You open a SharePoint page and find that the comment box is missing, while other pages in the same site still allow comments. This problem occurs because SharePoint page comments are controlled by a combination of site-level settings and page-level settings, and a single page can have its comments turned off independently. This article explains the root cause of comments being disabled on one page and provides a step-by-step fix to enable comments again.
Key Takeaways: Restore Comments on a Single SharePoint Page
- Site settings > Site information > Allow comments: Must be set to Yes for comments to appear on any page.
- Page settings > Edit page > Comments section: Individual page comments can be enabled or disabled using the Comments web part.
- SharePoint admin center > Policies > Page commenting: Tenant-wide policy can override site and page settings.
Why Comments Are Disabled on a Single Page
SharePoint comments rely on a three-layer permission model. The tenant administrator can set a global policy that disables comments for all sites. The site owner can then enable or disable comments at the site level in the site settings. Finally, each page has its own Comments web part that can be removed or hidden. If comments are missing on only one page, the most likely cause is that the Comments web part was removed or that the page was created from a template that did not include the Comments web part. A less common cause is that a site policy or tenant policy specifically targets that page type, such as the home page or a news post page.
Tenant-Level Policy
The SharePoint admin can set a tenant-wide policy under SharePoint admin center > Policies > Page commenting. If this policy is set to Off, comments are disabled on all pages across all sites. However, if only one page is affected, the tenant policy is probably not the cause.
Site-Level Setting
The site owner can turn off comments for the entire site in the Site Information panel. If comments are disabled at the site level, no page on that site will show comments. Again, if other pages on the same site have comments, this setting is not the issue.
Page-Level Web Part
Each SharePoint page that supports comments includes a Comments web part. This web part can be removed or hidden by someone with edit permissions on that page. If the web part is missing, no comment box appears. This is the most common reason comments are disabled on a single page.
Steps to Enable Comments on a Single Page
Follow these steps to restore the Comments web part on a specific page. You need at least Edit permissions on the page.
- Open the page in Edit mode
Navigate to the page where comments are disabled. Click the Edit button in the top-right corner of the page. The page enters edit mode, and the ribbon displays editing tools. - Check the page for the Comments section
Scroll to the bottom of the page. If you see a section labeled Comments or a placeholder that says Add a comment, the web part is present but may be hidden. If you see no such section, the web part is missing. - Add the Comments web part
If the Comments section is missing, place your cursor at the bottom of the page. Click the plus (+) icon to open the web part picker. Search for Comments. Select the Comments web part from the list. The web part is added to the page. - Configure the Comments web part
After adding the web part, you can configure its settings. Click the Edit web part icon (pencil icon) on the Comments web part. In the property pane, ensure that the Allow comments toggle is set to On. Close the pane. - Publish the page
Click the Publish button in the top-right corner. The page is published with the Comments web part enabled. View the published page to confirm that the comment box appears.
If Comments Still Do Not Appear After the Fix
If you added the Comments web part and published the page but comments still do not appear, the issue is likely at the site or tenant level. Check the following settings in order.
Site-Level Comment Setting Is Off
Go to the site home page. Click the gear icon (Settings) and then click Site information. In the Site Information panel, find the Allow comments option. If it is set to Off, change it to On. Click Save. This enables comments for all pages on that site.
Tenant-Level Policy Disables Comments
If comments are still missing after enabling them at the site level, the tenant policy may be blocking them. Contact your SharePoint administrator. The administrator should go to the SharePoint admin center, click Policies, and then click Page commenting. If the policy is set to Off, the administrator can change it to On or to User can enable. After changing the policy, allow up to 24 hours for the change to propagate to all sites.
Team Site vs Communication Site: Comment Feature Differences
| Item | Team Site | Communication Site |
|---|---|---|
| Default comment setting | Enabled on all modern pages | Enabled on all modern pages |
| Comments on home page | Enabled by default | Enabled by default |
| Comments on news posts | Enabled by default | Enabled by default |
| Ability to remove Comments web part | Yes, with Edit permissions | Yes, with Edit permissions |
| Site-level comment toggle | Available in Site Information | Available in Site Information |
Now you can restore comments on a single SharePoint page by adding or reconfiguring the Comments web part. If the problem persists, check the site-level setting and the tenant policy. For advanced management, consider using PowerShell to enable comments across multiple pages at once with the Set-PnPPage cmdlet and the -CommentsEnabled parameter.