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Comments and Annotations - make private or turn off

  • September 11, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 10 views

Hi all,

I am trying to share folders with various outside groups as part of a review process. I don’t want them to know who each other are. I have set up the folders and files such that the previewer can only see me (the admin) and themselves as having access to the file. However, in the comments and annotations, if someone puts in the @ symbol and types a letter, with luck they are able to pull up the names of the other users as potential recipients. How do I turn this off to make private for each previewer? Or is there a way to just turn off comments and annotations altogether?

 

Is there anywhere else they might find ways to see who each other are?

Thanks. 

      1 reply

      Jey Bueno Box
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      • Jey Bueno Box
      • Community Manager
      • September 11, 2026

      Hi ​@MWMWMWMWMWMWMW, welcome to the Box Community! I’m happy to help you configure your folders securely.


      Here is what you need to know about comments, annotations, and collaborator visibility in Box, along with the recommended settings to completely prevent external reviewers from discovering one another.
       

      1. Turning off comments and annotations

      In Box, comments and annotations cannot be set to “private” on a per-previewer basis while still remaining visible to the folder owner. However, you can completely disable commenting and annotations across the entire folder:

      1. In Box, navigate to the folder you are sharing.
      2. Click the ellipsis (…) next to the folder name (or right-click) and select Settings.
      3. Scroll down to the Commenting section.
      4. Check the box for Disable commenting for this folder.
      5. Click Save Changes at the top right of the page.

      What this does:

      • Existing comments and annotations on files within the folder are hidden from collaborators.
      • Collaborators (including Previewers) will no longer be able to add new comments or create annotations.
      • The @mention autocomplete functionality is completely removed, preventing anyone from typing a letter to look up names of other collaborators.
         

      2. Best practice: Combining privacy settings

      To ensure complete collaborator anonymity, Box recommends pairing the Hide Collaborators setting with Disable Commenting:

      • Step 1: In Folder Settings > Privacy, check Hide collaborators and their activity from non-owners.
      • Step 2: In Folder Settings > Commenting, check Disable commenting for this folder.

      When both settings are enabled together, non-owner collaborators will only see themselves and folder owners/co-owners in the collaborator sidebar, and the @mention feature in comments/annotations will be entirely suppressed.
       

      3. Other potential exposure areas to keep in mind

      To ensure your reviewers cannot discover each other in any other way, please be aware of the following:

      • Version history: Non-owner collaborator names appear in the file version history when they upload a new file version. Because your reviewers are assigned the Previewer role, they do not have upload permissions, eliminating this risk.
      • Tasks: Avoid assigning tasks on files within this folder, as task assignment histories or notifications may display collaborator names.
      • Box Notes & real-time co-authoring: Collaborative editing in Box Notes displays active user icons and names. (Note: Microsoft Office Online co-authoring is automatically disabled when the Hide Collaborators setting is active).
      • Shared links: Ensure you are inviting users directly via scoped folder collaboration rather than using open shared links (e.g., “People in your company”).

       

      Please let us know if you have any further questions. Have a great day!

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