JavaScript Data GridComments

Add a comment (a note) to a cell, using the context menu, just like in Excel. Edit and delete comments. Make comments read-only.

Enable the plugin
Add comments via the context menu
Set up pre-set comments
Basic example
Make a comment read-only
Set a comment box's size
Set a delay for displaying comments
Related keyboard shortcuts
Related API reference

Enable the plugin

Set the comments configuration option to true to enable the feature and add all the needed context menu items. For example:

const hot = new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['A1', 'B1', 'C1'],
    ['A2', 'B2', 'C2'],
  ],
  comments: true,
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true
});

After you've enabled the plugin, the Context Menu gains a few new items:

Add/Edit comment
Delete comment
Read-only comment

Set up pre-set comments

You can also pre-define comments for your table. Comments are stored in the table's/column's/cell's metadata object and you can declare as any value of the respective type. For example:

cell: [
  { row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Hello world!' } }
]

In this example, the comment "Hello world!" is added to the cell at (1,1).

Basic example

{
    "name": "handsontable",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "dependencies": {
      "hyperformula": "^2.4.0",
      "handsontable": "14.6"
    }
  }

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html>
    <head>
      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
      <title>Handsontable</title>
    </head>
  
    <body>
      <div id="example1" class="hot "></div>
    </body>
  </html>

import './styles.css'
import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example1');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Nissan', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Mazda', 'Ford'],
    ['2017', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2021', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    { row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } },
    { row: 2, col: 2, comment: { value: 'More comments' } },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example1');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Nissan', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Mazda', 'Ford'],
    ['2017', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2021', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    { row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } },
    { row: 2, col: 2, comment: { value: 'More comments' } },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.js"></script>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.css" /> 
<script src="https://handsontable.com/docs/scripts/fixer.js"></script>

<div id="example1" class="hot "></div>

By default, all comments are editable. To change this, set the readOnly configuration option to true when adding a comment. This example makes the "Tesla" comment attached to a cell read-only, whereas the "Honda" comment attached to another cell is editable.

{
    "name": "handsontable",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "dependencies": {
      "hyperformula": "^2.4.0",
      "handsontable": "14.6"
    }
  }

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html>
    <head>
      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
      <title>Handsontable</title>
    </head>
  
    <body>
      <div id="example2" class="hot "></div>
    </body>
  </html>

import './styles.css'
import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example2');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Ford'],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    {
      row: 0,
      col: 1,
      comment: { value: 'A read-only comment.', readOnly: true },
    },
    { row: 0, col: 3, comment: { value: 'You can edit this comment' } },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example2');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Ford'],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    {
      row: 0,
      col: 1,
      comment: { value: 'A read-only comment.', readOnly: true },
    },
    { row: 0, col: 3, comment: { value: 'You can edit this comment' } },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.js"></script>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.css" /> 
<script src="https://handsontable.com/docs/scripts/fixer.js"></script>

<div id="example2" class="hot "></div>

Set a comment box's size

To set the width and height of a comment box, use the style parameter.

{
    "name": "handsontable",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "dependencies": {
      "hyperformula": "^2.4.0",
      "handsontable": "14.6"
    }
  }

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html>
    <head>
      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
      <title>Handsontable</title>
    </head>
  
    <body>
      <div id="example3" class="hot "></div>
    </body>
  </html>

import './styles.css'
import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example3');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Nissan', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Mazda', 'Ford'],
    ['2017', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    { row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } },
    // add the `style` parameter
    {
      row: 2,
      col: 2,
      comment: {
        value: 'Comment 200x50 px',
        style: { width: 200, height: 50 },
      },
    },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example3');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Nissan', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Mazda', 'Ford'],
    ['2017', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: true,
  cell: [
    { row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } },
    // add the `style` parameter
    {
      row: 2,
      col: 2,
      comment: {
        value: 'Comment 200x50 px',
        style: { width: 200, height: 50 },
      },
    },
  ],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.js"></script>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.css" /> 
<script src="https://handsontable.com/docs/scripts/fixer.js"></script>

<div id="example3" class="hot "></div>

Set a delay for displaying comments

To display comments after a pre-configured time delay, use the displayDelay parameter.

{
    "name": "handsontable",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "dependencies": {
      "hyperformula": "^2.4.0",
      "handsontable": "14.6"
    }
  }

<!DOCTYPE html>
  <html>
    <head>
      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
      <title>Handsontable</title>
    </head>
  
    <body>
      <div id="example4" class="hot "></div>
    </body>
  </html>

import './styles.css'
import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example4');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Ford'],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: {
    // on mouseover, wait 2 seconds before the comment box displays
    displayDelay: 2000,
  },
  cell: [{ row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } }],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

import Handsontable from 'handsontable';
import 'handsontable/dist/handsontable.full.min.css';

const container = document.querySelector('#example4');

new Handsontable(container, {
  data: [
    ['', 'Tesla', 'Toyota', 'Honda', 'Ford'],
    ['2018', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2019', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
    ['2020', 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16],
  ],
  rowHeaders: true,
  colHeaders: true,
  contextMenu: true,
  comments: {
    // on mouseover, wait 2 seconds before the comment box displays
    displayDelay: 2000,
  },
  cell: [{ row: 1, col: 1, comment: { value: 'Some comment' } }],
  height: 'auto',
  autoWrapRow: true,
  autoWrapCol: true,
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
});

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.js"></script>
<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/handsontable@14.6/dist/handsontable.full.min.css" /> 
<script src="https://handsontable.com/docs/scripts/fixer.js"></script>

<div id="example4" class="hot "></div>

Windows	macOS	Action	Excel	Sheets
`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`M`	`Ctrl`+`Option`+`M`	Add or edit a comment	✗	✓
`Ctrl`+`Enter`	`Cmd`+`Enter`	Save and exit the current comment	✗	✓
`Escape`	`Escape`	Exit the current comment without saving	✗	✗

Configuration options:
- commentedCellClassName
- comments