Inline Comments
Inline comments let you start a conversation about a specific piece of a document --- a sentence, a paragraph, an image, a table, or any other block --- without changing the document text itself. Comments live in the margin next to the content they refer to, so feedback always stays in context. They are perfect for reviewing drafts, asking questions, suggesting edits, and tracking decisions, right where they belong.
Each comment can grow into a threaded conversation with replies, emoji reactions, and @mentions, and you can mark a thread as resolved once it has been handled to keep the page tidy.
Adding a Comment
You can attach a comment to a precise selection of text or to a whole block.
Comment on selected text
- Select the words or sentence you want to comment on.
- In the floating toolbar that appears above your selection, click the comment icon (a speech bubble).
- A comment box opens next to your selection. Type your comment.
- Press Enter to post it (use Shift+Enter for a line break inside the comment).
The text you selected is highlighted to show it has a comment attached, and a marker appears in the margin.
Comment on a whole block
- Hover over any block (a paragraph, heading, image, table, and so on) and click the handle that appears to its left.
- Choose Comment from the menu, or press Ctrl+Shift+M (Cmd+Shift+M on Mac) while the block is highlighted.
- Type your comment and press Enter.
If the block contains text, Copera anchors the comment to that text. If the block has no text (for example, an image), the comment is attached to the block as a whole.
You can also start a comment from the block handle menu's Comment option even when nothing is selected --- it comments on the block your cursor is currently in.
Comment Markers and Threads
Every comment thread shows a small marker in the right margin, lined up with the content it refers to. The marker displays a count of how many messages are in the thread.
- Click a marker (or click the highlighted text) to open the thread.
- The highlighted text glows briefly so you can spot exactly what the conversation is about.
- Open the thread to read every message, post a reply, react, edit, or resolve.
Replying in a thread
Open a thread and type in the reply box at the bottom, then press Enter. Replies appear in order beneath the original comment, so the conversation reads naturally from top to bottom.
Reacting with emoji
Hover over any message in a thread and click the emoji icon to add a reaction. Reactions are a quick way to acknowledge a comment --- a thumbs-up to agree, for example --- without writing a full reply.
Mentioning people in a comment
Type @ inside a comment to mention a teammate. Start typing their name and pick them from the list. Mentioned people receive a notification that links straight to the comment. Use the @ button in the comment box as a shortcut to start a mention. See Mentions for more on how mentions work.
Attaching a file
Click the paperclip icon in the comment box to attach a file to your comment, or drag a file onto the box. This is handy for sharing a screenshot, a reference document, or any supporting material alongside your feedback.
Editing and deleting your comments
Open the thread, hover over your own message, and click the more options (three dots) menu:
- Edit --- Change the text of a comment you wrote. Edited comments are labelled so everyone knows they were changed.
- Delete --- Remove a comment you wrote. Deleting the first message of a thread removes the whole thread and its highlight from the document.
You can only edit or delete messages you wrote yourself.
Resolving Comments
When a comment has been addressed, mark it resolved to clear it from the page without losing the record.
- Open the thread.
- Click the check mark at the top of the thread.
The highlight and margin marker disappear from the document, but the conversation is preserved --- you can always find it again in the comments panel. The person who started the thread is notified when their comment is resolved.
Resolving is better than deleting when you want to keep a paper trail. Deleted threads are gone for good, while resolved threads stay searchable in the Resolved tab.
The Comments Panel
Open the comments panel to see every comment in the document in one place, grouped into tabs:
| Tab | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Open | Active comment threads that still need attention. |
| Resolved | Threads that have been marked resolved. |
| Orphaned | Threads whose anchored text or block was later deleted from the document (see below). |
| Unanchored | General comments that are not tied to a specific spot in the document. |
Each entry shows a snippet of the commented text, a preview of the latest message, and a label indicating whether it is anchored to a selection or a block.
- Click an open comment to jump to its location in the document --- the page scrolls to it, the text flashes, and the thread opens beside it.
- Click a resolved, orphaned, or unanchored comment to expand its full conversation right inside the panel.
Orphaned comments
If someone deletes the exact text or block a comment was attached to, the comment can no longer point to anything in the document. Rather than disappearing, it moves to the Orphaned tab so the conversation is never lost. You can still read the full thread there for reference.
Notifications
Comments keep the right people in the loop automatically. Copera sends a notification when:
- Someone replies to a thread you are part of.
- You are @mentioned in a comment --- this also appears in your mentions.
- Your comment is resolved by someone else.
Notifications arrive both in the app and by email (depending on your notification settings), and every notification links directly to the exact comment in the document, so a single click takes you straight to the conversation.
You can control whether you receive document-comment notifications in the app, by email, or both from your notification settings.
Who Can Comment
The ability to comment depends on the access you have been given for the document:
- Admins and Editors can comment, reply, react, and resolve.
- People with the Comments permission level can read the document and take part in comment threads, but cannot edit the document content.
- Viewers can read the document and its comments but cannot post.
See Sharing & Permissions for the full breakdown of permission levels.
Inline comments are an internal collaboration tool. They are never shown on public versions of a document --- when you publish a document to the web, its comments stay private to your workspace. Copera reminds you of this before you publish. See Sharing & Permissions for details.
Tips and Best Practices
Comment on a precise selection rather than a whole paragraph when your feedback is about a specific phrase --- the tighter the highlight, the clearer your point.
Use @mentions to pull the right person into a thread instead of writing "can someone check this" --- the mention guarantees they get notified.
Resolve threads as you work through them. A document with a clean Open tab is a document whose feedback has all been handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my comments be visible if I publish the document publicly?
No. Inline comments are part of your private workspace and are never included in the public version of a document. Copera shows you a reminder listing how many comments will stay hidden before you publish.
What happens to a comment if I delete the text it points to?
The comment is not lost. It moves to the Orphaned tab in the comments panel, where you can still read the full conversation.
Can I comment without being able to edit the document?
Yes. If you have the Comments permission level, you can read the document and take part in comment threads, but you cannot change the document's content.
How do I find a comment I made earlier?
Open the comments panel and check the relevant tab --- Open for active threads, or Resolved for ones that have been handled. Clicking a comment takes you to it (or expands it in the panel).
Can I react to a comment instead of replying?
Yes. Hover over any message and click the emoji icon to add a reaction --- a fast way to acknowledge a comment without typing.
Related Features
- Real-Time Collaboration --- See teammates' cursors and edits live as you work together.
- Mentions --- Reference people, documents, channels, and board rows inside your content and comments.
- Sharing & Permissions --- Control who can view, comment on, edit, or publish a document.
- Editor Overview --- Learn about the document editor and its blocks.