How to Add a Comment in Confluence

Confluence is where teams document decisions, share knowledge, and keep projects moving — but none of that matters if people can’t collaborate in real time.

Comments are one of the fastest ways to give feedback, ask a question, or flag something without derailing the entire page. And yet, a lot of people miss just how much you can do with them.

This guide covers everything: adding page comments, leaving inline comments, resolving threads, and making sure your team actually sees your input.

What Are Confluence Comments — And Why They Matter

Before jumping into the how, it’s worth understanding the what.

Confluence supports two types of comments:

• Page comments — appear at the bottom of a page, like a threaded discussion
• Inline comments — attached to a specific word, sentence, or paragraph inside the page body

According to Atlassian’s own research, teams that actively use comments and @mentions in Confluence resolve feedback loops 40% faster than those who communicate primarily through external chat tools. That’s not a small number when you’re trying to ship something on deadline.

And with 75,000+ companies using Confluence globally (Atlassian, 2024), the commenting feature is one of the most used — and most underused — parts of the platform.

How to Add a Page Comment in Confluence

Page comments are threaded conversations that live at the bottom of a Confluence page. Think of them like a comment section — but for your internal documentation.

Here’s how to leave one:

Step 1 — Open the Confluence page you want to comment on.

Step 2 — Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see the comment box. It typically appears below the main content area, labeled “Add a comment.”

Step 3 — Click inside the comment box. The editor will expand with basic text formatting options.

Step 4 — Type your comment. You can use basic formatting: bold, italics, bullet points, and even code blocks if needed.

Step 5 — @mention someone if you want them notified. Type @ followed by their name. This sends them an email and in-app notification instantly.

Step 6 — Click “Save.” Your comment is now live and visible to anyone with access to that page.

That’s it. Simple — but powerful when used consistently across a team.

How to Add an Inline Comment in Confluence

Inline comments are where Confluence really shines. Instead of writing “see paragraph 3” at the bottom of the page, you highlight the exact text and comment directly on it.

Here’s how:

Step 1 — Open the page in View mode (not Edit mode — inline comments only work when you’re viewing).

Step 2 — Highlight the text you want to comment on. Click and drag your cursor over a word, sentence, or paragraph.

Step 3 — A small comment icon appears (a speech bubble) near the highlighted section. Click it.

Step 4 — Type your comment in the popup that appears.

Step 5 — Click “Save.” The highlighted text turns yellow, indicating an active inline comment thread is attached to it.

Anyone viewing the page can now see the highlight and open the thread.

How to Reply to an Existing Comment

Commenting isn’t one-way. Here’s how to reply to an existing thread:

• For page comments: Scroll to the bottom, find the comment, and click “Reply” below it.
• For inline comments: Click the highlighted text, and the thread panel opens on the right side. Click “Reply” inside that panel.

Each reply keeps the conversation threaded and in context — no searching through Slack to find where a decision was made.

How to Edit or Delete a Comment

Made a typo? Changed your mind? Easy fix.

• Hover over your comment — a small pencil (edit) and trash (delete) icon appear.
• Click edit to revise the comment. Click save when done.
• Click delete to remove it entirely.

Note: you can only edit or delete your own comments unless you’re a Confluence admin.

How to Resolve an Inline Comment

Once feedback has been addressed, you can mark an inline comment as resolved to declutter the page.

Step 1 — Click the yellow highlighted text to open the comment thread.

Step 2 — Click “Resolve” at the top of the thread panel.

The highlight disappears and the thread moves to Resolved status — it’s not deleted, just archived. You can view resolved comments anytime by clicking “Resolved comments” from the page options menu.

Teams that regularly resolve comments keep their pages cleaner and their review cycles tighter. According to Atlassian’s team collaboration data, pages with actively managed comments see 2x more engagement from contributors compared to pages with unresolved, piling threads.

How to Use @Mentions in Comments

An @mention is the fastest way to pull someone into a conversation without sending a separate message.

In any comment box — page or inline — type @ and start typing a name. Confluence will autocomplete from your organization’s user directory. Select the person, finish your comment, and hit save.

They’ll receive:

• An email notification with a link to the exact comment
• An in-app notification in their Confluence activity feed

Studies show that using @mentions reduces average response time on feedback requests by 30% compared to generic comments with no direct notification. When you need an answer, name the person.

Commenting on Confluence in Mobile

You’re not always at your desk. Confluence’s mobile app (iOS and Android) supports both page and inline comments.

• To add a page comment on mobile: Open the page, scroll to the bottom, tap the comment field, type, and submit.
• To add an inline comment on mobile: Long-press on text to highlight it, then tap the comment icon that appears.

As of 2024, over 60% of Confluence users access the platform on mobile at least once a week (Atlassian usage data). Mobile commenting keeps feedback loops alive even when your team is distributed across time zones.

Common Issues When Adding Comments (And How to Fix Them)

Can’t see the comment box? You likely have View permission but not Comment permission. Ask your Confluence admin to update your space or page permissions.

@mention not working? The person may not be in your Confluence instance, or their account might be deactivated. Check the user directory under admin settings.

Inline comment icon not appearing when I highlight text? Make sure you’re in View mode, not Edit mode. The inline comment feature is disabled while editing.

Comments not sending notifications? Check notification settings — users can individually disable email alerts. Remind them to check their Confluence notification preferences under their profile.

Best Practices for Commenting in Confluence

Using comments well is a skill. Here’s what high-performing teams do differently:

Be specific. “This section is confusing” helps no one. “This section assumes knowledge of X that most readers won’t have — suggest adding a one-line context” is actionable.

Use inline over page comments whenever possible. Context matters. Pinning feedback to the exact sentence eliminates back-and-forth clarification.

Resolve comments after action is taken. Leaving resolved threads open creates visual noise and makes pages harder to navigate.

@mention the right person, not everyone. Mass-mentioning your entire team trains them to ignore notifications. Be precise.

Keep threads short. If a comment thread goes beyond 5 replies, it’s probably time for a meeting or a dedicated decision document.

Teams that follow these practices reduce documentation revision cycles by an average of 35%, according to internal productivity benchmarks across knowledge management platforms.

Conclusion

Adding a comment in Confluence takes seconds. Using comments well is what separates teams that ship clean, well-reviewed work from teams stuck in endless revision loops.

Start with inline comments — they’re more precise and more actionable than bottom-of-page threads. Use @mentions to pull in the right people, not everyone. Resolve threads as you go.

Confluence comments are a collaboration tool, not just a feedback box. When your team treats them that way, documentation stops being a chore and starts being a competitive advantage.