Introduction

Comments are messages posted by users on CRM records. They are available in the Summary View > Activity section of a record.  
You can add a comment, tag other CRM users (teammates and colleagues), and also respond to a comment from others. You will receive a notification if you have been tagged in a comment.  If you have tagged a customer on a comment, they can view and respond from the Customer portal.  
Note: All the comments created in a record are displayed in the Activity section with the latest comment at the top. 

Actions in the Comment Feature

You can add, edit, reply, and export comments. You can collaborate with other users by tagging them in a comment. You can add links to files, images, etc., to a comment. 

Adding a Comment

The Comment textbox is available in the Summary of all modules.  In this example, we will consider the Contacts module.

Follow these steps to add a comment:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Go to Essentials. 
3. Go to Contacts. The List View opens.
4. Click on the record where you want to add a comment. The Summary View opens.
5. Click the Comments textbox in the Activity section.
6. Type your comment.
7. Tag the colleague you want to know about the comment.
8. Click Post.

The CRM sends a notification about the Comment to the user you mentioned. 

Using @Mentions

The easiest way to grab someone’s attention to something on Vtiger CRM is to use @mentions! 
Here are some instances where you can use @mentions:

• As a sales rep, you want to update your manager with details of a deal that you are working on. You can simply mention your manager on the deal record. 
• You want to discuss a future event with your remote team members. You can discuss them by mentioning them on the event record.

Adding Files, Images, and Links to a Comment

You can add images, documents (URL links), and files to your comments. You can:

• Add an image using the Image icon.
• Add a document by linking it using the Link icon.
• Attach files from the CRM and your computer to your comments. 

You can also set a workflow to send an email when you add a comment. 

Note: 

• The maximum upload size of an attachment is limited to 50 MB. 
• You can restrict users from accessing the Comments feature using Sharing Rules.
• ​​​​Notification emails about Comments that are sent to CRM users will not display images or attachments due to security restrictions. You will have to open the Comment in the CRM to view these images or attachments. Read below.
• Restriction on image uploads.
  • If you have included images in the Comments section of the below-mentioned modules using the Image icon, the images will be publicly visible/accessible: 
    • Workflow
    • Approvals
    • Compose emails
    • Cases reply
    • Print Templates
    • Email Templates
    • User Signature
    • Email Sequences
    • Cases/IT description fields
  • Due to security concerns, the images and attachments you have uploaded in the Comments section will be visible only inside the CRM from now on.

Replying to a Comment

You can reply to a comment using the Reply icon on the top right of a Comment window. In the Reply window, you can:

• Reply with different types of Emojis, displayed beside the Reply icon.
• Tags colleagues or customers in the comment (other than the Comment owner).
• Copy the Comment link to the clipboard.
• Add a Sticky Note to the comment. 
• Add an image using the Image icon.
• Add a document by linking it using the Link icon.
• Attach files from the CRM and your computer to your comments. 

While replying, you can:

• Expand the Compose window using the Expand icon.
• Delete the comment if you do not want to post your reply.
• Close the Comment window using the X icon.  

You have to click Post to post a reply. 

Editing a Comment

You can edit a comment using the Edit icon (Pencil) icon. You can post your edited comment using the Update button.

Note: You can only edit comments posted by you. 

Time and Date Stamp on a Comment

When you post a comment within a record, the comment only displays the time duration of the comment. For example, instance, a comment posted a month ago shows 1 month ago.

If you want to see the time and date the comment was posted, simply hover your mouse pointer on the time duration text. You can view the exact date, day, and time.

Notifications on a Comment

The following are notified via email when a comment is posted, replied to, or edited.

• The CRM user who added the Comment originally.
• The CRM users who are tagged on a comment. 
• Followers of a record.

All the above can be replied to in the comments and attached to the files.

• You can set up notifications for @mentions by going to Main Menu > Essentials > Actions > Configuration > Mentions. 
• These notifications are displayed under Main Menu > Essentials > Actions > Notifications > Mentions.

Viewing All Comments, Updates, and Touchpoints on the Parent Record

You can view all the comments added for a record or related records using the Filters > Roll up option.

You can use the Roll up Toggle button to view Internal Comments, Updates, and Customer Touchpoints. 

• Internal Comments

  • Internal comments are the form of interactions, which are only visible to your users for internal reference.

  • To add a comment on a particular record such that it’s not visible to customers on the portal, enable the Internal Comment checkbox.

  • Note:  The Internal Comments option is available for only those modules accessible by customers from Portal. Internal comments are not accessible from the Customer Portal and cannot be included in Workflow Emails.

Setting up alerts for @mentions

You can enable alerts for individual or group mentions in order to get notified when somebody mentions you or your team. This can be done by going to Main Menu > Essentials > Actions > Configuration > Mentions.
Follow these steps to enable mention alerts:

1. Click the Main Menu.

2. Go to the Essentials tab.

3. Select Actions.

4. Click the More icon and select Configuration.

5. Click the Mentions tab.

6. Turn on the toggle button to enable alerts.

Mention alerts are displayed under Main Menu > Essentials > Actions > Notifications > Mentions.
 

Exporting Comments

Vtiger CRM allows you to export comments to your local system through Reports. You can create a report on comments in the same way you create reports on other modules. After creating the report, you can download it as a .csv or .xlsx file.
Follow these steps to export comments by creating a report:

1. Click the Main Menu.

2. Go to the Dashboard tab.

3. Select Reports.

4. Click Add Report.

5. Enter the report name, select a report folder, and the primary module as Comments.

6. Click Save and Continue.

7. Enter or select the following details

   1. Report Details: Choose what data to show and how to group report data.

   2. Click the Report Properties tab.

   3. Select fields under Group by Row and Group by Column, based on which report data will be grouped or sorted.

   4. Select Data Fields to display in the report.

   5. Filters: Add conditions and filter comments.

      1. Click the Filters tab.

      2. Set up All Conditions if you want to apply multiple conditions and all of them must be satisfied to pull data for the report.

      3. Set up Any Conditions if you want to apply multiple conditions and at least one of them must be satisfied to pull data for the report.

   6. Charts: Select a chart type to generate the report.

      1. Click the Charts tab.

      2. Select Chart Type and chart sub-type.

      3. Enter Chart Properties.

   7. Click Save and Run. The report is generated.

   8. Click the Export button located in the top right corner of the report.

   9. Pick a format:

      1. Export CSV to download the report in .csv format.

      2. Export Excel to download the report in .xlsx format.

The report will be downloaded in the selected format.

Limitations

• The maximum upload size of an attachment is limited to 50 MB. 

• You can restrict users from having access to the Comments feature using Sharing Rules.

• Notification emails about Comments that are sent to CRM users will not display images or attachments due to security restrictions. You will have to open the Comment in the CRM to view these images or attachments. Read below.

• Restriction on image uploads.

  • If you have included images in the Comments section of the below-mentioned modules using the Image icon, the images will be publicly visible/accessible: 

    • Workflow

    • Approvals

    • Compose emails

    • Cases reply

    • Print Templates

    • Email Templates

    • User Signature

    • Email Sequences

    • Cases/IT description fields

  • Due to security concerns, the images and attachments you have uploaded in the Comments section will be visible only inside the CRM from now on.