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Open Comments Field
Open Comments Field

View the open comments, have discussions, or assign tasks to members directly where your work is

Emma Montgomery avatar
Written by Emma Montgomery
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Plan Availability

All plan types

Permissions

All users can view and interact with comments; only users with proper task permissions can assign tasks.

Related Reading

Learn more about Conversations in SmartSuite

What is the Open Comments Field?

The Open Comments field allows you to:

  • Quickly identify records that have open comments.

  • Open the record’s details with the comments panel open to dive right into the ongoing conversation.

It is a read-only system field created by default within all new Tables. This field tracks unresolved comments associated with the record. It is displayed as a chat icon in various views, such as Grid, Card, and Kanban.
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Locating the Open Comments Field

  • In the record view, the Open Comments field appears as a chat icon at the top-right corner of the record’s header.

  • In Grid, Card, and Kanban Views, the field is displayed with a chat icon for easy identification.
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Working with Open Comments

Key Features:

  • System Field Restrictions: This field cannot be deleted, re-added, or have its properties modified.

  • Visibility Control: Decide whether to display the field in your view by:

    1. Using the reporting toolbar to select displayed fields.

    2. Dragging and dropping the field to your preferred location.
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Opening the Comments Panel:

  1. Select the chat icon in your preferred view.

  2. Alternatively, open any record and click the chat icon in the upper-right corner.
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Inside the Comments Panel:

  • View all open comments.

  • Message any team or individual member.

  • Attach files.

  • Assign tasks to specific members directly.

Resolving and Reopening Comments

  • Resolving Comments: Mark any comment as resolved from the chat panel.

  • Reopening Comments: Reopen resolved comments when further discussion or action is needed.
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Assigning Tasks in Comments

Steps to Assign a Task:

  1. Mention a Member:

    • Type @ followed by the member's name.

    • Write your request.

  2. Assign the Task:

    • Check the "Assign to..." box.

    • The assignee will receive a notification, and the task will appear in their "My Work" panel.
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Practical Scenarios and Use Cases

1. Departmental Collaboration

Scenario: The Marketing team needs to discuss tasks for an upcoming campaign. Solution: Use Open Comments to share ideas, discuss tasks, and assign campaign deliverables directly within the relevant records.

2. Task Tracking

Scenario: A project manager wants to ensure all comments related to a product launch are addressed. Solution: Track unresolved comments in the Open Comments field to ensure nothing is missed.

3. Real-Time Communication

Scenario: A cross-functional team collaborates on a new feature but requires real-time updates. Solution: Use Open Comments to communicate updates and assign tasks instantly.

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