Collaboration is one of Figma’s strongest features, and comments are central to making design feedback simple and effective. But if you’re sharing your file with someone who has view-only access, a common question arises:
Can viewers leave comments in Figma?
The short answer is:
Yes — but only if you give them “Can comment” access.
Let’s break down what this means, how to enable it, and what your collaborators can actually do with this permission.
🟢 Viewer vs. Commenter: Know the Difference
Figma uses three primary permission levels:
| Permission Level | Can View? | Can Comment? | Can Edit? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewer | ✅ | ❌ (unless comment access is enabled) | ❌ |
| Commenter | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Editor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
If you share a Figma file with someone as a Viewer, they’ll only be able to look at the file — they won’t be able to leave comments unless you explicitly allow commenting.
✅ How to Let Viewers Leave Comments in Figma
You can enable commenting for viewers in two ways:
Option 1: Share with “Can comment” access
When sharing a file:
- Click Share in the top-right corner.
- Enter the person’s email or generate a link.
- Choose Can comment from the dropdown.
This gives them permission to view the file and leave comments, but not make any design changes.
Option 2: Enable public commenting
If you’re sharing a link publicly:
- Click Share → Change link settings.
- Set the link to Anyone with the link.
- Change access from View only to Can comment.
This is ideal for stakeholder reviews or external collaborators who don’t have a Figma account.
💬 What Commenters Can Do
Once someone has “Can comment” access, they can:
- Click anywhere on the canvas to leave pinned comments
- Reply to existing comments in a thread
- Resolve comments when issues are addressed
- Tag teammates using @mentions
- Filter comments by status (Unresolved, Resolved)
✨ Pro tip: Use comment pins directly on UI elements to keep feedback focused and easy to resolve.
🔒 What Commenters Can’t Do
Even with comment access, viewers can’t:
- Edit design elements
- Move or delete comments made by others
- Access hidden layers or pages
- Use Dev Mode features (unless granted)
🛠 Best Practices for Comment Collaboration
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Set clear expectations | Let reviewers know what kind of feedback you need |
| Lock final frames | Prevent confusion during feedback |
| Use version history | Roll back if needed after multiple rounds of feedback |
| Keep annotation styles consistent | Avoid visual clutter by separating design from comments |
✅ Summary: Can Viewers Leave Comments in Figma?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can viewers see comments? | ✅ Yes |
| Can viewers leave comments? | 🔶 Only if granted “Can comment” access |
| Is “Can comment” safer than “Can edit”? | ✅ Definitely |
| Can comments be used for approvals? | ✅ With clear resolution tracking |
If you’re using Figma to gather feedback, it’s worth taking a minute to check your sharing settings. Giving stakeholders the ability to comment without editing strikes a perfect balance between control and collaboration.
Want more Figma tips? Visit Designilo.com for UI tutorials, Dev Mode workflows, and smarter collaboration strategies.
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