How to Search Through Comments in Excel: A Complete Guide
Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet tool, and many users rely on its comments feature to add notes, explanations, or reminders to individual cells. However, when workbooks get large, it can become challenging to search through comments and find specific notes. Fortunately, Excel’s built-in Find and Replace tool allows you to search within comments easily.
In this article, we will show you step-by-step instructions to search through comments in Excel using built-in tools, along with some useful tips to manage comments more effectively.
What are Comments in Excel?
Comments in Excel are text annotations attached to specific cells. They allow users to add explanations, reminders, or collaborative notes without altering the actual data inside the cell.
Types of Comments in Excel
| Comment Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Classic Comments | Text notes attached to individual cells in older Excel versions (Excel 2016 and earlier). |
| Threaded Comments | Introduced in Excel 365 and Excel 2019, threaded comments allow for conversation-style comments, ideal for collaboration. |
Step-by-Step Guide to Search Through Comments in Excel
Step 1: Open the Find and Replace Dialog Box
To start searching comments in Excel, open the Find and Replace window.
- Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F.
- This opens the Find tab directly.
Step 2: Expand Search Options
By default, Excel searches within cell contents, but to search comments, you need to change the settings.
- Click the Options >> button in the Find and Replace window.
- This expands the window to show advanced search options.
Step 3: Set Search Criteria to Comments
In the expanded search options:
- Locate the Look in dropdown menu.
- Select Comments from the list.
This tells Excel to search only within comments, ignoring regular cell values and formulas.
Step 4: Choose Search Scope – Sheet or Workbook
- In the Within dropdown menu, choose Sheet to search only the current worksheet.
- Select Workbook to search comments across all worksheets in your workbook.
Step 5: Enter the Search Term
- In the Find what field, type the keyword or phrase you want to locate inside comments.
For example, if you are searching for comments related to “budget update,” type budget update into the box.
Step 6: Start the Search
- Click Find Next to search for the first occurrence.
- Excel will highlight the cell containing the matching comment.
Step 7: View or Edit the Found Comment
- To view the comment, hover over the highlighted cell.
- Alternatively, right-click the cell and choose Edit Comment.
Step 8: Continue Finding More Matches
- Click Find Next again to move to the next match.
- Repeat this until all matching comments are found.
Alternative Method: Show All Comments in Excel
If you want to review all comments at once (without searching for a specific keyword), Excel allows you to display all comments:
- Go to the Review tab on the Ribbon.
- Click Show All Comments.
This makes all comments visible simultaneously for easy scanning.
How to Search Through Comments in Excel for Excel 365 (Modern Comments)
In Excel 365, comments work slightly differently due to the introduction of threaded comments. However, you can still search through threaded comments using the same Find and Replace method.
- Press Ctrl + F to open Find and Replace.
- Select Comments from the Look in dropdown.
- Search as described in the previous steps.
Tips for Efficient Comment Management in Excel
1. Use Consistent Keywords in Comments
When adding comments, use consistent keywords or phrases so they are easier to search later. For example:
| Action | Recommended Comment Format |
|---|---|
| Feedback | “Review formula for error check” |
| Task Reminder | “Update sales data before EOD” |
2. Use Highlighting for Found Comments
After searching for specific comments, you can highlight the matching cells for easier identification:
- After using Find All, Excel lists all found cells.
- Press Ctrl + A in the Find and Replace window to select all matched cells.
- Apply cell fill color to highlight them visually.
3. Use the Review Tab for Navigation
The Review tab includes navigation tools for comments management:
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Next Comment | Move to the next comment in the worksheet. |
| Previous Comment | Return to the previous comment. |
Common Issues When Searching Comments
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Comments not found | Search scope set to Values instead of Comments. | Change Look in setting to Comments. |
| Search across all sheets fails | Search scope set to Sheet only. | Set Within to Workbook. |
| Threaded comments not appearing | Older Excel version without support for threaded comments. | Upgrade to Excel 365 or Excel 2019. |
Comparing Excel’s Comment Search to Other Spreadsheet Tools
| Feature | Excel | Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Search Within Comments | ✅ Supported via Find and Replace | ✅ Supported via Ctrl + F |
| Show All Comments at Once | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Comment Filtering | ❌ No | ✅ Filter comments by user |
Best Practices for Adding Searchable Comments in Excel
- Use clear and specific language in comments.
- Include relevant keywords that can be searched later.
- Avoid vague terms like “Check this” – instead write “Check formula in column D for errors”.
- Assign comments to specific team members if using threaded comments in collaborative files.
Final Thoughts
Being able to search through comments in Excel is an essential skill for anyone working with complex or collaborative spreadsheets. Whether you are reviewing feedback, tracking changes, or revisiting older notes, using Excel’s Find and Replace tool makes this process simple and efficient.
To summarize, here’s a quick checklist for searching through comments:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open Find and Replace (Ctrl + F) |
| 2 | Expand options and set Look in to Comments |
| 3 | Choose Sheet or Workbook as the scope |
| 4 | Enter search term and click Find Next |
Mastering this technique will save you time and ensure you never miss important feedback buried inside your Excel workbooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I search through comments in Excel?
Yes, you can search through comments in Excel using the built-in Find and Replace feature. Simply press Ctrl + F, go to Options, and set the Look in field to Comments. This allows Excel to search only inside comments instead of cell values or formulas.
How do I search for comments across all sheets in Excel?
To search comments across all sheets in a workbook, open the Find and Replace dialog (Ctrl + F), click Options, set Look in to Comments, and set Within to Workbook. This ensures Excel looks for matching text in comments across all worksheets.
Does Excel 365 support searching threaded comments?
Yes, Excel 365 supports searching through threaded comments using the same Find and Replace method. Just make sure you set the Look in field to Comments before starting your search.
What is the difference between comments and notes in Excel?
In newer versions like Excel 365, Comments are threaded and allow for conversations, making them ideal for collaboration. Notes are the traditional text boxes attached to cells, similar to classic comments found in older Excel versions. Both can be searched using Find and Replace.
Can I search for comments and cell values at the same time?
No, Excel’s Find and Replace tool requires you to choose between searching in Values, Formulas, or Comments. If you need to search both cell values and comments, you will need to perform two separate searches.
How can I highlight all cells with matching comments?
After performing a search using Find and Replace, you can click Find All to list all matching cells. Then press Ctrl + A to select them all at once and apply a fill color to highlight them.
Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.