Commenting in Whimsical files

Note: If you’re on our Starter Plan, you can only invite others to collaborate as viewers in files located in "My Files" section, so they won't be able to add comments to your files. In the "Teams" section, you can collaborate on 3 boards and unlimited docs.

Adding commentsLink to this section

If you’re an editor:

  1. Right-click anywhere on the canvas you'd like to add your comment to > Add comment.
  2. Select any object or text, then click the comment icon from the toolbar.
  3. Use the keyboard shortcut CMD OPT M (Mac) or CMD ALT M (PC).

If you're a viewer:

  1. Right-click anywhere on the canvas you'd like to add your comment to > Add comment.
  2. Click the comment icon at the top-left corner of the canvas to enable comment mode.
  3. Use the keyboard shortcut C

You can use several rich text formatting options in comments, such as bold, italics, quotes, file mentions, code snippets, and images. Here’s an example of all the text styling options available in comments:


Editing, moving and deleting commentsLink to this section

To edit a comment, click ... > Edit > Save.

To delete a comment you've posted, click ... > Delete. Deleting comments can be undone.

To move a comment, click on your avatar and drag the comment to your preferred spot. Moving comments can be undone. Note that moving comments is only possible in boards where you have edit permissions.


Receiving and replying to comments via emailLink to this section

Receiving email notificationsLink to this section

When you post a new comment, you'll see who will receive an email notification about your comment:

You’ll receive email notifications for new comments if:

  • You created the file
  • You’re the author of the sticky note that receives a comment
  • You’re the author of the annotation that receives a comment
  • You're already part of the comment thread
  • You've opted in to receive notifications for all comments in the file
  • Someone mentions you in a comment

Replying to comments via emailLink to this section

After receiving an email notification, you can also add a comment directly from your email by replying to the email notification you've received. Email replies support rich text formatting and images, however, it's not possible to mention a specific person from your workspace when replying to comments via email.


Viewing and resolving commentsLink to this section

There are four states that comments can be in:

  • Unread comments: You'll see the avatar of the first commenter in full color with the total count of comments that you haven't yet read.
  • Read comments: Once you've read the comments, the avatar will be shown with toned- down colors, and no count.
  • Comment drafts: If you haven't yet published your comment, you’ll see a pencil icon next to the avatar of the first commenter.
  • Resolved comments: Resolved comments will show a purple checkmark next to the avatar of the first commenter.

When viewing cards, you'll see the total count of unread comments in a solid icon. After all comments are read, you'll see an empty icon:

New comments in a doc discussion will show a small unread indicator (purple dot):


Reacting to commentsLink to this section

For a lightweight response to comments, you can add reactions too. Hover over the smiley face icon and choose from 😁, 👍, 🎉, 👀, ➕ or 🙏.

All comment reactions will be shown below the comment, with a total count for each:

Tip: Hovering over a reaction will show you everyone who reacted.

Click on an existing reaction to remove it:


Comment settingsLink to this section

To change comment settings, click on the Comments icon in the top right corner:

The comment sidebar will pop up, and you'll see Comment Settings at the bottom of the screen. You can change the following settings.


Show comments on the boardLink to this section

If you want to see all the commented elements in a board, check Show Comments on the Board. To hide all comments on the board, uncheck the box. You will still be able to see them in the comment sidebar.

Tip: You can also show or hide comments on a board with the keyboard shortcut SHFT + OPT + C on Mac or SHFT + ALT + C on PC.


Show resolved commentsLink to this section

For resolved comments to be visible on the board as well as the comment sidebar, check Show resolved comments. Uncheck it if you want to hide resolved comments. When shown, resolved comments will appear greyed out in the comment sidebar.


Receive notifications for all commentsLink to this section

To subscribe to / unsubscribe from comment notifications via email, open the file that you want to unsubscribe from, click on the comment icon → Comment Settings → check / uncheck Receive Notifications for All Comments.

Note: Unsubscribing or subscribing only affects the specific file you're in.


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Written by:

  • Jack Jenkins

    Jack Jenkins