Review a Local Workbook with Cell Comments in ONLYOFFICE

Quick answer

Attach a specific question to the cell being reviewed, record the evidence in a reply, then resolve only that discussion. Resolution is a workflow state, not a calculation or an approval certificate. Keep a resolved discussion when you need its context; deletion is a different action.

Desktop scope, not online collaboration

The Collaboration tab reference explicitly documents desktop comment management while restricting sharing, co-editing modes, chat and version history to the online version. The official FAQ confirms that free Desktop Editors can edit local spreadsheets offline.

This exercise uses a disposable local XLSX file and an English interface. Its control descriptions follow rolling official documentation checked on 21 October 2026; no installed build or Windows/Linux/macOS combination was tested. There are no native screenshots or verified save/reopen results. Record your actual version and operating system before testing. If a stated control is missing, stop that step and record the difference, rather than logging in or changing permissions.

No account, recipient, cloud connection, mention or notification is part of this exercise. Do not use @ or + mentions. Leave your application identity unchanged and do not send the practice file to anyone.

Build a reviewable discrepancy

In a fresh workbook named comment-review-practice.xlsx, enter this fictional sheet:

Cell	Entry
A1	Item
B1	Units
C1	Unit price
D1	Amount
A2	Practice folders
B2	4
C2	7
D2	=B2+C2

D2 intentionally contains the wrong operation. Its expected initial result is 11, while the intended amount is 4 × 7 = 28. Those values were checked independently, not by running ONLYOFFICE. Save the local practice file before adding review material.

Add one bounded discussion

Select D2 and use Collaboration → Comment, enter “Should this amount multiply units by unit price? Expected 28; current formula adds.” and confirm with Add Comment/Add. The commenting reference documents cell comments, replies and the controls used below.

Check the formula bar: D2 should still be =B2+C2, and its expected result remains 11. Merely recording the question must not be mistaken for fixing it.

Open that comment and use Add Reply, then Reply, to record “Checked the scenario: 4 units at 7 each gives 28.” This is one person’s practice record, not a simulated message from another reviewer. If you need to correct your comment text, use its edit control; inspect the final text before continuing.

Correct, resolve and reopen deliberately

1. Edit D2 itself to =B2*C2. Inspect the formula bar and expected result 28. Confirm B2 and C2 remain 4 and 7.
2. Return to the D2 discussion and add a reply recording the corrected formula and the two unchanged inputs.
3. Use that discussion’s resolve control. Select All in the comment status filter to inspect it again. Use its resolved control to reopen it if further work is needed, then resolve it again after checking the evidence.
4. Save, close and reopen the same local XLSX file. Check D2’s formula and result, the comment text, its replies and its resolved state. Record each as passed, changed or untested. Persistence is an acceptance test for your installation, not a result claimed here.

Do not resolve every comment merely because this one is finished. On a real workbook, each question needs its own evidence and an agreed decision-maker.

Diagnose missing or lingering comments

If a comment seems absent, inspect the Comments panel and the All status filter before concluding it was deleted. Display settings and resolved status are not deletion. If the issue is resolved but the formula still adds, reopen the discussion: the state alone did not validate the correction.

To practice removal, first keep the saved review copy and make a separate disposable copy. Delete only the selected practice discussion using its delete control. Its replies are removed with it. Do not use bulk removal on the retained review record. Reopen the disposable copy to inspect the result if deletion persistence matters; this guide has not performed that test.

Cross-application comment fidelity, cloud notifications, group filtering and hosted permissions remain outside scope. For file exchange checks, use save and reopen safely. For the separate file-level Comment property, see workbook information inspection.