Office Settings & Configuration

How to Make Word 2016 Comments Appear in the Margins

Guest Writer Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to display Word 2016 comments and tracked changes fully in the document margins rather than as collapsed balloon markers.

How to Make Word 2016 Comments Appear in the Margins

Product: Microsoft Word 2016
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing a document containing comments and tracked changes.
Observed behavior: Comments and tracked changes appear as small balloon markers instead of displaying their full text in the side margins.

Before you start

Ensure your document has existing comments or tracked changes before adjusting the view settings, and verify that your Word application window is wide enough to display the side markup area.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust the Markup Display Settings

The most common reason for hidden or collapsed comments is an incorrect view configuration in the Review tab.

Word allows you to customize how revisions and comments are displayed. If 'Simple Markup' is selected, or if balloon settings are disabled, comments will collapse into small icons instead of showing the full text.

Access the Review tab

Open your document in Word 2016 and navigate to the Review tab on the top ribbon.

Set display to All Markup

In the Tracking group, click the 'Display for Review' drop-down menu and select 'All Markup'.

Enable comments in Show Markup

Click the 'Show Markup' drop-down menu and ensure there is a checkmark next to 'Comments'.

Force revisions into balloons

Under the same 'Show Markup' menu, hover over 'Balloons' and select 'Show Revisions in Balloons'. This will force the comments to expand into the right margin.

View Restored: Your comments should now be fully visible on the right side of the document. If they still do not appear, try zooming out slightly so Word has enough screen space to render the margin.

Solution 2

Use the Reviewing Pane as a Workaround

If you are working on a small screen where margins cannot display properly, you can read all comments via the Reviewing Pane.

Solution 3

Troubleshoot with Safe Mode and Office Repair

If the settings are configured correctly but comments remain broken, an add-in conflict or software corruption might be the cause.

Seamless Document Review

Easily Manage Comments and Tracked Changes in WPS Writer

If you are experiencing compatibility issues or interface glitches with older versions of Word, WPS Writer provides a modern, fast, and highly compatible environment for reviewing documents and managing margin comments.

1. Open your document in WPS: Launch WPS Writer and open the document containing the comments or tracked changes.
2. Go to the Review tab: Click on the Review tab located on the top ribbon.
3. Enable markup display: Ensure the 'Track Changes' toggle is active and select 'All Markup' in the tracking drop-down to make margin comments visible.
4. Interact with comments: Click directly on any comment balloon in the right margin to edit, reply, or resolve the discussion.

100% compatible with Microsoft Word .doc and .docx formatsClear, easy-to-read margin comment balloons by defaultIntuitive Review tab identical to traditional Office layoutsLightweight software that runs smoothly on older and newer PCs

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'Show Comments' option grayed out in Word?

This usually happens if there are no comments present in the document, or if the document is protected against editing. Ensure the document actually contains comments and that you have the necessary permissions to edit it.

Can I print my document with the comments showing in the margins?

Yes. Go to File > Print, click on the Print Settings drop-down menu (which usually says 'Print All Pages'), and verify that 'Print Markup' is checked at the bottom of the list. The preview will update to show the margin comments.

Why do tracked text changes appear inline while comments are in balloons?

This split view is controlled by the Balloons setting under the Show Markup menu. If you select 'Show Only Comments and Formatting in Balloons', Word will keep text insertions and deletions inline within the paragraphs while moving comments to the side margin.

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