Keep a running comment log with "Append changes to existing text"

Short answer: "Append changes to existing text" is a setting on a Multiple lines of text column in a SharePoint list. When it is on, each new note is added to the column instead of replacing the old one, so one row can hold a running log of notes. It needs versioning turned on for the list, because the old notes are kept as versions of the item. Turn it off later and you lose the old notes. This page covers how to set it up, what to expect when you view or export the notes, and a safer plan if you need reports. It does not cover custom code.

Menu and action names in Microsoft 365 change from time to time. The exact names may differ on your screen.

What the setting does

Think of a customer row with a column called Notes. Without the setting, every time someone types in Notes, the new text replaces the old text. With the setting on, the new text is added and the old text stays.

Microsoft's page on list column types describes it this way: "Append Changes to Existing Text specifies whether people can add new text about an item without replacing any existing text about that item." The same page says this setting is available only in lists, not in document libraries.

That makes it a good fit for a short running log on one row, such as call notes on a client or status notes on a job. It is not a replacement for a second list of notes when you need to sort, filter or count the notes. I cover that choice below.

Why versioning must be on

The notes are not stored as separate rows. A Microsoft Q&A answer explains the mechanism: "When you choose to use "Append changes to existing text", it is actually using version to manage this feature, each time you append a text, it creates a version for the item."

So the setting depends on versioning. Microsoft's column page starts its description with: "If versioning has been enabled for the list". An archived Microsoft Learn article describes a message that appears if versioning is off. It reads: "You must first turn on versioning in this list before adding or creating columns which append changes to existing text". That article is archived, so your screen may word it differently.

Step 1. Turn on versioning for the list

Open your list at https://www.microsoft365.com or from your SharePoint site. Select the Settings gear, then List Settings.
Select Versioning settings.
Choose how versions are created, such as a new version each time an item is edited, then select OK.

Microsoft's page on versioning also says you can limit the number of versions kept. This matters here. Because the old notes are stored as versions, a low limit is a risk to the log. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: if the log must be complete, do not set a low version limit, and test with a few edits before you rely on it.

Step 2. Add the column and turn the setting on

In the list, add a column of type Multiple lines of text. Name it Notes.
In the column settings, find Append Changes to Existing Text and set it to Yes.
Save the column.
If you see a message about versioning, go back to Step 1, then try again.

If your list does not need every row to have a title, remember that the Title column is required by default. Rename it or turn off Require if your rows are better named another way. Rows are easier to find later when Title holds something you can read, such as "Client 12".

One more note on formatting. Microsoft's column page says rich text sets "whether people can apply formatting such as bold, italics, or colors to text." Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: for a log, plain text is easier to read back and easier to export. Pick the plain option unless you need formatting.

Step 3. Test it with a few edits

Before the team starts using it, test on one row.

Open a test row, for example "Client 12".
In Notes, type "First call made". Save.
Edit the row again. In Notes, type "Sent the quote". Save.
Open the row again and check that both notes are shown, each with a date and time.

Microsoft's column page says the setting lets people see "text that was previously entered and the date and time that the text was entered" in the item. If you do not see both notes, check that versioning is on for this list.

What you see in the list view

Microsoft's column page says: "When viewed in a list, not as a field in an item form, the column displays the hyperlink View Entries, instead of the text, and people can click the hyperlink to see all the information stored in the column for that item." So treat the list view as a place to find the row, and open the row to read the full log.

What happens when you export

This is the part that surprises people. A Microsoft Q&A answer explains that when you export the list to a spreadsheet, "for the multiple line of text field, it shows the new added text, as it is the latest version of the item value." In plain words: the export shows the latest note, not the whole log. The question in that thread came from a person who found that only the last note was exported.

The same answer points to code as the way to export all the values. If you are not a developer, this is a good reason to plan for another approach if anyone needs the whole log in a report. See "SharePoint list export to Excel fails or misses rows".

The warning: turning it off deletes old notes

Microsoft's column page is clear on this point: "If you turn off this option after you create the column, all information except the most recent entry is deleted."

Do not turn the setting off to see if it fixes a display problem. If you want to stop appending, first copy the log somewhere safe. One way to start is to open each row's version history and copy the notes into a new column, or ask your admin to help for many rows. See "See who changed a row: SharePoint version history" for how to read the versions of a row. If the version history looks blank, see "SharePoint list version history is blank or missing".

A safer plan if you need reports

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: if you will ever need to filter, count, sort or export notes, do not rely on one appended column. Use a second list for notes.

Keep your main list, for example Clients, with one row per client.
Create a second list named Client notes. Give it these columns: Title (required by default; rename it or turn off Require), Client (a Lookup column to the Clients list), Note (Multiple lines of text), Note type (Choice), and Follow up (Yes/No).
For Note type, number the choices so they keep your order: 1 Call, 2 Email, 3 Visit, 4 Other.
For Follow up, set a default value. Do not assume a starting value.
Add one row per note. Each note then has its own date, its own author and its own row, and it can be filtered and exported like any other row.

This takes more clicks than one appended column. The gain is that every note is a row you can report on. Use the appended column for light, informal logs where nobody will export the history.

What to avoid

Do not turn the setting off on a list with notes you care about. Old notes are deleted except the latest.
Do not set a low version limit on a list that uses the setting, until you have tested what happens.
Do not rely on an export for the full log. The export shows the latest note.
Do not use the setting on a column that a Power Automate flow also writes to, unless you plan for it. A flow that triggers on an edit and then edits the same row can start itself again and again. Add a guard condition, and see "Power Automate flow keeps running itself over and over".
Do not put private data in a Notes column and then share the list widely. Views are not security. Check who can open version history on your list before you store anything private.
Do not expect a comment on an item to work the same way. Item comments are a separate feature. See "Comments on a list item: who gets told".

Honest limits

This setting is old and simple. It keeps a text log on one row and relies on versioning to do it. It is not built for reports, and Microsoft's own answers point to code when someone needs every value exported. If your team needs notes that can be counted, assigned or followed up, use the second-list plan above.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

What does "Append changes to existing text" mean in a SharePoint list?

It is a setting on a Multiple lines of text column. Microsoft says it "specifies whether people can add new text about an item without replacing any existing text about that item." New text is added, and the old text stays.

Why does SharePoint say I must turn on versioning first?

A Microsoft Q&A answer says the feature "is actually using version to manage this feature." Each appended note creates a version of the item, so versioning has to be on for the list first.

What happens if I turn the setting off?

Microsoft says "all information except the most recent entry is deleted." Copy the notes somewhere safe before you change the setting.

Why does my export show only the last note?

A Microsoft Q&A answer says the export shows the text as it is "the latest version of the item value." The full log is kept in the item's versions, not in the exported cell. For reports, use a second list with one row per note.

Does this setting work in a document library?

Microsoft's column page says the setting is available only in lists. For a library, use a separate notes list that points to the file.