Permission & Access Issues

How to Prevent Users from Deleting Excel Comments in OneDrive

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to configure Excel permissions in OneDrive so that collaborators can add or reply to comments but are prevented from deleting existing comments.

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating on shared Excel spreadsheets in OneDrive where comment preservation is required.
Observed behavior: Excel does not currently provide a native permission setting that separates adding/replying to comments from the ability to delete them.

Before you start

Verify that you have owner or administrator access to the shared Excel file in OneDrive before attempting to explore developer tools or adjust workbook permissions.

Solution 1Recommended

Acknowledge the Native Limitation and Submit Feedback

Since there is no built-in Excel setting for this specific permission combination, the primary action is to request the feature from Microsoft.

Currently, Microsoft Excel links the permission to add or reply to comments with the permission to delete them. If a user has sufficient access to interact with comments, they can also delete them. There is no native toggle in OneDrive or Excel to enforce comment immutability.

Open the Feedback Hub

Open your Excel application or Excel on the web, and navigate to the Help tab.

Submit a Suggestion

Click on 'Feedback' and select 'I have a suggestion' to open the Microsoft Feedback portal.

Detail the Request

Describe the need for a dedicated permission setting that allows users to add/reply to comments while preventing deletion, and submit it to the Excel Feedback Community.

Version History Workaround: If important comments are deleted, you can use OneDrive's Version History to view or restore previous iterations of the workbook.

Solution 2

Investigate Custom Controls via Office Scripts or Graph API

Advanced users and administrators can explore developer solutions, though these may not fully enforce strict immutability.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'Protect Sheet' to stop users from deleting comments?

Protecting a sheet in Excel can prevent structural changes to the cells, but if you allow users to edit objects to add comments, they typically retain the ability to delete the comments they can interact with.

Are deleted Excel comments permanently lost in OneDrive?

Not necessarily. Because the file is stored in OneDrive, you can access the file's Version History to view or restore a previous version of the workbook that still contains the deleted comments.

Is there a third-party add-in that prevents comment deletion?

Standard Excel add-ins cannot override the core file permission architectures of OneDrive and Excel. Stricter auditing and comment immutability generally require specialized enterprise document management systems.

Document & File Issues