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Open Comments Field

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

Written by Emma Montgomery
Updated over a year 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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