Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Formatting Comments.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 6, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, and 2013
When you add a comment to a document, Word displays that comment in any number of ways, depending on how you have Word configured to display comments. Common to all comments, however, is the effort by Word to display them in a plain, straightforward manner. If you want to get a bit more fancy with your comments, there are a couple of things you can do.
First, you can format the text in a comment in the same manner that you format regular text. All you need to do is select the text and then use the regular tools on the ribbon to apply different attributes such as bold or italic. You can also right-click any selected text and choose Font from the Context menu in order to make more detailed changes.
Another thing to remember is that the base formatting used for comments is controlled by a group of pre-defined Word styles:
Change these styles and the formatting of all your comments are changed accordingly. (There is also a built-in style called Comment Subject, but it is unclear how Word uses this style.)
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9172) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Formatting Comments.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
Word has a very powerful find-and-replace capability, but it can be a bit persnickety when it comes to changing text ...
Discover MoreIf you use text boxes in your documents, you may sometime want to place a comment in the text box, the same as you can do ...
Discover MoreWhen developing a document, you may end up with all sorts of comments that you need to deal with. One common task is to ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-04-16 10:23:01
Greg
Some comment boxes are generated by Word. For example, when you center a header, Word places a comment that says "Formatted: Centered". Is there a way to add text to these auto-generated comments?
2021-10-08 10:56:26
Watt
Can you format the PARAGRAPHS in a comment balloon? I can open the Paragraph format dialog box, but changes like Spacing Before and Spacing After are not reflected in the comment balloon itself. I don't want to change the whole Style, just occasional individual comments.
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, 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 Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
Comments