File Sharing Problems

How to Receive Notifications for All Comments in Word Documents

John Wilson Oct 13, 2026 869 views

Question details

A collaboration team wants to receive email notifications for every comment made in a shared Word document, including those that do not use an @mention.

How to Receive Notifications for All Comments in Word Documents

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating on a shared document where team members need to track all feedback, edits, and general discussions without being explicitly tagged.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word only sends email notifications when a user is specifically tagged with an @mention, ignoring general comments.

Before you start

Ensure you are signed into your Microsoft 365 account and have access to the shared document's notification settings to verify your current @mention alert configurations.

Solution 1Recommended

Understand Built-in Limitations and Submit Feedback

Microsoft Word currently restricts email notifications to @mentions only, meaning there is no built-in toggle for all comments. Submitting a feature request is the official path forward.

Presently, there is no built-in Microsoft 365 setting that emails a user about every single comment in a document. The system is intentionally designed to reduce email fatigue by only notifying users when they are directly @mentioned.

Review current @mention functionality

Open your shared Word document and confirm that users are actively typing '@' followed by your name to trigger notifications.

Navigate to the Microsoft Feedback Portal

Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft Feedback portal for Microsoft 365 and Word.

Submit a feature request

Write a post requesting a toggle feature that allows document owners or collaborators to receive email notifications for all document comments, regardless of @mentions.

Understand Built-in Limitations and Submit Feedback

Notification Behavior: Until Microsoft updates this feature, remind your team members to explicitly @mention you if they need you to see a specific comment.

Solution 2

Use a VBA Macro for Custom Alerts

Advanced users can attempt to write a VBA macro that detects document changes and triggers an email, though this is highly complex.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Experience Seamless Document Collaboration with WPS Office

If you are frustrated by Microsoft Office limitations, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, free alternative that offers robust document formatting, familiar interfaces, and excellent commenting features for team collaboration.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and click the download button to get the free installation package.
2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to set up WPS Office on your computer.
3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word (.docx) files to continue collaborating with full comment compatibility.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats (.docx, .doc).Rich and intuitive commenting and track-changes tools for effective teamwork.Lightweight installation with incredibly fast document loading speeds.Completely free to download and use with a highly familiar user interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get an email if someone replies to a comment I started in Word?

Yes, if someone replies directly to a comment thread you initiated, or if they explicitly @mention you in their reply, Microsoft Word will typically send an email notification to alert you.

Why am I not receiving any @mention emails from Word?

This issue could be due to your organization's Microsoft 365 notification settings being disabled, the notification email landing in your spam folder, or the document not being saved to a shared cloud location like OneDrive or SharePoint.

Does WPS Office fully support Word document comments?

Yes, WPS Office fully supports adding, replying to, and managing comments in your documents. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Word's comment formats, ensuring seamless transition and collaboration.

Is there a third-party tool to notify me of all Word comments?

While standard Microsoft 365 does not offer this natively, some enterprise document management systems or third-party workflow tools like Microsoft Power Automate can be configured to alert you of general file modifications, though isolating these alerts strictly to new comments remains complex.

Document & File Issues