. The note's text box becomes active and you can edit to your heart's content.
Now for what are now called comments, which are threaded in nature. If you have this type of comments in your worksheet, you can hover the mouse pointer over the cell to which the comment is attached. You should then see the comment thread appear to the side, and at the upper-right corner of any comment there is a pencil icon. (This appears only if you are the author of the comment.) Click the pencil, and you can edit the comment as desired.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11749) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Editing Comments.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
Excel won't allow you to directly or automatically insert the results of a formula into a cell's comment. You can, ...
Discover MoreOne way that you can view comments in a worksheet is to have them appear when you hover the mouse pointer over a cell. If ...
Discover MoreComments are a great way to document your worksheets. Excel provides you the tools you need in order to format your ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments