Fix Notion ‘Comment Mention Cannot Notify’ Specific Member Type

When you mention a specific member in a Notion comment, that member may not receive a notification. This problem occurs because Notion’s notification engine can fail to deliver mentions to guest accounts, members without edit access, or users whose account settings block notifications. This article explains why the mention notification fails for certain member types and provides actionable steps to restore notification delivery.

Why Notion Comment Mentions Fail to Notify Specific Member Types

Notion’s mention system relies on the member’s access level and notification preferences. When you type @ followed by a member’s name, Notion creates a mention and attempts to send a notification. The notification is delivered via the Notion app and, optionally, by email. However, three factors can block this notification:

Guest accounts lack automatic notification rights. A guest is a member who does not belong to your workspace’s main subscription. Guests can only access pages they are explicitly invited to. By default, guests receive notifications only if they have Can Edit permissions on the page where the mention occurs. If a guest has Can Comment or Can View access, Notion does not send the mention notification.

Full members may have disabled comment notifications. Each workspace member can customize their notification settings. If a member turned off email notifications for comments or disabled in-app notifications for mentions, they will not receive the alert.

The member may not have page access at all. If you mention a member who does not have any permission on the page, Notion will not send a notification. The mention still appears as plain text, but the system skips the notification delivery.

Steps to Restore Mention Notifications for a Specific Member Type

Follow these steps based on the member type you are trying to notify. Perform the steps in the order shown.

1. Identify the member type
   Open the page where the comment mention failed. Click Share in the top-right corner. In the Share menu, look at the list of members. Each member is labeled as Member or Guest. Write down the member’s current access level: Can View, Can Comment, or Can Edit.
2. Grant Can Edit access to a guest
   If the member is a Guest and has Can Comment or Can View access, change their permission to Can Edit. In the Share menu, click the dropdown next to the guest’s name and select Can Edit. Notion will now send mention notifications to this guest.
3. Verify the guest’s notification preference
   Ask the guest to open their own notification settings. The guest must click their profile picture in the top-left corner, select Settings & Members, then Notifications. Ensure Email notifications for Comments and mentions is turned on. If the guest is using the Notion desktop or mobile app, they should also check that in-app notifications are enabled.
4. Check a full member’s notification settings
   If the member is a full workspace member, they may have disabled comment notifications. Ask the member to navigate to Settings & Members > Notifications. Under Email notifications, confirm the toggle for Comments and mentions is enabled. Under In-app notifications, verify that Comments and mentions is toggled on.
5. Ensure the member has page access
   If the member does not appear in the Share list, they have no access to the page. Click Share > Add people, groups, or emails. Type the member’s name, select them, and assign at least Can Comment permission. After adding them, the mention notification will work.
6. Test the mention notification
   Type @ followed by the member’s name in a new comment on the same page. Press Enter to post the comment. Ask the member to check their Notion notification bell (top-left corner) and their email inbox. The notification should appear within a few seconds.

If Notion Still Fails to Deliver the Mention Notification

Mention shows as plain text but no notification arrives

This usually means the member does not have any page access. Follow step 5 above to add the member to the page. If the member already appears in the Share list but still does not receive the notification, confirm that their access level is at least Can Comment. Notion only sends mention notifications to members with Can Comment or Can Edit access.

Guest receives notification only sometimes

A guest may receive notifications intermittently if they have Can Edit access on some pages but Can View on others. Verify the permission for each page individually. If the guest needs frequent mentions, consider converting the guest to a full workspace member. Go to Settings & Members > Members, click the three dots next to the guest’s name, and select Convert to member. This action requires workspace owner or admin privileges.

Email notification works but in-app notification does not

The member may have disabled in-app notifications for comments. Ask the member to go to Settings & Members > Notifications. Under In-app notifications, ensure Comments and mentions is toggled on. Also check that the member’s browser or app has not muted Notion notifications at the operating system level.

Member Types and Their Mention Notification Behavior

Member Type	Default Mention Notification	Required Access Level
Full workspace member	Yes, if notifications are enabled	Can Comment or higher
Guest with Can Edit	Yes	Can Edit
Guest with Can Comment	No	Can Edit needed
Guest with Can View	No	Can Edit needed
Member not on the page	No	Must be added with Can Comment or higher

After applying the correct permission level and notification settings, the mention notification should reach the intended member. If you frequently mention guests, consider setting up a workspace-wide policy that grants Can Edit access to guests who need to be mentioned in comments. This approach avoids repeated permission adjustments.