How to annotate any website, free, in under a minute
Paste a link, pin comments on the exact element, and send one link. Your client comments in the browser with no account and no extension.
By the Comnview team · Updated · 9 min read
Table of contents8 sections
TL;DR: paste, pin, share
To annotate a website, capture the page, pin each comment to the element it is about, and share one link. With Comnview that takes three steps and works on any public page; pages on localhost or behind a login use the Chrome extension.
Paste the link
Comnview captures the page as it looks right now: a full-page image and, where it can, a live copy you can scroll.
Pin your notes
Click the spot, write the comment. Add an arrow, a box or a highlight when words are not enough.
Share one link
Your client opens it in any browser, types a name once and pins replies. You resolve as you fix.
What “annotating a website” means, and when you need it
Annotating a website means leaving notes on top of a web page: a pin on the button that is the wrong colour, an arrow to the headline that needs shortening, a box around the section that should go. It replaces the email that says “the thing on the second page, near the top, looks off”.
Good annotations sit on the exact element, keep the screen size they were made at, and stay put when the site changes. That last part is why we capture a snapshot instead of commenting on the live site: the page your client reviews is the page you sent.
When you need it
Client sign-off
Send a draft site, collect pinned feedback, resolve it, get the approval in the same place.
QA before launch
Walk the staging or localhost build and pin every bug where it happens.
Copy and content edits
Pin the exact sentence that needs rewriting instead of quoting it in an email.
Competitor teardowns
Capture a competitor’s page and annotate what works and what does not, for your team.
How to annotate a website, step by step
We annotated the Apple homepage to show each step. Screenshots are ours, from comnview.com.
Paste the website’s link
Open comnview.com (or the box at the end of this page), paste the address of the page and click Capture page. In 20 to 60 seconds you have the page as it looks right now: a full-page image and, for most sites, a live copy you can scroll and resize.
No account needed for your first 3 captures. A link straight to an image or PDF opens as that file.
Paste any public address and click Capture page. Click the exact element and write your note
Pick Comment (or press C), click the spot you mean, type, post. The pin sits on that element, so “this button” is never ambiguous. Each comment also remembers the screen size it was left at.
On a phone, press and hold to place a pin.
Pin a comment right on the button you mean. Draw when words are not enough
Switch to the Pencil for freehand, a line, an arrow, a box, a circle or a highlight, in any colour and width. Drawings sit on the page next to the comment they explain.
An arrow to the Buy button and a box around the hero image. Check the page on a phone or tablet
When the live copy is available, switch the screen size to Phone, Tablet or Laptop and the page reflows like a real browser, with your pins still on their elements. Feedback about mobile layout no longer needs a separate screenshot.
Same page at phone width; the pins follow their elements. Share one link
Click Share, copy the review link or invite up to 5 people by email with a short note. They open it in any browser, type a name once and comment. Add a password if the page is not public yet.
Invite by email or copy the link; add a password if you need one. Reply, fix and resolve
Every comment has a thread. Reply in place, fix the issue, click Resolve. The open list is your to-do list, and resolved comments stay one click away for the record.
Replies sit under each comment; resolve when it is done.
Four ways to annotate a website, compared
There is no single right tool. This is how the common approaches compare for client and team feedback.
| Method | Client needs an account | Comments stay on the right spot | Works on localhost | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshot + markup app (Preview, Snagit, Figma) | No, but replies go back by email | Yes, it is a flat image | Yes | Free to about $60 a year |
| Personal annotation extension | Usually yes, or there is nothing to share | Depends on the extension | Yes | Free to a few dollars a month |
| Live-proxy feedback tool (e.g. Markup.io) | No, guests give name and email | Can drift when the live page changes | Not in our test | From $79 a month |
| Snapshot feedback tool (Comnview) | No, a name once | Yes, the page is frozen | Yes, with the extension | Free, paid from $9 a month |
Live tools are great when you want reviewers to see the current site; snapshots win when you want feedback on a specific version.
Annotating localhost, staging and password-protected pages
A pasted link is opened by our servers, so it only works for public pages, and some sites block automated visits altogether. For everything else, the Comnview Chrome extension captures the page in your own browser: localhost, a staging site behind a login, an admin screen. Nothing gets deployed, and your client still gets one link.
- Open the page in Chrome, click the Comnview icon, choose a live copy, a full-page screenshot, or both.
- Works on every plan, including Free.
- The capture stays frozen, so you can keep building while the client reviews.
Free on every plan. Captures the page in your own browser, so nothing is deployed or made public.
8 tips for website feedback that actually gets acted on
One issue per pin
Two problems in one comment means one gets forgotten. Pins are free; use more.
Say what and why
“Make the button bigger, people miss it on mobile” beats “button?”.
Note the screen size
Something broken on a phone may be fine on a laptop. Comnview stores the screen size with each comment.
Draw when words fail
An arrow and a box explain spacing or alignment faster than a paragraph.
Paste an example
Attach a screenshot of the style you want instead of describing it.
Ask, do not just tell
Questions like “Is this headline clear to a first-time visitor?” get better answers from clients.
Resolve as you fix
A resolved pin is a done task. The open list is your to-do list.
Review a version, not a moving target
Freeze the page you send. Feedback on a site that keeps changing is feedback on the wrong thing.
Questions to ask your client when you send the link
Clients give better feedback when you ask specific questions. Paste a few of these into your message:
- Is it clear within five seconds what this page offers?
- What would you click first, and is it where you expected?
- Is any text wrong, outdated or missing?
- Do the colours, photos and fonts feel like your brand?
- Does anything look broken or odd on your phone?
- What is the one change that matters most to you?
Frequently asked questions
Can I annotate a website for free?
Yes. Comnview is free for 3 projects, with 3 website captures to try, up to 10 comments per project, password-protected links and links that never expire. Starter is $9 a month billed yearly for 50 projects and unlimited captures.
Do I need a browser extension to annotate a website?
Not for public pages: paste the link on comnview.com and Comnview captures it. You only need the Chrome extension for pages that are not public, like localhost, staging sites behind a login, or sites that block automated visits.
Does my client need an account to comment?
No. They open the link in any browser, type a name once and pin comments. Email is optional, only for reply notifications.
Do comments stay on the right spot if the website changes?
Yes. Comnview annotates a captured snapshot, not the live site, so every pin stays on the element it was left on even after you change the page. Capture again when you want a new round.
Can I annotate a website on my phone?
Yes. Open the review link on a phone, press and hold where you want a pin, and write the comment. Comments open as sheets so they stay readable.
Can I annotate a password-protected or localhost page?
Yes, with the Comnview Chrome extension. It captures the page in your own browser, where you are already logged in, so nothing needs to be deployed or made public.
How long do review links last?
Forever. Links never expire on any plan; a link works until you delete the project.
Screenshots taken by us on comnview.com. The websites shown belong to their owners and appear only to demonstrate annotation; Comnview is not affiliated with them.
