How to add Comment

Chaknith Bin

Updated:June 22, 2025

In Excel, a comment is a note or annotation that can be added to a cell to provide additional information without affecting the actual content of the cell. Comments are useful for providing explanations, context, or reminders about the data or calculations within a specific cell.

How to add Comment

Download the C# library to enable comment functionality
Open an existing or create a new Excel spreadsheet
Use the AddComment method to add comments
Retrieve and edit comments by accessing the Comment property
Remove comments from cells using the RemoveComment method

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First Step:

Add Comment Example

Select the cell and use the AddComment method to add a comment to the cell. By default, the comment will be invisible. Hover on the cell to see the comment.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-comment-add-comment.cs

using IronXL;
using System.Linq;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Create();
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

Cell cellA1 = workSheet["A1"].First();
Cell cellD1 = workSheet["D1"].First();

// Add comments
cellA1.AddComment("Hello World!", "John Doe"); // Add comment with content and author. The comment is invisible by default.
cellD1.AddComment(null, null, true); // Add comment with no content and no author. The comment is set to be visible.

workBook.SaveAs("addComment.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports System.Linq

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Create()
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

Private cellA1 As Cell = workSheet("A1").First()
Private cellD1 As Cell = workSheet("D1").First()

' Add comments
cellA1.AddComment("Hello World!", "John Doe") ' Add comment with content and author. The comment is invisible by default.
cellD1.AddComment(Nothing, Nothing, True) ' Add comment with no content and no author. The comment is set to be visible.

workBook.SaveAs("addComment.xlsx")

$vbLabelText $csharpLabel

Edit Comment Example

Access the Comment property of the cell to retrieve the Comment object for the cell. This is the object you can use to change the Author, Content, and visibility.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-comment-edit-comment.cs

using IronXL;
using System.Linq;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("addComment.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

Cell cellA1 = workSheet["A1"].First();

// Retrieve comment
var comment = cellA1.Comment;

// Edit comment
comment.Author = "Jane Doe";
comment.Content = "Bye World";
comment.IsVisible = true;

workBook.SaveAs("editComment.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports System.Linq

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("addComment.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

Private cellA1 As Cell = workSheet("A1").First()

' Retrieve comment
Private comment = cellA1.Comment

' Edit comment
comment.Author = "Jane Doe"
comment.Content = "Bye World"
comment.IsVisible = True

workBook.SaveAs("editComment.xlsx")

$vbLabelText $csharpLabel

Remove Comment Example

Remove a comment from a cell by first accessing the cell object. Then, call the RemoveComment method on the cell.

:path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/add-comment-remove-comment.cs

using IronXL;
using System.Linq;

WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("addComment.xlsx");
WorkSheet workSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet;

Cell cellA1 = workSheet["A1"].First();

// Remove comment
cellA1.RemoveComment();

workBook.SaveAs("removeComment.xlsx");

Imports IronXL
Imports System.Linq

Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("addComment.xlsx")
Private workSheet As WorkSheet = workBook.DefaultWorkSheet

Private cellA1 As Cell = workSheet("A1").First()

' Remove comment
cellA1.RemoveComment()

workBook.SaveAs("removeComment.xlsx")

$vbLabelText $csharpLabel

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a comment in Excel?

A comment in Excel is a note or annotation that can be added to a cell to provide additional information without affecting the actual content of the cell. It is used for explanations, context, or reminders about the data or calculations in a specific cell.

How can I add a comment to an Excel cell?

To add a comment to an Excel cell using IronXL, first download the C# library from NuGet. Then, use the AddComment method on the cell object to add a comment.

How do I edit a comment in an Excel cell?

To edit a comment in an Excel cell using IronXL, access the Comment property of the cell. You can change the content, author, and visibility of the comment using this object.

How can I remove a comment from an Excel cell?

To remove a comment from an Excel cell using IronXL, access the cell object and call the RemoveComment method on it.

How do I save changes to an Excel workbook after adding or editing comments?

After adding or editing comments in an Excel workbook using IronXL, save the changes by calling the Save method on the WorkBook object.

Is it necessary for the comment to be visible immediately after being added?

No, by default, comments are invisible in Excel. You can hover over the cell to see the comment.

What is required to enable comment functionality in an Excel file using C#?

To enable comment functionality in an Excel file using C#, you need to download and install the IronXL.Excel library.

Can I update the author of a comment?

Yes, you can update the author of a comment by accessing the Comment object of the cell and setting the Author property using IronXL.

Can I check if a cell already has a comment?

Yes, you can check if a cell already has a comment by using the HasComment property of the cell with IronXL.

What programming language is used for manipulating Excel comments?

C# is the programming language used with IronXL for manipulating Excel comments.

Chaknith related to Remove Comment Example

Chaknith Bin

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Software Engineer

Chaknith is the Sherlock Holmes of developers. It first occurred to him he might have a future in software engineering, when he was doing code challenges for fun. His focus is on IronXL and IronBarcode, but he takes pride in helping customers with every product. Chaknith leverages his knowledge from talking directly with customers, to help further improve the products themselves. His anecdotal feedback goes beyond Jira tickets and supports product development, documentation and marketing, to improve customer’s overall experience.When he isn’t in the office, he can be found learning about machine learning, coding and hiking.