I'm getting email notifications from SharePoint when someone replies to my comments even though it is toggled off.

Question

I'm still getting email notifications when someone replies to my comments on a document in SharePoint even though this setting is toggled OFF. I have NO document-specific "alerts" set up. I'm a technical writer and review TONS of documents, so this is a HUGE nuisance for me (I'm the manager, so I work on fewer documents these days, but I DO still work on them!). Every time I get an email, I click on the "Notification Settings" and see that it's toggled off (though it will have sometimes toggled itself back on!). So, I don't know why I'm getting them. I can't simply block all notifications/communications from SharePoint because we have Nintex workflows set up that send notices when documents are ready for TW review (and a project manager discovered if you mark the nuisance emails as spam, it will mark ALL emails from SP as spam, even though they by design they look like they're coming from our office, it's still from SharePoint). Is there some other hidden portal that has a setting I don't know about? Is this just a bug? Is it just me or is there a known issue (I've scoured the forums and most people seem to be talking about alerts, not issues with this specific type notification)?

I'm the site admin, so I went into User Alerts, and there's only one person who has any set up (and I am not "Isaac"), so it's not coming from that side of the house (but it's specifically when someone replies to a comment, so I wouldn't have expected it to be)

Let's see, what else have I checked... we finally migrated to SharePoint Online a couple years ago if that helps. I also wondered if the person who was causing the notification to be generated was working in the browser or the app, and he's working in the native application. Not sure what other conditions or troubleshooting options to check for.

Answer 1

Dear Heather, 

I hope you have a good day. Thanks for choosing Microsoft Community.   

We're sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with the receive email notifications for comment replies in SharePoint, especially when you've already disabled them in your settings. Below are several steps you can take to help resolve the issue:   

1. Verify and Reapply Notification Settings

• Go to the SharePoint start page.
• Click the Settings cog > Email notification settings.
• Confirm that Comments and replies on pages and news posts I interact with is toggled OFF. If it’s on, toggle it off again.
• Wait 24 hours to allow settings to propagate, as notification changes may take time to apply across SharePoint Online.
• Test by having a colleague reply to one of your comments on a document and check if you still receive a notification.
• Note: If the setting toggles itself back on, this may indicate a bug or a tenant-level configuration issue.
• For reference, please check this link:  Set your SharePoint email notification preferences - Microsoft Support

1. Check Document and Library Settings

Notifications may be triggered by document-specific states (e.g., draft or checked-out status) or library settings, especially for @mentions. 

@Mentions in checked-out or draft documents may not trigger notifications correctly, but in some cases, they can still send unexpected emails if the document is later checked in. 

• Navigate to the document library where you’re receiving unwanted notifications.
• Select a document where a comment reply triggered a notification.
• Check if the document is checked out or in draft state:
• If checked out, highlight the document, click the three dots > More > Check in.
• If in draft state, check the library’s versioning settings: Go to Library Settings > Versioning Settings. Ensure Draft Item Security is set to Any user who can read items to allow notifications for drafts.
• Test commenting again to see if notifications persist.

1. Review Nintex Workflow Configuration

Since you use Nintex workflows for document review notifications, they may be generating comment-related notifications if configured to monitor comment activity or @mentions. 

• In the SharePoint site, navigate to the document library with the Nintex workflow.
• Go to Site Contents > Nintex Workflow > Workflow Inventory (or equivalent, depending on your Nintex version).
• Open the workflow(s) used for document review notifications.
• Check for actions that send emails based on Comment Added or @Mention events. Look for triggers like “When a comment is added” or “When a user is mentioned.”
• If found, modify the workflow to exclude notifications for comment replies or @mentions, or add a condition to only send emails for specific document states (e.g., “Ready for TW review”).
• If you’re unsure about the workflow logic, consult your Nintex administrator or review the workflow in Nintex Workflow Designer.

1. Check for Tenant-Level Notification Settings

As the site admin, verify if tenant-level settings or policies are overriding your personal notification preferences. 

• Go to the SharePoint Admin Center.
• Navigate to Settings > Notifications.
• Check if File activity notifications or Comment notifications are enabled for all users. If so, toggle them off if they’re not required for compliance or collaboration purposes.
• Verify if any custom policies (e.g., via Microsoft Purview or Azure AD) are enforcing notifications for collaboration activities. Go to Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal > Policies and review any active policies.
• If your organization uses a custom domain, ensure the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records allow emails from “******@sharepointonline.com” to prevent them from being marked as spam, which could affect notification delivery.

1. Check for Known Issues or Bugs

• Check the Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Health > Service Health for any incidents or advisories related to SharePoint Online or Exchange Online that might affect notification delivery.

I hope the steps provided above help you resolve the issue. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and the negative experience this may have caused.   

If the above steps do not resolve your issue, you may proceed with the following option so that a Technical Support Engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem.   

As forum moderators, we don’t have access to the detailed logs or backend systems needed to troubleshoot this effectively due to privacy and security constraints. For that reason, the most efficient solution would be to contact Microsoft’s support team directly.    

We sincerely recommend you try to create a support ticket from Microsoft 365 Admin Center>Support>Help & Support.   

You can raise support ticket from: Microsoft 365 admin center  

For reference: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn 

Phone Support: Microsoft provides customer service phone numbers based on your region. You can find the appropriate contact number here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

Contact a Reseller (if applicable): If your Office 365 subscriptions are managed through a federated partner or reseller and the Global Admin cannot open a service request, they should contact the reseller’s support provider. The reseller can assist with initiating the request and coordinating with the Office 365 support team.       

Note: If you’re an end-user, please coordinate with your Office 365 Global Administrator to handle these steps.       

Please know that we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to support you. If you need any further assistance or clarification, feel free to reach out—we're here to help. Thank you very much for your understanding and your cooperation.    

Best regards,   

Clover-L - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

Answer 2

Hi Heather,   

We hope this message finds you well.  

We just wanted to follow up regarding the issue you reported earlier. We shared some possible solutions with you a few days ago, and we wanted to check in to see if they helped resolve the problem.  

If you're still experiencing the issue or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to let us know. We're here to help and would be happy to continue supporting you.  

Looking forward to your response!  

Sincerely,   

Ruby-N- MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.