You may see the wrong name appear on new comments and notes in your Excel workbook. This happens because Excel uses a default user name stored in its settings. This name is attached to every new annotation you create. This article explains how to update this setting for both modern comments and legacy notes.
You will learn to change the author name for future annotations and edit existing ones. The process is different for comments and the older notes feature. Following these steps ensures your edits are correctly attributed.
Key Takeaways: Changing the Author Name in Excel
- File > Options > General > User name: This setting controls the author name for all new comments and notes you create.
- Right-click a comment > Edit Comment: Allows you to manually change the existing author name displayed in a specific comment thread.
- Review tab > Notes > Edit Note: Lets you directly edit the author name text shown in a legacy note.
Understanding Excel’s Author Name System
Excel stores a user name in its application options. This name is not your Microsoft account name or Windows login. It is a separate setting within Excel. Whenever you insert a new comment or note, Excel automatically prefixes it with this stored name.
Modern comments and legacy notes handle this author information differently. Comments are collaborative and store the author name as metadata. You can edit the displayed name after creation. Legacy notes are simpler. The author name is just plain text at the start of the note box. Changing the default name only affects future annotations, not existing ones.
Prerequisites for Changing Names
You need edit access to the workbook to change author names. Changing the default name requires access to Excel’s Options menu. To edit names on existing comments, you need permission to edit the comments themselves. The workbook does not need to be saved in a special format for this to work.
Steps to Update the Default Author Name
Use this method to set a new name for all future comments and notes. This change applies across all your workbooks until you change it again.
- Open Excel Options
Click the File tab in the ribbon. Select Options at the bottom of the navigation pane. - Navigate to General Settings
In the Excel Options dialog box, select the General category from the left sidebar. - Change the User Name
Locate the Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office section. Find the User name field. Delete the current text and type your preferred name. Click OK to save and close the dialog.
Any new comment or note you create will now show this updated name. Existing annotations will keep their original author names.
Editing Author Names on Existing Comments
For modern comments, you can edit the displayed author name directly in the thread.
- Select the Comment
Click on the cell containing the comment. The comment thread pane will open on the right side of the window. - Edit the Comment Text
Hover your mouse over the comment in the thread. Click the three-dot menu icon that appears. Select Edit from the dropdown menu. - Modify the Author Name
The comment text becomes editable. The author name is the first part of the text, followed by a colon. Select and delete the old name. Type the new name. Click the checkmark icon to save the edit.
Editing Author Names on Legacy Notes
For the older Notes feature, the process involves editing the note text directly.
- Open the Note for Editing
Right-click the cell containing the note. From the context menu, select Edit Note. The note text box will open with a cursor. - Replace the Name Text
The author name appears at the very beginning of the note. Use your mouse or keyboard to select the name text. Type the new name to replace it. - Save the Change
Click anywhere outside the note text box. This action saves the change automatically.
Common Mistakes and Limitations
Name Change Does Not Affect Existing Annotations
Changing the default user name in File > Options only applies to new items. It does not retroactively update comments or notes already in the workbook. You must edit those individually using the methods above.
Collaborative Editing Can Override Names
In shared workbooks with AutoSave on, other users’ comments will show their own default user names. You cannot change another user’s author name on their comments unless you edit the comment text directly, which may be misleading.
Notes Lack True Author Metadata
Legacy notes do not store the author as separate data. The name is simply the first words in the text box. If you delete it, there is no record of who originally created the note. Modern comments are better for tracking authorship.
Modern Comments vs. Legacy Notes: Author Name Handling
| Item | Modern Comments | Legacy Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Author Storage | Stored as editable metadata within the comment thread | Stored as plain text at the start of the note box |
| Edit Method | Use the three-dot menu in the comment thread and select Edit | Right-click the cell and select Edit Note |
| Default Name Source | File > Options > General > User name | File > Options > General > User name |
| Change Existing Items | Edit the comment text to change the displayed name | Edit the note text to replace the name characters |
| Collaboration Impact | Shows each collaborator’s own user name | Shows the name of the person who last edited the text |
You can now control which name appears on your Excel comments and notes. Update the default in Excel Options for all new work. Edit individual comments and notes to correct old attributions. For better collaboration, use modern comments instead of legacy notes. Use the Review tab to convert existing notes to comments for more control.