Files extension
The discussion stays attached to the document
“Did we change clause 4?” — asked in chat, it gets lost; written as a comment on the contract, it stays there with the reply, the reaction and who read it. Comments sit on the file or the folder, with mentions that notify, threads that keep order and an unread counter.
Who sees whom, decided by the access level
How a comment’s author is shown is decided by the folder permissions, not a fixed list: full name, initials only, or “A user” for those who must not know who wrote — an external client seeing reviewers’ comments, for instance. Same logic for reactions: those with the permission see names, the others only the count. A comment can be addressed to a circle — a group or single people — and then only they see it, not even administrators; whoever lacks the permission to write them can still reply to those they receive. Editing your own comment after sending and deleting others’ are separate permissions; your own can always be deleted. Next to a read-only document, comments stay readable but cannot be written.
How it works
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Comment on the file or folder
From the Comments panel: write, mention with @, attach the question to the right document. Whoever is mentioned gets the notification; the others with access read it when they open.
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Reply in the thread, react
Replies sit under the comment, reactions next to it. The unread counter in the list says where something is new.
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Private, if needed
Choose the circle — “Legal only”, “Sara and Marco only” — and only they see the comment. Useful for the internal note on a file the client sees too.
The question about the document is asked on the document.
What you can do
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Name, initials or anonymous
Three renderings of the author, chosen per access level. The client sees “A user”, the colleague sees “Sara Colombo”.
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Private circles
To a group or chosen people: only they see it and get the notification. Nobody else, administrators included.
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Notify whom you choose
Beyond mentions, you can choose whom to alert: the others get nothing but read if they have access.
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Fine-grained permissions
Write, write private ones, edit your own, delete others’, see who reacted: five permissions under “View comments”.
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With approvals and states
A rejection in approval can require a mandatory comment; a state change is commented in the same thread.
Frequently asked questions
Are comments visible from public links?
No: comments are for those with access in Files. To collect an external person’s opinion there is acknowledgment with declaration, or Guest access.
Can I edit a comment after sending it?
If you have the “Edit own comments” permission. Without it, a published comment stays as it is and can only be deleted — the right choice where comments serve as minutes.
Does the administrator read private comments?
No. The circle is the circle: whoever is not in it does not see them, whatever their role.
The other Files features
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Alex