> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chronosphere.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use comments to provide context

Metric data provides insights that users can add to queries and dashboards to better
understand their system, especially when investigating issues. To make sense of these
metrics, users often need to consult with experts in their organization, or spend
time sifting through heaps of data to identify which metrics and labels have high
utility.

To provide additional context about open source metrics like Prometheus and
OpenTelemetry metrics, use *comments*. This capability lets you annotate metrics with
information to signify importance, help other users to understand usage context, and
turn informal knowledge into institutional knowledge that can be used across your
organization.

You can add comments to metrics in any of the locations within Observability Platform
mentioned on this page. Comments, and responses to comments, persist until the
comments are deleted. This behavior applies to metrics impacted by
[drop rules](/control/shaping/shape-metrics/rules/drop-rules) and
[rollup rules](/control/shaping/shape-metrics/rules/rollup), and comments on metrics and labels
that were removed from queries.

## View comments

You can view a list of recent comments from your [personal home page](/observe/personal-homepage),
and view specific comments in context of the Chronosphere entity that they're attached to.

### View recent comments

To view recent comments, use the
[**Recent comments** panel](/observe/personal-homepage#recent-comments) on your personal
home page.

### View contextual comments

Chronosphere entities that have comments display a **<Icon icon="message-square" /> message**
icon with a number that indicates how many comments were added.

Choose one of the following options to view comments in context:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Metrics Usage" id="view-metrics-usage">
    1. In the navigation menu, click **<Icon icon="shield-user" /> Go to Admin** and then select
       **<Icon icon="microscope" /> Analyzers <span aria-label="and then">></span> Metrics Usage**.
    2. In the list of metrics, select the metric you want to view comments for and then
       click **View comments**.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Metrics Explorer" id="view-query-builder">
    <Note>
      This feature isn't available to all Chronosphere Observability Platform users and
      might not be visible in your app. For information about enabling this feature in your
      environment, contact [Chronosphere Support](/support).
    </Note>

    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="compass" /> Explorers <span aria-label="and then">></span> Metrics Explorer**.
    2. Click the **Builder** tab.
    3. In the **Metric** field, enter the name of the metric you want to view.
    4. Click the metric name to display the most recent or pinned comment.
    5. To view all comments, click **View all comments**.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Changes Explorer" id="view-changes-explorer">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="compass" /> Explorers <span aria-label="and then">></span>
       Changes Explorer**.
    2. [Create a filter](/investigate/querying/filter-events) to focus on specific change
       events.
    3. Click the change event you want to view comments for.
    4. In the **Change event** drawer, click the **Comments** tab to view all available
       comments for the selected change event.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aggregation Rules" id="view-agg-rules">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="shapes" /> Control <span aria-label="and then">></span> Aggregation Rules**.
    2. Click the name of the metric you want to view a comment for.
    3. In the panel with the name of the selected metric, click **View comments**.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Drop Rules" id="view-drop-rules">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="shapes" /> Control <span aria-label="and then">></span> Drop Rules**.
    2. Click the name of the metric you want to view a comment for.
    3. In the **Edit Drop Rule** panel click the **Comments** tab.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Monitors" id="view-monitors">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="bell" /> Alerting <span aria-label="and then">></span> Monitors**.
    2. Click the name of the monitor you want to view a comment for.
    3. In the panel with the name of the selected monitor, click **View comments**.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The **Comments** drawer appears and shows all comments for the selected metric. From
there, you can take [global actions](#global-actions) and
[individual actions](#actions-for-your-comments) for your comments.

## Add comments

If a metric doesn't have any comments, you can add them. If comments were already
added to a metric, you can [view comments](#view-comments) to add additional
comments, or reply to existing ones.

You can use Markdown syntax to style your comment, and then click **Show preview** to
preview the rendered content before saving.

To mention a teammate in a comment, either enter their full email address, or enter
`@` and then choose as an option from the suggestions drop-down menu. For refined
suggestions, enter `@` followed by a partial value, such as `@alice`.

To add a chart in a comment, click the **<Icon icon="chart-line" /> line chart** icon
to open a dialog that supports PromQL metrics. Enter the metric you want to include
in the chart and then click **Insert**.

Choose one of the following options to add comments:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Metrics Usage" id="add-metrics-usage">
    1. In the navigation menu, click **<Icon icon="shield-user" /> Go to Admin** and then select
       **<Icon icon="microscope" /> Analyzers <span aria-label="and then">></span> Metrics Usage**.
    2. In the list of metrics, select the metric you want to view comments for and then
       click **Add comment**.
    3. In the **Comments** drawer, enter your comment.
    4. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Metrics Explorer" id="add-query-builder">
    <Note>
      This feature isn't available to all Chronosphere Observability Platform users and
      might not be visible in your app. For information about enabling this feature in your
      environment, contact [Chronosphere Support](/support).
    </Note>

    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="compass" /> Explorers <span aria-label="and then">></span> Metrics Explorer**.
    2. Click the **Builder** tab.
    3. In the **Metric** field, enter the name of the metric you want to add a comment for.
    4. Click the metric name, and then click **Add comment**.
    5. In the **Comments** drawer, enter your comment.
    6. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Changes Explorer" id="add-changes-explorer">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="compass" /> Explorers <span aria-label="and then">></span> Changes Explorer**.
    2. [Create a filter](/investigate/querying/filter-events) to focus on specific change
       events.
    3. Click the change event you want to add a comment for.
    4. In the **Change event** drawer, click the **Comments** tab.
    5. In the **Comment** field, enter your comment.
    6. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Aggregation Rules" id="add-agg-rules">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="shapes" /> Control <span aria-label="and then">></span> Aggregation Rules**.
    2. Click the name of the metric you want to add a comment for.
    3. In the panel with the name of the selected metric, click **Add comment**.
    4. In the **Comments** drawer, enter your comment.
    5. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Drop Rules" id="add-drop-rules">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="shapes" /> Control <span aria-label="and then">></span> Drop Rules**.
    2. Click the name of the metric you want to add a comment for.
    3. In the **Edit Drop Rule** panel click the **Comments** tab.
    4. In the **Comments** field, enter your comment.
    5. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Monitors" id="add-monitors">
    1. In the navigation menu, click
       **<Icon icon="bell" /> Alerting <span aria-label="and then">></span> Monitors**.
    2. Click the name of the monitor you want to add a comment for.
    3. In the panel with the name of the selected monitor, click **Add comment**.
    4. In the **Comments** drawer, enter your comment.
    5. Click **Submit** to save your comment.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The **Comments** drawer displays your comment for the selected metric. From
there, you can take [global actions](#global-actions) and
[individual actions](#actions-for-your-comments) on your comment.

## Comment actions

When viewing or adding comments, you can complete global actions and individual actions
as described in the following sections.

### Global actions

The following actions are available to all users for any comment:

* **<Icon icon="link-2" /> link**: Copy a link to a comment.
* **<Icon icon="message-square" /> message**: Reply to an existing comment.
* **<Icon icon="pin" /> pin**: Pin a comment to the top of the comment
  thread.
* **<Icon icon="circle-check" /> checkmark**: Resolve a comment.
* **<Icon icon="rotate-cw" /> refresh**: Reopen a resolved comment.
* **New comment**: Add a new comment to an existing comment.

### Actions for your comments

The following actions are available only for comments that you added:

* **<Icon icon="pencil" /> pencil**: Edit an existing comment.
* **<Icon icon="trash" /> trash can**: Delete an existing comment.