How to remove comments from every sheet in excel without using the review tab
- Step 1Confirm which tabs carry comments (optional) — If you want a baseline, click through tabs looking for red triangles, or unzip the file and look for
xl/commentsentries. You don't have to — the purger clears them all regardless. - Step 2Copy the multi-tab workbook — Purging is irreversible. Keep the annotated original; purge a copy.
- Step 3Open the Comment & Note Purger (Pro) — Sign in to Pro or higher — Free is blocked. There is nothing to configure; the purge is whole-workbook by design.
- Step 4Drop the .xlsx / .xlsm in once — Unlike the Review tab, you upload the file a single time. JSZip removes the comment parts on every sheet and strips their references.
- Step 5Check the parts-removed count — The
change(s)figure reflects how many comment-related parts were removed across the workbook — typically one per sheet that had Notes, plus threaded-comment and persons parts. - Step 6Download and spot-check a few tabs — Open
yourfile-no-comments.xlsxand check Review → Comments / Notes on several tabs. All empty confirms the whole-workbook purge worked.
Ways to delete comments across sheets, compared
The native options are sheet-scoped, version-dependent, or require embedding code. This tool is whole-workbook in one pass.
| Method | Sheets covered | Threaded comments? | Author records? | Embeds code? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Review → Delete All Comments | Active sheet only | Partly (active sheet) | No | No |
| Group sheets + Delete All | All (version-dependent) | Unreliable | No | No |
VBA macro looping ws.Comments | All (if written right) | No (Notes API only) | No | Yes (VBA in file) |
| Comment & Note Purger | All, one pass | Yes | Yes | No |
What a single purge pass touches
Per-part removal across the whole archive — the reason multi-sheet workbooks purge instantly.
| OOXML part pattern | What it is | Action |
|---|---|---|
xl/comments*.xml | Legacy Notes (per sheet) | Deleted |
xl/threadedComments/*.xml | Excel 365 threaded comments | Deleted |
xl/persons/*.xml | Comment author records | Deleted |
*/_rels/*.rels | Relationship entries to the above | Matching entries stripped |
[Content_Types].xml | Part-type manifest | Matching <Override> removed |
xl/worksheets/*.xml | Sheet XML (<legacyDrawing/> markers) | Comment markers cleared; data preserved |
Cookbook
Multi-sheet scenarios where the Review tab falls short and a single purge pass wins.
12-tab workbook, native Delete-All would need 12 trips
Each tab requires activating and clicking Delete All — and the modern comments still wouldn't go. The purger does it once.
Native: 12 x (click tab -> Review -> Delete All Comments) ...and threaded comments + authors still remain. Purger: 1 upload. Removes Notes on all tabs + threaded comments + persons. Result: "7 change(s)"
Group-All-Sheets silently did nothing on this Excel build
On some versions, grouping sheets then choosing Delete All has no effect and gives no error. The ZIP-level purge isn't subject to that quirk.
Excel: Select All Sheets -> Review -> Delete All Comments -> comments still present on several tabs (no warning) Purger: removes all comment parts regardless of Excel version. Verify: unzip -l out.xlsx | grep -i comments -> (empty)
Avoid the macro that would need stripping later
A VBA loop over ws.Comments only handles legacy Notes and forces you to save as .xlsm and embed code. The purger needs no code.
VBA approach: For Each ws In Wb.Worksheets: ws.Comments... Next -> only legacy Notes; file becomes .xlsm with macro -> now you also need a VBA stripper Purger: no code, clears Notes + threaded comments + authors, output stays .xlsx.
Mixed comment types scattered across tabs
Tab 'Inputs' has legacy Notes, tab 'Review' has threaded comments. One pass clears both — no need to know which tab has which.
Before: xl/comments1.xml (Notes on 'Inputs') xl/threadedComments/threadedComment1.xml (on 'Review') xl/persons/person.xml After: all removed. Result: "3 change(s)"
Verify every tab at once via the ZIP
Instead of clicking through every tab to confirm, inspect the archive — one command covers the whole workbook.
unzip -l workbook-no-comments.xlsx | grep -Ei 'comments|persons' # no output -> every sheet is clean, all comment types gone
Edge cases and what actually happens
Review → Delete All Comments only cleared the active sheet
Native limitationThe built-in command is sheet-scoped. On a multi-tab workbook you must repeat it per sheet, and it's easy to miss one. The purger removes comments across every sheet in a single pass, so nothing is skipped.
Group-All-Sheets + Delete All did nothing
Version-dependentSelecting all sheets then running Delete All works on some Excel builds and silently fails on others, with no warning. Because the purger operates on the ZIP parts directly, its behaviour doesn't depend on the Excel version that wrote the file.
VBA macro only removed legacy Notes
IncompleteThe Comments/Notes object model in VBA addresses legacy Notes, not the newer threaded comments or author records — and using a macro means embedding code in the file. The purger removes all three part types with no code.
Free tier user
Rejected — Pro requiredThe purger requires Pro tier or higher; Free accounts are rejected before processing. Upgrade to use it.
One sheet is hidden or very-hidden
Still clearedComments on hidden and very-hidden sheets are removed too — the purge works on every worksheet part in the archive, not just visible tabs. To remove the hidden sheets themselves, use excel-hidden-sheet-destroyer (Developer tier).
Workbook is a legacy .xls
Rejected (wrong format)Binary .xls doesn't store comments as the OOXML parts this tool targets. Re-save the multi-sheet workbook as .xlsx in Excel first, then purge.
Some tabs have data validation prompts
PreservedData-validation input messages are not comments and are kept on every sheet. The purge only removes comment/note/person parts.
Large 30+ tab workbook over the tier limit
Rejected — size limitIf the file exceeds your tier ceiling (Pro 50 MB / Pro-media 200 MB / Developer 500 MB) it's rejected before processing. Tab count doesn't matter for the purge speed; file size does for the upload limit.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Excel only delete comments on one sheet at a time?
Review → Delete All Comments is scoped to the active sheet by design. To clear a whole workbook in Excel you'd repeat it per tab or try the Group-All-Sheets trick. This tool removes comments across every sheet in a single pass, with no per-sheet steps.
Is there a native way to delete comments on all sheets at once?
Not reliably. Grouping all sheets then choosing Delete All works on some Excel versions and silently fails on others, and it doesn't catch threaded comments or author records. A macro can loop sheets but only handles legacy Notes and embeds code in the file. The purger avoids all of that.
Do I have to upload the file once per sheet?
No — one upload covers the entire workbook. The tool deletes the comment parts on every sheet in a single operation and gives you back one cleaned file.
Does it handle both legacy Notes and Excel 365 threaded comments across all tabs?
Yes. It removes xl/comments* (Notes), xl/threadedComments/* (threaded comments), and xl/persons/* (authors) wherever they appear in the workbook, regardless of which sheet they're on.
Will it embed a macro in my file like the VBA approach?
No. There's no code involved. The purge operates on the workbook's ZIP parts directly, so the output stays a clean .xlsx with no VBA project added.
Does it also clear comments on hidden sheets?
Yes. The purge covers every worksheet part in the archive, including hidden and very-hidden sheets. To remove the hidden sheets themselves, use excel-hidden-sheet-destroyer.
How do I confirm every tab is clean without clicking through them?
Unzip the output and check for xl/comments, xl/threadedComments, or xl/persons entries — none means the whole workbook is clean. Or spot-check a few tabs in Excel's Review pane.
Will my formulas and formatting survive on every sheet?
Yes. Only comment-related parts are removed. Values, formulas, number formats, conditional formatting, and charts on every sheet are preserved exactly.
What does the 'changes' count represent for a multi-tab file?
It's the number of comment-related parts removed across the workbook — roughly one per sheet that had Notes, plus the threaded-comment and persons parts. It's a confirmation figure, not a per-comment total.
Which file formats can I use?
.xlsx and .xlsm. Both are OOXML packages containing the comment parts. Convert legacy .xls to .xlsx in Excel before purging.
Is it reversible if I purge the wrong workbook?
No. Comment parts are deleted from the output. The tool writes a new -no-comments.xlsx rather than overwriting your input, so keep the original multi-tab file as your backup.
Do I need a paid plan?
Yes. The Comment Purger is Pro tier or higher. Free accounts can't run it. Pro handles up to 50 MB, Pro-media up to 200 MB, Developer up to 500 MB.
Privacy first
Every JAD Excel tool runs entirely in your browser using SheetJS and ExcelJS. Your spreadsheets, formulas, and data never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.