Account Does Not Have Permission To Set Allow Comments | Fix

This error often appears just as you try to send an envelope in DocuSign, but it usually comes down to one setting you can change in a minute. That way you avoid rebuilding envelopes from scratch when the error pops up.

The message text itself, account does not have permission to set allow comments, hints that your envelope wants to turn comments on or off in a way your plan or account settings do not allow. This guide shows what that message means and how to fix it as a sender or admin for clarity.

What The “Account Does Not Have Permission To Set Allow Comments” Error Means

In DocuSign, comments are an optional feature that lets signers and senders leave notes inside an envelope. By default, comments are turned off at the account level, and only an admin with full administration rights can enable them for everyone on that account.

When an envelope or template tries to change the comment setting while the account is not allowed to, DocuSign blocks sending and shows the message account does not have permission to set allow comments. Under the hood, the system sees a mismatch between three layers of settings:

• Account level — Whether comments are available at all for any user on the account.
• User level — Whether a sender can override comment settings for a specific envelope.
• Envelope or template level — Whether the specific envelope wants comments on or off.

If the account says comments are off, but a template or envelope requests them, DocuSign refuses to send and throws the error instead. The same thing can happen in the opposite direction when a template created under a different plan expects comments that your current plan does not allow.

Main Reasons This Allow Comments Permission Error Appears

Several common patterns trigger this message, and once you know them you can usually spot the cause fast.

• Comments disabled at account level — The feature is off for the entire account, so any envelope or template that tries to use comments will fail.
• Plan change removed comment rights — Moving from a trial or higher tier to a lower tier can turn comment features off in the background while your old templates still expect them.
• Template imported from another account — Templates copied from an account where comments were enabled may still carry that flag while your own account does not allow it.
• Envelope created before settings changed — An envelope created while comments were allowed can start failing if an admin later turns that feature off.
• Account level feature disabled in the backend — In some cases the comments feature is switched off behind the scenes, so you cannot see the Comments menu at all and the error appears for every envelope that references comments.

The table below links these common causes with the symptoms you see on screen and the usual fix that clears the error message.

Fixing The Allow Comments Permission Error In Docusign

For many senders the fastest move is to adjust the individual envelope or template that is failing. You can do this even if you are not the full account admin, as long as your account gives you permission to edit the envelope before sending.

1. Check whether the error affects one envelope or many — Try sending a quick test envelope that does not use any templates. If that envelope works, the problem sits inside one or more templates, not the entire account.
2. Open the envelope’s advanced options — When you edit the failing envelope, open the advanced or more options panel and look for a setting related to comments on the envelope.
3. Turn comments off for that envelope — If you see a checkbox or toggle that controls comments, set it to off and save. Then attempt to send again. If the account does not allow comments at all, turning the setting off often clears the conflict.
4. Rebuild the envelope without the old template — If the envelope came from a template and you cannot see any comment options, try creating a brand new envelope using the same document but without that template. If the send succeeds, the template is carrying the conflicting setting.
5. Duplicate the template under the same account — In many reports, copying the template inside the current account removes hidden flags that came from a different plan. Use the copy to send new envelopes and retire the old one.

After you run through these steps you will know whether the error is tied to a single template or whether every envelope that might touch comments fails. If it appears everywhere, the fix needs to happen at the admin or account level.

How To Change Account Comment Settings As An Admin

If you are the account admin with full rights, you can often clear this allow comments permission error by turning the comment feature on for the whole account and, if desired, allowing senders to switch it off per envelope.

1. Sign in as an admin with full administration rights — Log in using an account that has all administration capabilities, not just regular sending rights.
2. Open the settings area — Select Settings from the main DocuSign menu. If you do not see this menu item, you are not logged in with an admin profile.
3. Locate the comments section — In the left column, look for a section named Signing and Sending. Under that section you should see Comments. Click it to open the comment feature controls.
4. Enable comments for the account — Turn on the option labeled “Enable comments in envelopes sent from this account.” This allows envelopes to use comments without running into the permission conflict.
5. Decide whether senders can override the setting — If you want individual senders to be able to turn comments on or off on a case by case basis, select the option that lets senders override the account level setting.
6. Save and test with a fresh envelope — Save the settings, then create a new test envelope and send it. If the new envelope goes through, you can either reuse your old templates or recreate them so they follow the updated settings.

Once comments are fully enabled at account level, the error should disappear for any new envelopes that respect those settings. Old drafts might still carry stale values, so consider recreating them if the message continues to appear. The steps above stay short and direct.

What To Do When You Do Not See The Comments Setting

Sometimes you follow the instructions above and still cannot find any comments menu in the settings area, even when you know you are logged in as the admin. That usually means the comments feature is disabled behind the scenes for your subscription, often after a change from one plan tier to another.

When that happens you cannot change the setting yourself, because the toggle is hidden instead of just turned off. A few steps help narrow the situation before you contact DocuSign about it.

• Confirm your plan type — Check which plan you are on now compared to the plan under which older templates were created. Some personal or limited plans do not include the comments feature while a past trial did.
• Check whether any template or envelope ever used comments — If older templates relied on comments, they can still request them even if the plan no longer allows it. That mismatch sends you straight into the error.
• Prepare examples for the help team — Before you reach out, list one or two envelope IDs and template names that fail with the message. This gives the DocuSign team concrete records to look at in the logs.
• Ask DocuSign to review the backend feature flag — When you contact the help center, explain that you see this allow comments permission error but do not have any Comments menu. Ask them to check whether the comments feature can be enabled for your plan or whether your templates need to change.

Many users report that once DocuSign staff toggles the feature on the backend, the Comments section appears in Settings again and the error disappears as soon as templates are updated or envelopes are recreated.

Ways To Prevent The Allow Comments Error In Later Envelopes

Once you have cleared the message, it helps to tidy up templates and habits so you do not run into this allow comments permission error again when deadlines are tight. Clear notes in your team about comments and plans save time, clicks, and confusion each time a document goes out for everyone involved.

• Standardize templates under the current account — Rebuild or duplicate older templates that came from other accounts so they follow the current plan’s feature set.
• Review comment settings before saving templates — When an admin creates or edits a template, decide once whether comments should always be on, always off, or optional for senders, and save it that way.
• Test after any plan change — When you upgrade or downgrade your DocuSign subscription, send a quick test envelope from each critical template to catch any permission errors linked to features that changed with the new plan.
• Document the path to the comments setting — Write a short internal note that shows colleagues where to find the Comments menu and what the agreed settings are so envelopes stay consistent.
• Use simple envelopes when comments are not needed — For high volume send tasks where comments bring no value, base envelopes on plain documents without any comment configuration to avoid clashes entirely.

A little cleanup after you fix the first error keeps your DocuSign account predictable so that red message stops blocking time sensitive envelopes.

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