How to Configure Word Co-authoring to Require Comment Approval Before Resolution

When multiple people edit the same Word document, comments often get resolved without the original author seeing the response. This can lead to missed feedback and rework. Word co-authoring does not have a built-in setting that locks resolution behind approval. However, you can enforce a workflow using Microsoft 365 Groups, SharePoint document libraries, and Power Automate to require comment approval before resolution.

This article explains how to set up a comment approval system using a SharePoint library with versioning and a Power Automate flow. The system prevents anyone from marking a comment as resolved until the comment author approves the resolution. You will learn the exact steps to configure this workflow in Word for Microsoft 365.

Why Word Co-authoring Lacks a Native Comment Approval Feature

Word co-authoring allows multiple users to edit a document simultaneously. Comments are a core part of this collaboration. When a user resolves a comment, Word removes the comment bubble from the document. There is no native setting to require the original comment author to approve the resolution. This is by design: Word treats comments as lightweight feedback, not as formal approval items.

To enforce an approval step, you must move the document to a SharePoint library that supports content approval and versioning. Then you use Power Automate to listen for comment resolution events and send an approval request. The document remains in a draft state until the comment author approves the resolution.

What You Need Before Starting

You need the following items to set up this workflow:

• A Microsoft 365 subscription that includes SharePoint Online and Power Automate
• Owner permissions on a SharePoint site where you will create the document library
• A Microsoft 365 Group with the document co-authors as members and the comment authors as owners (or a separate security group)
• Power Automate license (included with most Microsoft 365 Business plans)

Steps to Configure Comment Approval Before Resolution in Word Co-authoring

Follow these steps to set up the approval workflow. Steps 1 through 4 configure the SharePoint library. Steps 5 through 7 build the Power Automate flow.

1. Create a SharePoint Document Library with Content Approval
   Go to your SharePoint site. Select Settings > Add an app > Document Library. Name it CommentApprovalDocs. After creation, click the gear icon, select Library Settings, then Versioning settings. Under Content Approval, select Yes to require approval of items. Under Document Version History, select Create major versions and set Keep the following number of major versions to at least 10. Click OK.
2. Set Up a Microsoft 365 Group for Approval Roles
   Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center. Create a new group named CommentApprovers. Add the users who will be comment authors to this group. Give these users Owner role in the group so they can approve. Add all co-authors as Members. This group will be used in the Power Automate approval step.
3. Upload Your Word Document to the Library
   Open the CommentApprovalDocs library. Drag your Word document into the library. The document will appear with a status of Pending because content approval is enabled. You must approve the first version manually. Click the document, select the ellipsis (three dots), then Approve. Now the document is ready for co-authoring.
4. Enable Co-authoring in Word
   Open the document from the SharePoint library in Word for Microsoft 365. Click File > Info. Ensure AutoSave is toggled on. Co-authors can now open the same document and add comments. Comments are stored in the document’s metadata and are visible to all users.
5. Create a Power Automate Flow Triggered on Comment Resolution
   Go to Power Automate. Click Create > Automated cloud flow. Search for the trigger When a file is modified (SharePoint connector). Set the site address and library name to the ones you created. Add a step: Get file metadata to retrieve the file’s ID and version. Add another step: List comments (SharePoint connector) to get recent comments. Filter comments to find those with IsResolved = true and Author not equal to the person who resolved it.
6. Add an Approval Action for Each Resolved Comment
   Add a step: Start and wait for an approval. Set Approval type to Approve/Reject – First to respond. Set Assigned to to the comment author’s email (from the comment metadata). In the Details field, include the comment text and the name of the user who resolved it. Save the flow.
7. Handle the Approval Outcome
   Add a condition step: if the approval outcome equals Approve, do nothing — the comment remains resolved. If the outcome equals Reject, add a step: Update comment (SharePoint connector) to set IsResolved = false. This un-resolves the comment, making it visible again in Word. The user who attempted to resolve it will see the comment reappear and must wait for explicit approval.

If the Approval Workflow Does Not Work as Expected

Power Automate Flow Does Not Trigger When a Comment Is Resolved

The trigger When a file is modified fires on any change to the document, including comment resolution. If the flow does not trigger, check that the SharePoint library is correctly connected. Also confirm that the document is stored in the library, not on OneDrive. The flow only works for documents in SharePoint libraries with content approval enabled.

Comment Author Does Not Receive the Approval Request

The approval request is sent via email to the comment author. If the author does not receive it, check that the email address in the flow’s Assigned to field matches the author’s email. You can test by resolving a comment yourself and checking the flow run history in Power Automate. Look for errors in the approval step.

Co-authors Cannot Resolve Comments at All

If content approval is set to Require approval for all changes, every edit, including comment resolution, will put the document into a pending state. Co-authors may see a message that their changes are not saved until approved. To avoid this, set content approval to Only require approval for new files or use a separate approval flow that only checks comment resolution, not all edits.

Word Co-authoring With Approval vs Without Approval

Item	With Comment Approval Workflow	Without Comment Approval Workflow
Comment resolution control	Requires approval from comment author	Anyone can resolve any comment
Document versioning	Major versions with content approval	Auto-save with minor versions
Setup complexity	Requires SharePoint library and Power Automate	No setup needed
User experience	Comment reappears if rejected	Comment disappears immediately
Ideal for	Formal review cycles with sign-off	Quick feedback and informal editing

You can now set up a Word co-authoring environment where comment resolution requires explicit approval from the comment author. This workflow uses a SharePoint library with content approval and a Power Automate flow to enforce the rule. Start by testing the flow with a single document and a small group of users. For advanced control, modify the Power Automate flow to send a reminder if the approval request is not acted on within 24 hours.