How to Navigate Only Your Own or Specific Comments in Word
Question details
The user wants to use the Next and Previous navigation commands to move exclusively through their own comments or visible comments, skipping over hidden comments from other reviewers.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing a multi-author document where comments from multiple reviewers exist, but only specific comments need attention during the current review pass.
- Observed behavior
- Even when other reviewers' comments are hidden using Simple Markup, the Next and Previous commands still navigate to and select those hidden comments.
Identify exactly which reviewers' comments you need to focus on before proceeding. Since you will need to filter and delete the remaining comments to force the navigation tool to work correctly, knowing your target reviewers beforehand streamlines the process.
Workaround: Save a Working Copy and Remove Unwanted Comments
Because Word's navigation tool processes all comments regardless of their visibility settings, the most effective method is to create a duplicate file and delete the comments you want to ignore.
Microsoft Word does not currently offer a native feature to navigate only among visible comments. Hiding comments visually does not remove their anchor points from the document's sequence, meaning the Next and Previous buttons will still detect them.
To bypass this limitation, you can utilize the 'Specific People' filter to permanently remove the distracting comments in a separate copy of your document.
Open your original document, go to 'File', select 'Save As', and save a copy with a new name (e.g., DocumentName_MyCommentsOnly.docx) so you do not lose the original data.
In the new document, navigate to the 'Review' tab. Click on 'Show Markup', hover over 'Specific People', and uncheck the names of the reviewers whose comments you want to keep. Only the reviewers whose comments you wish to delete should remain checked.
With only the unwanted comments visible, click the drop-down arrow below the 'Delete' button in the Comments group. Select 'Delete All Comments Shown' from the menu.
Go back to 'Show Markup' > 'Specific People' and recheck the remaining reviewers (or select 'All Reviewers'). You can now use the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons in the Review tab to navigate exclusively through the comments you kept.
Try WPS Office for a Seamless Review Experience
Tired of encountering navigation limitations in Microsoft Word? WPS Office is a free, lightweight, and user-friendly alternative that offers robust document reviewing and tracking features. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats, allowing you to manage document feedback smoothly.
- 1. Download and install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Microsoft Word (.docx) document.
- 3. Manage comments: Access the Review tab to seamlessly navigate, filter, and manage your document's comments and tracked changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I filter comments by a specific reviewer in Word?
Yes, you can visually filter comments by going to the Review tab, clicking 'Show Markup', hovering over 'Specific People', and checking or unchecking the names of the reviewers. However, this only hides the comments and does not stop the Next and Previous buttons from navigating to them.
Why do the Next and Previous buttons still find hidden comments?
Microsoft Word's navigation tool is designed to move sequentially through the document's underlying markup data. Hiding a comment in the display settings does not remove its background anchor from the text sequence, so the navigation tools still detect and select it.
Is there a shortcut to delete all comments from a specific person?
Yes. Go to Review > Show Markup > Specific People, and uncheck everyone except the person whose comments you want to delete. Then click the drop-down arrow on the Delete button in the ribbon and choose 'Delete All Comments Shown'.
