How to View Comments in PowerPoint: Simple Slide Review Process

I lost a client presentation once because I missed a comment buried in PowerPoint. That was the last time.

The review pane hides in plain sight—one click reveals every note, edit, and suggestion across your slides. Works the same in Windows or Mac, though the menu path differs slightly between versions.

You’ll spot all feedback instantly, reply directly in the pane, and resolve comments without hunting through each slide. The process takes under 30 seconds once you know where to look.

Even my most disorganized teammates now catch every edit before finalizing decks. Here’s how to make it foolproof.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the straightforward process I use to review and manage feedback in any presentation.

Launch PowerPoint and open your presentation. Navigate to the Review tab in the ribbon at the top of the window. Here’s the thing—I always start here because the Comments group is where all the magic happens.

Click Show Comments to open the Comments pane on the right side of the screen. If there are existing comments, you’ll see them listed immediately. If not, the pane will be empty but ready for new ones.

In the Comments pane, you’ll see a list of all comments sorted by slide and timestamp. Click any comment to jump directly to the relevant slide. The comment will be highlighted, and the associated text or object will be selected.

Use the Previous and Next buttons in the Comments group to cycle through comments sequentially. This is efficient for reviewing feedback without missing anything. I like to use the keyboard shortcut Alt+R, C to toggle the Comments pane if I need more screen space.

To address a comment, click the Reply box below it and type your response. If the comment is resolved, click the Resolve button—it will be marked as complete and dimmed in the list.

For comments you want to keep visible but no longer active, right-click the comment and select Delete. Be careful here, as this removes the comment permanently. Resolving is always safer if you’re unsure.

At the top of the Comments pane, use the dropdown menu to filter comments by All Reviewers, Current User, or specific reviewers. This is useful when collaborating with multiple people.

You can also sort comments by Date (newest or oldest) or by Author. Sorting by date helps prioritize recent feedback, while sorting by author lets you focus on one reviewer’s input at a time.

Once you’ve reviewed all comments, close the Comments pane and save your presentation. To ensure nothing was missed, reopen the Comments pane and verify that all unresolved comments are addressed.

If you’re sharing the presentation for further review, make sure the file includes the comments. PowerPoint saves them automatically with the presentation, but it’s good practice to double-check before sending.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These practical insights will help you streamline the comment review process in PowerPoint.

The Shortcut Advantage: In Step 2, using the Alt+R, C keyboard shortcut to toggle the Comments pane saves significant time when you need to maximize screen space for viewing slides. I rely on this constantly during collaborative reviews.

Navigation Efficiency: For Step 2’s comment cycling, remember the Previous and Next buttons work chronologically by timestamp, not slide order. This helps you follow the natural flow of feedback as it was received.

Safety First: In Step 3, always prefer Resolving over Deleting comments when unsure. I learned this after accidentally removing important feedback that needed to be addressed later. The resolved comments remain visible but marked as complete.

Final Check: For Step 5’s verification, I recommend doing a final pass with the Comments pane closed to simulate how others will view your presentation. This helps catch any unresolved comments that might have been overlooked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now you know how to easily view and manage comments in PowerPoint! 🎯 Whether you’re reviewing feedback or collaborating with others, these steps will keep your presentations polished. Ready to put this into practice? Open your next slide deck and try it out—you’ve got this!