--- title: "Comments, mentions and shared timelines" description: "Write comments on orders, shipments and tours in Orbit MissionControl, choose who can read them, mention people, and see what carriers, drivers and shippers see in Orbit Connect, Orbit Cockpit and Orbit Hub." url: "https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/en/core-features/comments-and-mentions" locale: "en" apps: ["mission", "connect", "cockpit", "hub"] lastReviewed: "2026-10-13" --- # Comments, mentions and shared timelines Write comments on orders, shipments and tours in Orbit MissionControl, choose who can read them, mention people, and see what carriers, drivers and shippers see in Orbit Connect, Orbit Cockpit and Orbit Hub. Comments keep the conversation about a transport next to the `Order`, `Shipment` or `Tour` it concerns. Operators write them in Orbit MissionControl and decide who else may read each one. Carriers and drivers read and answer on the tour in Orbit Connect and Orbit Cockpit, and shippers read what is shared with them in Orbit Hub. ## Overview Every `Order`, `Shipment` and `Tour` in Orbit MissionControl has a **Timeline**. It lists the comments on that record together with the events Orbit logged for it, such as status changes. A new comment is visible to operators only. You share it with the shipper, the carrier or the public tracking page by switching those audiences on. **Key highlights:** * **One place per record:** comments sit on the order, shipment or tour they are about, next to its history * **You choose the audience:** **Operator** always, and **Shipper**, **Carrier** and **Tracking Page** only when you switch them on * **Mentions notify:** type `@` to mention a user or a team, and `#` to link a tour, shipment or other record * **Tours collect related comments:** a tour's Timeline can also show the comments on its shipments and their orders * **Carriers and drivers take part:** they read the comments shared with their carrier and write their own on the tour ## Who sees what | Who | Where | Reads | Writes | | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Operator | Orbit MissionControl | All comments on records they can open | Comments, replies, reactions; edits own only | | Carrier user | Orbit Connect | Tour comments shared with their carrier, plus shared shipment and order comments | Tour comments and reactions on tour comments | | Driver | Orbit Cockpit | The same as a carrier user | The same as a carrier user, plain text only | | Shipper user | Orbit Hub | Comments shared with shippers on the order, its shipments and their tours | Nothing | | Anyone with the link | Tracking page | Comments with **Tracking Page** switched on, on the shipment and its tour | Nothing | Shippers and tracking page visitors see the comment text and its date. The author shows as your company name, never as a person, and reactions and attachments stay hidden. ## Comments in Orbit MissionControl ### Write a comment 1. **Open the record** Open an order, a shipment or a tour in Orbit MissionControl and scroll to **Timeline**. 2. **Open the composer** Select **Write a comment…** in the comment bar at the bottom of the page. 3. **Write the text** Type your comment. The toolbar offers **Bold**, **Italic**, **Bullet List**, **Numbered List** and **Insert Link**. **Rewrite with AI** suggests a cleaner wording, and **Undo Rewrite** brings your own text back. 4. **Mention and tag** Type `@` or select **Mention User or Team** to mention someone. Type `#` or select **Tag Tour, Shipment & More** to link a record. 5. **Attach files** Select **Attach Files** to add one or more files. Wait until the upload finishes; **Submit** stays disabled until then. 6. **Choose the audience** Select the **Visibility** button and switch on **Shipper**, **Carrier** or **Tracking Page** as needed. 7. **Send** Select **Submit**, or press `Ctrl` + `Enter` (`⌘` + `Enter` on a Mac). ![The comment composer in Orbit MissionControl with the Visibility popover showing the Shipper, Carrier and Tracking Page switches](https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/images/comments-and-mentions/visibility.png) *The comment composer with the Visibility switches open.* ### Choose who can read it The **Visibility** button shows the current audience, for example **Operator • Carrier**. Operators can always read a comment. The three switches add: * **Shipper:** users of the shipper can read it in Orbit Hub when it sits on their order, on one of its shipments or on a tour that carries them * **Carrier:** users and drivers of the carrier read it on the tour in Orbit Connect and Orbit Cockpit * **Tracking Page:** anyone who opens the shipment's or the tour's tracking page reads it Sharing is always your choice. A reply starts with the audience of the comment it answers, and you can change it before you send. Once a comment is posted, a small label under it lists the audiences you shared it with. The tracking page shows the shared comments of the tracked shipment and of its tour, or of the tracked tour and its shipments. Order comments never appear there. ### Mentions and tags Type `@` to mention: * **Operator Users** and **Operator Teams** * **Shippers**, **Shipper Teams** and **Shipper Users** * **Carriers**, **Carrier Teams** and **Carrier Users** A mentioned user receives a notification, and so does every member of a mentioned operator team. A mention of a whole shipper or carrier, or of one of their teams, links the name but notifies nobody. When you edit a comment, only the people you add get a notification. Type `#` to link a record from **Tours**, **Shipments**, **Orders**, **Vehicles**, **Carriers** or **Shippers**. A tag is a link and notifies nobody. > **Warning:** A mention does not share the comment. If you mention a shipper user or a carrier user in a comment they cannot read, they get no notification. The **Visibility** button then shows an orange dot, and its tooltip reads, for example, "Julia can't see this comment yet". Switch on **Shipper** or **Carrier** if they should read it. ### Reply, react, edit and delete Hover over a comment to see its actions: * **Reply** quotes the comment above your new one. Replies are not nested threads. A reply always lands on the same record as the comment it answers, even when you reply from a tour's Timeline to a comment that belongs to a shipment. * **React** adds one of nine emoji: ✅ 👀 🙌 👍 ❤️ 😂 🎉 😮 😢. Select your reaction again to remove it. * **Copy Link** copies a link that opens the record at this comment. * **Edit** and **Delete** appear on your own comments only. Administrators cannot edit or delete other people's comments either. **Delete** asks for confirmation and cannot be undone. An edited comment shows **edited**. Changing only the audience does not mark it. You cannot add attachments while editing. ### Translated comments When a comment is written in English and your Orbit MissionControl runs in German, or the other way round, Orbit shows a translation with the hint **Translated**. Select **Show Original** to read the text as written, and **Show Translation** to switch back. The translation shows plain text without formatting. If Orbit cannot tell the language, or the translation fails, you see the original. ### Filter the Timeline Three buttons above the Timeline narrow what it lists: * **All:** comments and events * **Comments:** comments only * **Events:** the events Orbit logged, such as status changes On a tour, a second control chooses how far the Timeline looks: | Option | Shows | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | | **Tour** | The tour's own comments and events | | **Tour + Shipments** (default) | Plus the comments on the shipments the tour carries | | **Tour + Shipments + Orders** | Plus the comments on the orders behind those shipments | Orbit remembers your choice. Comments from a shipment or an order carry a label such as **Shipment** followed by its name; select it to open that record. Only comments are added this way; the events always belong to the tour. When the control is set to **Tour**, an orange dot reminds you that shipment comments are hidden. Orders and shipments have no such control. Their Timeline shows only their own comments and events. ## Tour comments in Orbit Connect Open a tour in Orbit Connect. **Comments** sits above the stops. It lists: * the comments on the tour that your operator shared with your carrier, and the comments your carrier wrote * shared comments on the shipments currently on the tour, labelled **Shipment** and its name * shared comments on the orders behind those shipments, labelled **Order** Each comment shows its author, how long ago it was written and its text. To write a comment, type in **Write a comment…** and select **Submit**, or press `Ctrl` + `Enter`. You can format the text. Mentions, tags, attachments and an audience choice are not available here. To react to a tour comment, select **React** and choose an emoji. Shipment and order comments are read-only: you cannot react to them. Orbit Connect has no replies, and you cannot edit or delete a comment once it is sent. If your account can read comments but not write them, **Comments** appears only once the tour has a comment you can see. ## Tour comments in Orbit Cockpit Open a tour in Orbit Cockpit and find **Comments** in the tour details. It shows the same comments as Orbit Connect, oldest first, with the newest just above the text box. Shipment comments carry the shipment's name; order comments carry only **Order**. 1. **Open Comments** Open the tour and tap **Comments**. 2. **Write** Tap **Write a comment…** and type your message, up to 2,000 characters. 3. **Send** Tap the send button. If sending fails, Orbit Cockpit shows **Comment could not be sent. Please try again.** and keeps your text. To react to a tour comment, tap the smiley and choose an emoji. Tap a reaction again to remove it. Shipment and order comments have no reactions. **No comments yet** means the tour has no comments you can see. **Comments could not be loaded.** means Orbit Cockpit could not fetch them, for example without a connection. The list also refreshes every minute and when you return to the app. Orbit Cockpit sends plain text only: no formatting, mentions or attachments. If you do not see **Comments** on a tour, your account may not include reading comments; ask your operator. ## Who can read what you post as a carrier or driver A comment written in Orbit Connect or Orbit Cockpit goes to the operator and to the users of your own carrier. It does not reach the shipper or the tracking page, and you cannot change that. If the operator later gives the tour to another carrier, your carrier loses access to the tour and its comments, and the new carrier does not see them. Every operator receives **New Comment from a Carrier** when a carrier or driver comments, so the office learns about a delay or a problem without anyone being mentioned. ## Comments in Orbit Hub On an order in Orbit Hub, **Comments** lists every comment your operator shared with shippers on the order, on its shipments and on the tours that carry them, oldest first. Each shows your operator's company name, how long ago it was written and its text. Orbit Hub is read-only: you cannot write, reply or react. If nothing is shared, the section does not appear. ## Notifications | Setting | Who gets it | Channels | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Mentioned in a Comment** | The person you mention | Email; push and browser for carriers and drivers | | **Reply to Your Comment** | The author of the comment you reply to | Email; push and browser for carriers and drivers | | **Reaction to Your Comment** | The author of the comment someone reacts to | Email for operators; push and browser for carriers and drivers, email optional | | **New Comment on Assigned Tour** | The driver assigned to the tour | Push and browser | | **New Comment from a Carrier** | Every operator, when a carrier user or driver comments | In-app message in Orbit MissionControl, email optional | Each person gets a notification only for a comment they can read. **New Comment on Assigned Tour** stops once the tour is completed or cancelled, and you never get a notification for your own comment or reaction. Shipper users get an email when they are mentioned in a comment on an order. Carrier users get emails for tour comments only. You turn each setting on or off under **Notifications** in your settings. A comment notification in Orbit Cockpit opens the tour at its **Comments** section. ## Example Julia, a dispatcher at Nordlicht Spedition, sees that a pickup in Lyon will start an hour late. On the shipment she writes "Pickup moves to 10:00, the ramp is blocked" and switches on **Shipper** and **Carrier**. Mohammad from the shipper reads the comment on his order in Orbit Hub. A mention would send him no email here, because shipper users get mention emails only for comments on an order. Max, the driver, sees it in Orbit Cockpit under the tour's **Comments**, labelled with the shipment's name. Shipment comments take no reactions, so he answers on the tour: when he arrives, he writes "On site, ramp still closed". Julia's team gets **New Comment from a Carrier** in Orbit MissionControl and reads it in the tour's Timeline. **Q: Does mentioning someone let them read the comment?** No. A mention only notifies people who can already read the comment. Switch on **Shipper** or **Carrier** under **Visibility** to share it. The orange dot on **Visibility** warns you when a mentioned shipper or carrier user cannot read it. **Q: Can I edit or delete another operator's comment?** No. Only the author can edit or delete a comment, and that applies to administrators as well. **Q: Why does an order's Timeline not show the comments on its tour?** Only a tour's Timeline collects comments from related records. An order or a shipment shows its own comments. Open the tour and choose **Tour + Shipments + Orders** to see everything in one list. **Q: Can a driver reply to a comment or mention someone?** No. Orbit Cockpit and Orbit Connect let carriers and drivers write tour comments and react to them, without replies, mentions or attachments. **Q: Can a carrier see my internal comments?** No. A comment stays with operators until you switch on **Carrier**. Even then, a carrier sees it only on tours assigned to that carrier. **Q: Do order comments appear on the tracking page?** No. The tracking page shows shared comments on the shipment and its tour, never on the order. **Q: What happens to a carrier's comments when the tour goes to another carrier?** They stay on the tour for operators. The carrier that wrote them loses access to the tour, and with it to its comments, and the new carrier does not see them. Related: [Tours](https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/en/core-features/tours), [Orders](https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/en/core-features/orders), [Shipments](https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/en/core-features/shipments), [What can each role see in Orbit?](https://support.pr-2.orbit.do/en/faq/what-can-each-role-see-in-orbit)