You may want to add a visual aid, like a chart or a product photo, directly into a cell’s comment box in Excel. Standard comments only allow text, which can limit your ability to provide clear, visual context. Excel’s threaded comments also do not support embedded images. This article explains how to use the legacy comment feature to insert a picture that appears when you hover over a cell.
Key Takeaways: Inserting Images into Excel Comments
- Insert > Comment (Legacy): Opens the classic comment box where you can format the border and insert an image object.
- Right-click comment border > Format Comment: Opens the dialog to change the comment’s size, color, and other properties to better fit an image.
- Format Comment > Colors and Lines > Fill Effects > Picture: The specific path to select an image file to use as the comment’s background.
Understanding Excel’s Comment Types and Image Support
Excel offers two types of annotations: threaded notes and legacy comments. The modern threaded notes, accessible via Review > New Note, are designed for collaboration and do not support inserting pictures. To add an image, you must use the older comment format. This legacy comment creates a text box with a yellow background that appears when you hover your mouse over the cell. Because it is a formatted drawing object, you can customize its fill with a picture from your computer.
The image becomes the background of the entire comment box. You can resize the comment to frame the picture correctly. The text in the comment will appear on top of the image, so using a simple, low-contrast picture often works best for readability. This feature works in Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016.
Steps to Insert a Picture into a Cell Comment
Follow these steps to add a background image to a classic Excel comment. Ensure you have the image file saved on your computer before you begin.
- Insert a legacy comment
Right-click the cell where you want the comment. From the context menu, select Insert Comment. If your Excel version shows New Note, click that, then right-click the note and select Convert to Comment to get the legacy yellow box. - Open the Format Comment dialog
Right-click the dotted border of the comment box. Do not click inside the text area. From the menu that appears, select Format Comment. - Navigate to Fill Effects
In the Format Comment dialog box, click the Colors and Lines tab. In the Fill section, click the Color drop-down menu. Select Fill Effects at the bottom of the list. - Select your picture
In the Fill Effects dialog, click the Picture tab. Then, click the Select Picture button. Use the file browser to locate and select your image file. Click Insert. - Apply and resize the comment
Click OK in the Fill Effects dialog, then click OK in the Format Comment dialog. Your image will now fill the comment. Click and drag the sizing handles on the comment’s border to adjust the box to fit the image as desired.
Using the Review Tab for Legacy Comments
If the right-click method does not show Insert Comment, you can use the ribbon. Click the cell, then go to the Review tab. In the Comments group, click the small arrow under New Comment. If the option says New Comment, click it. If it says New Note, click it, then convert it as described in Step 1. The rest of the formatting steps are identical.
Common Mistakes and Limitations to Avoid
Image Does Not Appear or Is Stretched
If the image does not show, you likely selected Fill Color instead of Fill Effects. Return to Format Comment > Colors and Lines and choose Fill Effects from the Color menu. If the image is distorted, the comment box shape does not match the image’s aspect ratio. Right-click the border, select Format Comment, go to the Size tab, and lock the aspect ratio. You can also manually stretch the box with the mouse while holding Shift to keep proportions.
Comment Shows as a Threaded Note
Excel may default to the new threaded notes. To change the default, go to File > Options > General. Under User Interface options, uncheck the box for ‘Use Office 2016 style threaded comments…’. This setting makes Insert Comment create the legacy style by default. Existing notes must be converted manually.
Text Is Not Readable Over the Image
A busy image makes text hard to read. In the Format Comment dialog, go to the Colors and Lines tab. You can increase the Transparency slider under Fill to let more of the image show through, which may wash it out slightly. A better method is to choose a simpler image or add a semi-transparent shape behind the text, though this requires more advanced editing of the comment object.
Legacy Comment vs. Threaded Note: Feature Comparison
| Item | Legacy Comment (For Images) | Threaded Note (Modern) |
|---|---|---|
| Image Support | Yes, as background fill | No |
| Default Trigger | Mouse hover | Click on cell indicator |
| Visual Style | Yellow box, user-resizable | Grey bubble, fixed size |
| Collaboration Features | Basic reply, no @mentions | Full threading, @mentions, resolved status |
| Insert Method | Right-click > Insert Comment or Review > New Comment | Right-click > New Note or Review > New Note |
You can now add product images, mini-charts, or logos directly into cell comments that pop up on hover. For a next step, try grouping comments with images by holding Ctrl and selecting multiple cells to format at once. An advanced tip is to use a very small, icon-sized image and set the comment size to match exactly, creating a clean hover icon without needing to resize.