Why Notion ‘Comment Cannot Be Resolved’ After Original Author Removed

When a workspace member leaves your Notion workspace or is removed, comments they left on pages may become stuck in an unresolved state. You see the message “Comment Cannot Be Resolved” and the resolve button is grayed out or missing entirely. This happens because Notion ties each comment to its author account, and the permission to resolve a comment is limited to the comment author and workspace owners. This article explains the technical reason behind this restriction and provides the exact steps workspace owners can take to resolve these orphaned comments.

Why a Comment Becomes Unresolvable After the Author Is Removed

Notion stores each comment as a database record linked to the author’s user ID. When a workspace member is removed — either through manual removal, account deactivation, or the member leaving on their own — their user ID is deactivated in the workspace. The comment record still exists, but the system checks the author’s permission before allowing the resolve action. If the author’s user ID is no longer active in the workspace, the system cannot verify the author’s intent to resolve, so it blocks the action for all non-owner users.

Only workspace owners retain the ability to resolve comments from removed members. This is by design: Notion treats comments as part of the page history, and the resolve action is considered a collaborative action that requires the author’s active participation. If you are a workspace owner, you can resolve the comment directly. If you are not an owner, the resolve button will be disabled.

The Difference Between Resolve and Delete

Resolving a comment hides it from the default comment thread view but keeps it in the page history. Deleting a comment removes it permanently. The delete action is available to any user with edit permissions on the page, regardless of the comment author’s status. If the goal is simply to clear the visual clutter of an unresolved comment, deleting it is the faster workaround for non-owner users.

Steps to Resolve a Comment After the Author Is Removed

The method you use depends on your role in the workspace. Workspace owners can resolve the comment directly. Non-owner users must either ask an owner to resolve it or delete the comment instead.

Method 1: Workspace Owners Resolve the Comment Directly

1. Open the page containing the stuck comment
   Navigate to the page in Notion where the comment appears. Click the comment icon in the top-right corner of the page to open the comment thread panel.
2. Locate the unresolved comment
   Scroll through the comment thread list. Unresolved comments have a colored dot next to them. The comment you want to resolve will show the message “Comment Cannot Be Resolved.”
3. Click the checkbox icon to resolve
   Hover over the comment. If you are a workspace owner, a small checkbox icon appears in the top-right corner of the comment bubble. Click it. The comment changes to a resolved state and the colored dot disappears.

Method 2: Non-Owner Users Delete the Comment

1. Open the comment thread
   Click the comment icon on the page to open the comment panel.
2. Click the three-dot menu on the comment
   Hover over the stuck comment and click the three-dot icon that appears in the top-right corner of the comment bubble.
3. Select Delete from the menu
   Click Delete in the dropdown menu. A confirmation dialog appears. Click Delete again. The comment is permanently removed. This does not require the original author or owner permissions.

Method 3: Reactivate the Removed Member Temporarily

1. Go to Settings & Members
   Click Settings & Members in the left sidebar. Then click the Members tab.
2. Find the removed member
   Scroll to the bottom of the member list. Removed members appear under the Inactive Members section. Click the member’s name to open their profile.
3. Click Reactivate
   Click the Reactivate button. The member regains access to the workspace. Their comments become resolvable again. After you resolve the comment, you can remove the member again if needed.

If Notion Still Blocks Resolving After These Steps

In some cases, the comment may still not resolve even after following the steps above. Here are additional scenarios and their fixes.

Comment Belongs to a Guest, Not a Full Member

Guests who have been removed from a page also leave unresolvable comments. The reactivation method works for guests as well. Go to Settings & Members > Guests, find the guest, and click Reactivate. Resolve the comment, then remove the guest again.

Comment Was Left by a Deleted Account

If the author’s entire Notion account was deleted — not just removed from the workspace — the user ID no longer exists anywhere. Reactivation is impossible. In this case, only a workspace owner can resolve the comment. If no owner is available, the comment must be deleted by someone with edit permissions on the page.

Page Permissions Restrict Comment Actions

If the page is in a shared database or a locked view, comment actions may be restricted regardless of the author’s status. Check the page permissions. Go to the page’s three-dot menu, click Page permissions, and ensure you have Full access or Can edit. If you only have Can comment, you cannot delete or resolve any comments.

Comment Actions by User Role

Action	Workspace Owner	Page Editor	Page Commenter
Resolve any comment	Yes	No	No
Resolve own comment	Yes	Yes	Yes
Delete any comment	Yes	Yes	No
Delete own comment	Yes	Yes	Yes

Workspace owners retain the most control over comments. Page editors can delete but not resolve comments from removed authors. Page commenters can only interact with their own comments.

Conclusion

The “Comment Cannot Be Resolved” message appears because Notion ties comment resolution to the author’s active account. Workspace owners can resolve these comments directly. Non-owner users can delete the comment instead, which clears it permanently. If you need to keep the comment history intact, ask a workspace owner to resolve it or temporarily reactivate the removed member using Settings & Members. For future prevention, consider setting a workspace policy that members resolve their own comments before leaving the workspace.