Comments hold the review history of a draft, so losing them when you reorganise files hurts. Google Docs only copies them as part of a whole-file copy. Everything else needs a workaround.
- Make a copy of a Google Doc with comments (whole file, built in)
- Why copy and paste drops comments
- Copy comments into another or an existing Doc (Merge Docs Pro)
- Take comments over to Word
Making a copy of a Google Doc with comments
Use this when you want a duplicate of the entire Doc, comments included.
- Open the Google Doc on a computer.
- Click File > Make a copy.
- Type a name and choose a folder for the copy.
- Tick Copy comments and suggestions. You can also choose to include resolved comments and suggestions.
- Click OK.
Result: A new Doc with the same content, open comments and suggested edits. Google describes this dialog in Create, view, or download a file.
Tip: Google also suggests this route when a Doc reaches its comment limit: resolve old threads, then make a copy and keep working in the copy. See Use comments, action items & emoji reactions.
The catch is that Make a copy works on the whole file only. You can’t pick a section, and you can’t send the comments to a Doc that already exists.
Copying and pasting text with comments
Use this section if you tried copy-paste and your comments vanished.
Google Docs has no option to paste comments along with text. When you copy a paragraph from one Doc and paste it into another, only the text and formatting arrive. The comment threads stay in the original Doc.
The same applies to the common workarounds:
- Paste special or paste without formatting only changes how the text looks.
- Moving text into a document tab is still a paste, so comments stay behind.
- Copying the comment text by hand loses the anchor, the replies and the original author.
If you need the comments in the destination, use a whole-file copy (above) or an add-on that recreates them (below).
Copying comments into an existing Google Doc
Use this when the comments must land in a different Doc: an existing master document, or a new Doc built from several sources.
Merge Docs Pro is a Google Docs add-on with a Copy comments from source documents (BETA) option. It is off by default, and the add-on remembers your choice.
- Open the Doc that should receive the content and comments.
- Click Extensions > Merge Docs Pro > Merge Multiple Docs into One.
- Under Merge Destination, choose Merge into current document. Choose Merge into a new Google Doc instead if you want a fresh file.
- Under Merge Options, tick Copy comments from source documents (BETA).
- Click Select Google Docs or Drive Files and Merge and pick the source Doc or Docs.
- Read the summary when the merge finishes. It says how many comments were copied.
Result: The source content is added to your Doc, and each comment thread is attached to the same text it was on before.
What to expect from the copied comments:
- Replies are copied, and resolved threads stay resolved.
- Authorship: you post the copied comments, and each one starts with “Originally by [name] on [date]”.
- Missing text: if the commented text wasn’t merged, the comment goes at the start of that document’s section with the original quote.
- No surprise emails: comments are never assigned to anyone, and the feature is designed not to email people mentioned in them.
- Not copied: suggested edits, and comments in files you can only view.
Because suggestions aren’t copied, accept or reject all suggestions in the source first. For combining many Docs at once, see how to merge Google Docs without losing comments.
Note: Copy comments is a Beta option in the Google Docs add-on, not yet in the Google Sheets add-on. The merged text is the same whether the option is on or off.
Taking Google Docs comments to Word
Use this when a reviewer works in Microsoft Word.
- Click File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).
- Open the file in Word and look through the comments, for example from the Review tab.
- Check that the threads you need came across before sharing the file.
Google’s help on suggesting edits confirms that suggestions become tracked changes in Microsoft Office. It doesn’t spell out comment handling, so check the downloaded file. The full conversion routine is in Google Docs to Word.
Going the other way, Google converts a .docx file’s tracked changes into suggestions when you open it in Google Docs. The steps are in Word to Google Docs.
Comparing the methods
| Method | Best for | Copies comments into |
|---|---|---|
| File > Make a copy | Duplicating a whole Doc | A brand-new copy only |
| Copy and paste | Moving text | Nothing; comments stay behind |
| Merge Docs Pro with Copy comments | Moving comments into an existing or combined Doc | A new Doc or the current Doc |
| Download as .docx | Handing a Doc to Word users | A Word file |
Platform differences
- Computer vs mobile: Google documents Make a copy with comments for Docs on a computer. Use a desktop browser for the comment options.
- Add-ons: Merge Docs Pro runs in Google Docs in a desktop browser, not in the mobile apps.
- Tabs: copy-paste between document tabs behaves like copy-paste between Docs, so comments stay behind.
Troubleshooting
- The copy has no comments. Copy comments and suggestions was unticked. Make the copy again.
- Resolved comments are missing. Include resolved comments and suggestions when making the copy, or find resolved comments in Google Docs in the original.
- Some comments weren’t copied by the add-on. Check that you can edit or comment on the source file. Comments in view-only files aren’t copied.
- A comment sits at the start of a section. Its text wasn’t merged or no longer exists, so it was placed there with the original quote.
- You need comments in a PDF. PDF downloads work differently; see how to download a Google Doc with comments.
More review how-tos are in the Google Docs comments and review guides. Reviewing Word files instead? See how to merge Word documents with comments.