Comments and decisions
Why can’t I comment or approve?
Check the version, stage, access and permissions when an action is blocked or missing.
Who this is forOwnersAdministratorsMembersCreative teamClients and reviewers
Reviewed on October 9, 2026
Before you start
- Open the review through your invitation or an account with access to the material.
Quick task overview
Start with these steps. If the task has more steps, they appear right below.
- Step 1
Read the review notice. If you are on an earlier version, open the current version before commenting or deciding.
- Step 2
Check the active stage. An internal stage may reserve comments for the team, and not every stage accepts decisions.
- Step 3
To approve or request changes, ask the review owner whether you are an approver in this stage. Access to the file alone does not grant decision rights.
Step by step
- 4In guest access, complete the requested identity verification using the invitation email.
- 5If the review is locked or closed, ask the owner whether it should be reopened. If comments fail to load, try again before deciding.
- 6If you still cannot proceed, send support the review link, the intended action and the notice shown. Do not send passwords or access codes.
What should happen
You know whether to open the current version, verify access or ask the owner to change the review setup.
Common problems
- Being able to comment does not mean you can approve: the roles differ.
- An old-version link may still open history without allowing actions on that version.
- Refreshing does not change your role, the active stage or the review lock.
- Even with the correct role, a decision may depend on stage rules or comments loading. Follow the displayed notice.
Related articles
How to recover access to a reviewReturn to a review when access needs confirmation or a code does not work.Open articleReviewer, approver, and commenter: what is the difference?Understand the difference between workspace access and responsibility within a stage.Open articleHow to approve a reviewRecord an approval on the correct version and stage.Open article