Document Editing Problems

How to Fix Word @Mentions Not Finding Contacts

Maira Mehtab Sep 27, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users are unable to tag other people using the @mention feature in Word comments, as the system fails to resolve other contacts.

How to Fix Word @Mentions Not Finding Contacts

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to tag a colleague or contact in a document comment using the @ symbol.
Observed behavior: Typing the @ symbol only shows the user's own name, failing to search or display other contacts from the organizational directory.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active internet connection and are signed into your Microsoft 365 account with the correct organizational credentials.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Organizational Directory and Account Permissions

Ensure the target contacts exist in your organization's directory and that your account has the appropriate permissions to search for them.

The @mentions feature relies on your Microsoft 365 account's ability to communicate with your company's Active Directory. If directory lookup permissions are restricted, Word will only be able to suggest your own name.

Sign into Microsoft 365

Open Microsoft Word, navigate to the 'Account' section via the 'File' menu, and confirm you are signed in with your work or school account rather than a personal one.

Confirm Contact Availability

Check your Outlook address book or Teams to verify that the contact you are trying to mention actually exists and is visible in the organizational directory.

Contact IT Administrator

If you are signed in correctly but still cannot see contacts, ask your IT administrator to verify that your account has not been restricted from performing directory lookups.

Verify Organizational Directory and Account Permissions

Account Syncing: Sometimes simply signing out of your Microsoft account within Word and signing back in can force a refresh of your address book cache.

Solution 2

Review Admin Configurations and PowerShell Settings

For IT administrators, resolving @mentions issues may require checking Exchange policies or running backend PowerShell commands.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Document Collaboration

If Microsoft 365 directory errors keep disrupting your collaborative workflow, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative for creating, editing, and sharing Word documents without complex Active Directory dependencies.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free WPS Office suite for your operating system.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my own name the only one appearing when I use @mentions in Word?

This typically happens when Word cannot connect to your organization's directory due to local network sync errors, incorrect Microsoft 365 account configurations, or strict directory lookup permissions.

Do I need administrator rights to fix @mention contact issues?

While you can fix basic local issues by signing out and signing back into your account, resolving backend directory sync issues or modifying Exchange policies requires an IT administrator with PowerShell access.

Can I mention people outside of my organization in Word comments?

By default, @mentions in Microsoft Word only search your internal organizational directory. Mentioning external guests requires specific Azure AD B2B configurations enabled by your IT administrator.

Why do @mentions work in the Word web app but not in the desktop application?

Desktop applications rely on a cached local address book and active background syncing. If the local cache becomes corrupted or desktop sync is blocked by a firewall, @mentions may fail locally while continuing to work online.

Document & File Issues