Commenting in InVision V7 Prototypes

This article provides answers for InVision V7. If you’re on InVision V6, read this article instead. Not sure which version you're using? Find out now.

With Comment mode, you can collaborate by having asynchronous conversations on a prototype. You can start new comment threads, reply to existing comments, mention others, and even add emoji.

To leave a comment on a Studio prototype, you must be signed in to InVision. Also, it’s not currently possible to add a general comment to the prototype; you’ll need to add comments to specific screens instead.

Guided video tour

To get familiar with comment cards, we recommend starting with a guided video tour, led by one of our experienced InVision product experts:

Comment cards at a glance

As seen in the screenshot above, you'll notice the following elements and icons when adding or reading comments:

ICON OR UI ELEMENT	ACTION
Add your thoughts.	Place the cursor in the Text field and begin typing your comment.
	Click the @ icon, or type "@" in the Text field, to notify specific users about your comment.
	Click the emoji icon, or type ":" (colon) in the Text field, to add emojis to your comment.
	Click the Change color dropdown to select which color you want to use for the comment: pink, yellow, or blue
	Use the lock icon to manage whether a comment or highlighted comment is set to private: Open lock: Anyone with access to the document can see the comment or note. Closed lock: The comment or highlighted comment is only visible to the document editors.
•••	Click the More options menu (•••) to reveal and click the Highlight comment and Discard comment options.
	When you're ready to share your comment, click Post.

Choosing your type of comment

There are two types of comments for InVision V7 prototypes:

• Comments
• Highlighted comments

Highlighted comments are not currently available for Spec documents.

Comments

By default, anyone who can access the document—either as an editor or as a viewer with a public document link—can see or leave regular comments. Many customers use regular comments to communicate with all stakeholders.

Highlighted comments

If a viewer accesses the prototype via a public document link, any highlighted comments pulsate to stand out from the design itself when viewing screens in Play mode.

By highlighting comments, you can establish a navigational guide for anyone viewing the prototype when you're not there to guide them directly. Highlighted comments are also useful for categorizing comments based on topic or purpose, using one color to indicate comments about development choices, another color for design questions, and so on.

Adding comments

To add a comment:

1. Open a prototype screen and, at the bottom of the page, click the comment icon () or use the shortcut C.
2. To add a new comment, click anywhere on the screen and begin typing in the comment field. You can also click an existing comment to add a reply.
3. Click the comment color dropdown and select the color you want to apply: pink, yellow, or blue
4. If you want to make the comment private to only those with editing access, toggle the lock icon on.
   A private comment will be denoted by a closed lock ().
5. If you want to highlight the comment instead, click the More options menu icon (•••), and then click Highlight comment.
6. Once finished, click Post, or use the shortcut Command + Enter.

Notifying people about comments

To notify a specific person about your comment, @ mention the person by name or email address:

1. In the comment card, click the @ icon .
   Alternatively, you can type "@" in the Text field.
2. Begin to type the name of each person you want to notify.
3. Click their avatar in the list of results.
4. Write and post your comment as usual.

You and your collaborators will also receive in-app notifications when you're on a document landing page (that shows all screens). To see the latest feedback, click the notifications icon () in the upper-right corner. To narrow your focus, then click Unread, All comments, or Resolved. Learn more about your Inbox in InVision V7 now.

Using emoji in comments

To add emoji to your comments, click the emoji icon () within the comment modal.

To open the emoji autocomplete menu, press the : (colon) key. Then, type the name of the emoji you want to use and click the result or—once the emoji is selected—simply press Enter.

Commenting via public share links

With the Enable Commenting setting toggled on for a public share link, anyone who receives the link can view and comment on the prototype. Therefore, sharing a public link is a great way to let someone who is not a member or guest of your InVision V7 account collaborate on a prototype.

To enable commenting on a public share link:

1. Open the document and, in the top-right corner, click Share.
2. In the Share dialog, click the Public tab, and then click Get Public Link.
   
   If there is an existing public link for the document, you won't see the the Get Public Link screen.
3. Click Update public link settings, toggle the Enable Commenting setting on (), and then click Done.

   

Since people who receive a public share link can sign into an existing account or create a new team-less account, the commenting experience differs slightly depending on which of the following applies:

• Commenter does not yet have an InVision account
• Commenter already has an InVision account
• Commenter already has access to the prototype and the prototype is visible to the team
• Commenter already has an InVision account but has not yet set a password

Commenter does not yet have an InVision account

To comment on a prototype you are viewing via a public share link, you must also create an InVision V7 account:

1. At the bottom-right corner of the page, click the comment icon ().
2. To add a new comment, click anywhere on the prototype and begin typing in the comment field.
   You can also click an existing comment to add a reply.
3. If you want to make the comment private to only those with edit access, toggle on the lock icon.
   A private comment will be denoted by a closed lock ().
4. Once finished, click Post, or use the shortcut Command + Enter.
5. In the Email address field, enter the address you want to use when signing in to InVision V7, and then click Continue.
   We will then email you a six-digit code that’s needed for step 6.
6. Enter the six-digit sign-up code you received via email.
7. Enter your name and the password you want to use when signing in to InVision V7, and then click Sign Up.

After completing the steps above, you will see the comment you left on the prototype.

Commenter already has an InVision account

To comment on a prototype you are viewing via a public share link, you must tie the comment to your InVision account by verifying your email address:

1. At the bottom-right corner of the page, click the comment icon ().
2. To add a new comment, click anywhere on the prototype and begin typing in the comment field.
   You can also click an existing comment to add a reply.
3. If you want to make the comment private to only those with edit access, toggle on the lock icon.
   A private comment will be denoted by a closed lock ().
4. Once finished, click Post, or use the shortcut Command + Enter.
5. In the Email address field, enter the address you use to sign in to InVision V7, and then click Continue.

After completing the steps above, you will see the comment you left on the prototype.

Commenter already has access to the prototype and the prototype is visible to the team

To comment on a prototype you are viewing via a public share link, you must sign in to InVision V7:

1. At the bottom-right corner of the page, click the comment icon ().
2. To add a new comment, click anywhere on the prototype and begin typing in the comment field.
   You can also click an existing comment to add a reply.
3. If you want to make the comment private to only those with edit access, toggle on the lock icon.
   A private comment will be denoted by a closed lock ().
4. Once finished, click Post, or use the shortcut Command + Enter.
5. Enter your InVision V7 email address and password, and then click Sign In.
   If you belong to only one team on InVision, you will see your comment posted after completing step 5.
6. Next to the name of the team that owns the prototype, click Select.

After completing the steps above, you will see the comment you left on the prototype.

Commenter already has an InVision account but has not yet set a password

To comment on a prototype you are viewing via a public share link, you must tie the comment to your InVision account by entering your email address and creating a password:

1. At the bottom-right corner of the page, click the comment icon ().
2. To add a new comment, click anywhere on the prototype and begin typing in the comment field.
   You can also click an existing comment to add a reply.
3. If you want to make the comment private to only those with edit access, toggle on the lock icon.
   A private comment will be denoted by a closed lock ().
4. Once finished, click Post, or use the shortcut Command + Enter.
5. In the Email address field, enter the address you use to sign in to InVision V7, and then click Continue.
   We will then email you a six-digit code that’s needed for step 6.
6. Enter the six-digit sign-in code you received via email.
7. In the Password and Confirm Password fields, enter the password you want to use when signing in to InVision V7, and then click Sign In.

After completing the steps above, you will see the comment you left on the prototype.