If you learn how to add a comment in Excel, you can enhance collaboration with coworkers by sharing feedback directly within a shared Excel workbook.

A comment in an Excel worksheet allows you to share thoughts, ask questions, or clarify details directly within the spreadsheet. Also, you can have threaded conversations until the discussion is over. If you don’t know how to create one you might waste time on unnecessary emails or phone calls.

Follow along with the methods and the steps mentioned in this article to learn various ways to create a comment. Let’s get started!

Using the Right-Click Method

Select a cell where you’d like to add a comment and right-click.

You can now click on the New Comment option in the context menu or simply press M.

A floating comment box will appear on the right side of the selected cell.

You can type your comment and hit Ctrl + Enter to save it.

If it’s a shared workbook via Microsoft OneDrive, the collaborator on the other side can instantly access the comment.

On the contrary, if the workbook is offline, the next time a collaborator opens the workbook can hover over the cell to view the comment.

You can identify who’s the comment owner and who is replying to it by looking at the user’s initials as indicated in the screenshot above.

You can follow the same steps in Excel for the Mac app to add a comment.

The Keyboard Shortcut Alternative

Select any cell on your worksheet and press the Ctrl + Alt + M keys simultaneously.

The floating comment box will show up.

You can type your comment here and save it.

Using the Excel Ribbon Menu

If you prefer to navigate on the Excel spreadsheet only using the keyboard or if the right-click isn’t working with your mouse use this method as a backup. There are two places in the Excel ribbon menu where you can find the Insert Comment command. I’m explaining the steps to use both of these below:

The Insert Tab

Use the navigation arrows on your keyboard to select the cell where you want to leave a comment.

Press the Alt key to activate the Key Tips feature of Excel.

Hit the N key to access the Key Tips view for the Insert tab.

Now, press C and M quickly to add the comment box to the right edge of the selected cell.

Type in the comment and press Ctrl + Enter to save it.

The Review Tab

Highlight the source cell and press the Alt key to activate the Key Tips mode.

Press R to access the Review tab.

Now, press Z and C simultaneously to insert the comment box.

Adding a Comment on an Android Device

Open an Excel workbook using the Excel Android app.

Go to the preferred worksheet and select a cell to insert a comment.

Tap on the cell to activate the cell editing toolbar above the selected cell.

Select the Comment button.

The Android keyboard along with a typing field will show up from the bottom.

You can type your comment here and press the Arrow icon on the right to save the comment.

The comment will show up from the bottom when saved.

Adding a Comment on an iOS Device

Navigate to the source worksheet and long press on the target cell.

You’ll see a cell editing toolbar above the chosen cell.

Tap on the Comment button.

The iOS keyboard will show up with a text typing field.

Use the field to enter your comment. Press the Post button in the top corner of the text box to save the comment.

The final comment will show up once you hit Post.

Conclusions

Congratulations on making it to the end of this guide! Now you’re equipped with the know-how to add comments in Excel, no matter the device you’re using. This tutorial covered the steps across various platforms, so you’ll feel confident tackling the task anywhere.

Did you pick up a new Excel skill today? Or do you have your own tips or tricks for adding comments to an Excel worksheet? Drop your thoughts in the comments below—I’d love to hear from you and resolve any follow-up questions you might have!