How to fix “Comments not transferred” during Doc conversion

When you convert a Microsoft Word document (.docx) to Google Docs, inline comments and review threads can vanish. This happens when comments exist in unsupported file formats (like legacy .doc files), are tied to elements that Google Docs cannot parse (such as headers or shapes), or remain saved as unposted draft comments in Word 365. Resolving this issue requires preparing the original file’s markup structure before converting it in Google Drive.

Quick Answer

Save your file as a modern .docx format, post all pending “Modern Comments” in Word, and move any comments attached to headers, footers, or shapes into the main body text. Then, re-upload the file to Google Drive and convert it via File > Save as Google Docs.

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Why Comments Get Dropped During Conversion

Google Docs imports comments by reading the comments.xml and commentsExtended.xml data streams inside a Word file package. When comments fail to transfer, it usually points to one of four technical conflicts:

1. Legacy Binary Format (.doc): Pre-2007 Word files store comments in obsolete binary structures. Google Docs extracts body text from these files, but completely skips the legacy comment stream.
2. Unposted “Modern Comments”: Recent versions of Microsoft 365 use a staged comment model. If a comment is typed but the user has not clicked the purple “Post comment” arrow (or pressed Ctrl + Enter), the comment remains a local draft. Word stores these drafts in temporary application memory rather than the file’s permanent XML schema.
3. Unsupported Anchors: Google Docs supports comments anchored only to primary canvas text. If a comment is anchored to text inside a Word floating text box, drawing canvas, shape, header, footer, or footnote, Google Docs drops both the container and its attached comment thread.
4. Track Changes Conflicts: Comments attached to text marked as deleted in an active “Track Changes” review often fail to anchor properly during conversion.

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Step-by-Step Diagnostic & Fix Procedure

Step 1: Upgrade the File to Modern OpenXML

If your file ends in .doc, Google Docs will not bring comments over during conversion.

1. Open the file in desktop Microsoft Word.
2. Go to File > Save As.
3. In the file format dropdown, select Word Document (.docx). Do not select Word 97–2003 Document.
4. If a prompt appears warning that the file will be upgraded to the newest format, click OK.
5. Upload the new .docx file to Google Drive, right-click it, and select Open with > Google Docs.

If the file cannot be upgraded due to version locks, refer to Troubleshooting “Unsupported File Version” (Legacy Office).

Step 2: Post All Pending Draft Comments in Word

Unposted comments in Microsoft 365 are invisible to Google’s conversion engine.

1. Open the .docx file in Microsoft Word.
2. Open the Review tab in the top ribbon and select Show Comments.
3. Scan your comment margin. Look for any comment cards that show a pencil icon, an active cursor, or an unclicked blue/purple arrow.
4. Click the Post icon (or press Ctrl + Enter while inside the comment box) on every draft.
5. Save the file (Ctrl + S).

Step 3: Re-anchor Comments Outside of Floating Elements

Google Docs ignores comments attached to non-standard structural elements.

1. In Word, check where missing comments are attached.
2. If an anchor is attached to text inside a Shape, Floating Text Box, Header, or Footer:
   • Copy the comment text.
   • Highlight a relevant word or sentence in the primary body text of the document.
   • Create a new comment (Ctrl + Alt + M in Word) and paste the feedback there.
   • Delete the original comment from the floating box or header.
3. Save the document.

For general formatting shifts that occur when text boxes and frames are processed, see Troubleshooting Formatting Loss: Word (.docx) to Docs.

Step 4: Resolve Conflicting Track Changes

If comments are anchored to text that has been flagged for deletion by an editor, the anchor point can break when Google Docs reconstructs the revision stream.

1. Open the document in Word and navigate to the Review tab.
2. Select Next under the Changes section to review edits near the problematic comments.
3. Either Accept or Reject the change covering the text where the comment is anchored.
4. Resave the file, upload it back to Google Drive, and run the conversion.

If the conversion still returns unexpected system failures after updating the markup, review Fix: “Cannot convert document: Internal Error”.