We're excited to roll out Simple Commenter version 1.0.8, an update driven by your valuable feedback! As Simple Commenter has grown from a tool for preview sites to a robust solution used on live websites, the need for enhanced security and greater flexibility has become crystal clear. What started with a simple premise – enabling PDF-style comments on your preview site – has evolved, and we're thrilled to introduce features that empower you to use Simple Commenter exactly how you need it.

Here’s what’s new and improved in Simple Commenter 1.0.8:

This is a big one! You now have the power to implement authenticated access for your commenting system. This means you can restrict who sees and adds comments, ensuring only clients you've specifically authorized under 

 can participate. Clients can now conveniently log in using secure magic email links, making the process simple and safe

 Login is available to authorized clients, domain administrators, and team members. Easily add and manage clients for each domain under the new 

Gain more control over when Simple Commenter loads on your site. With this update, you can choose to load Simple Commenter only if 

 is present in the URL. When enabled, we'll automatically add this parameter to all Simple Commenter links for a seamless experience.

Teamwork makes the dream work! You can now add your team members directly to your Simple Commenter account. This streamlines collaboration and allows your entire team to engage with comments and feedback seamlessly.

We've made magic email links the default login method for a faster, more user-friendly experience. While password login is still available, the magic link option provides a streamlined way for users, including your clients, to access Simple Commenter. The core login functionality is solid, and we have exciting plans to build upon this in future updates!

You can now easily enable or disable the drawing and screenshot features directly within the settings. This gives you greater control over the commenting tools available to your users.

Tailor the appearance of the Simple Commenter modal to better fit your site and workflow:

Choose to align the commenting modal to either the left or right side of the screen.

Opt for a smaller, less intrusive modal box for a more streamlined and subtle integration.

Beyond the major features, we've also implemented several other valuable updates:

 Added the ability to easily change or add your password.

 Implemented overall security updates under the hood to keep your data and commenting system safe and sound.

 Successfully implemented manual translation capabilities under "Domain -> Localization"! Take a look and customize your language settings.

 As always, this update includes numerous bug fixes to improve stability and performance.

We're continuously working to make Simple Commenter even better. Our next steps will focus on:

 Diving deeper into email functionalities, allowing for greater customization and client-specific emails for improved workflow.

 Introducing capabilities for file sharing and uploading within comments.

 Exploring connections with popular third-party apps like Trello, Slack, and more to further streamline your feedback loops.

We're committed to providing you with a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use commenting tool. We believe these updates in version 1.0.8 are significant steps forward, and we can't wait for you to experience them!

Simple Commenter Update 1.0.8: Enhanced Security, Flexibility, and a Smoother Experience!

Updates

We're thrilled to announce the latest update to Simple Commenter, version 1.0.7, packed with features designed to make your website feedback process even more visual and efficient!

Now you can capture and attach screenshots directly to your comments! This makes it easier than ever to highlight specific elements and provide precise feedback on exactly what you're seeing.

Want to point something out directly? Our new "Draw on Page" feature lets you annotate elements visually, making your feedback crystal clear. Circle areas, draw arrows, and emphasize key details right on the webpage.

Comments associated with a screenshot or drawing will now be visible on the page, even if they were previously hidden. This ensures that when visual context is attached, the corresponding comment is readily accessible for review and replies.

These new visual annotation capabilities are designed to streamline your feedback loops and enhance collaboration. Imagine being able to:

Clearly indicate design tweaks with a quick drawing.

Pinpoint layout issues with a precise screenshot.

Ensure everyone sees the context behind visual feedback.

On desktop, our screenshot feature utilizes 

 display surface to capture a precise frame of what the user sees. This stream is then drawn onto a canvas and converted to a base64 image. Unfortunately, mobile browsers generally restrict the use of 

 for capturing the entire screen or a specific browser tab due to security and privacy concerns. This prevents us from using the same precise method we employ on desktop.

We also explored third-party libraries like 

. However, these solutions often fall short in accurately rendering complex CSS and JavaScript elements, meaning the captured image wouldn't always reflect exactly what the user is experiencing on the page.

Therefore, for now, precise screen capture is only available on desktop. If you have any innovative ideas or technical insights on how to achieve accurate, cross-browser compatible screen capture on mobile web within these constraints, please don't hesitate to contact us via 

Our focus remains on providing you with the most efficient and user-friendly website annotation tool. We believe these visual updates are a significant step forward, and we appreciate your patience as we continue to refine the mobile experience.

Try out the new screenshot and drawing features on your desktop today! We're eager to hear your feedback.

Simple Commenter Update 1.0.7: Screenshots & Drawing

: Ability to pause new comments from external/guest users (clients can still view comments, but guests cannot add new ones),

: Ability to pause replying to comments by guests,

Client subscribe/unsubscribe functionality,

Notification email customization & localization,

– Attach automatic screenshots to comments. [Q2 2025]

Webhooks & 3rd Party Integrations - Trello, Jira, Slack, more.. [Rollout starts in Q2 with Trello & Webhooks, other integrations to follow in Q3-4 2025]

 – A more secure and convenient login option. [Q3 2025]

 – Control where Simple Commenter is allowed by specifying permitted or restricted pages. [Q3 2025]

 – Add multiple accounts for better team collaboration.[Q2 2025]

– Clients can login to Simple Commenter Dashboard

– Restricts access to authenticated users only, requiring a 

. Users must log in via email, and only authorized users can access Simple Commenter tool.

 – Load Simple Commenter only when a token "?simple-commenter=active" has been added to the URL [Q2 2025]

– Receive invoices automatically via email and easily manage them from your Simple Commenter dashboard [Q2 2025]

 – Clients can link their comments to them.  It will be an easy solution for the client, where they don't have to sign up. [March 2025]

 – Get a better understanding on what operating system and browser the client uses. [March 2025]

 – Threaded discussions for a richer feedback experience. [Feb 2025]

– Get notified when new comments or replies are made. [Feb 2025]

Several bug fixes have also been included in recent releases. For details, please see each update post. 

These updates are part of our ongoing commitment to making Simple Commenter the most straightforward tool for gathering and managing feedback—whether you’re working with clients or refining your own website.

Thank you for your ongoing support and feedback. If you would like to request a feature, write me a message in 

Roadmap

Contents

Next update (1.1)

Settings & Functionality

Script Improvements

Email & Notification Features

What else is in the Works

Recently Implemented

In a Nutshell