diff --git a/docs/comments-implementation-guide.md b/docs/comments-implementation-guide.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..07f35547c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/comments-implementation-guide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,506 @@
+# Comments & Mentions Implementation Guide
+
+> Implementation guide for adding Google Docs-style comments and @mentions to shared chats in SurfSense.
+
+---
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+1. [Overview](#overview)
+2. [Architecture Decisions](#architecture-decisions)
+3. [Database Design](#database-design)
+4. [API Design](#api-design)
+5. [Permission Model](#permission-model)
+6. [Business Rules](#business-rules)
+7. [File Structure](#file-structure)
+8. [Implementation Phases](#implementation-phases)
+9. [Testing Checklist](#testing-checklist)
+10. [Out of Scope](#out-of-scope)
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+### Problem Statement
+
+When team members view a shared AI chat, they cannot discuss specific answers in place. Users currently have to screenshot or copy-paste the output into external tools (Slack/Teams) to ask questions or validate data. This context switching causes friction and fragments organizational knowledge.
+
+### User Story
+
+As a user, I want to be able to place and reply to comments on AI responses to let my team know my thoughts without leaving SurfSense.
+
+### Solution
+
+Users can place comments on AI chat responses and reply to existing comments, similar to Google Docs, but limited to a single level of nesting per AI response.
+
+---
+
+## Architecture Decisions
+
+### Threading Model
+
+```
+AI Response (message_id: 123)
+├── Comment A (parent_id: NULL)      ← Top-level comment
+│   ├── Reply A1 (parent_id: A)      ← Reply
+│   ├── Reply A2 (parent_id: A)      ← Reply
+│   └── Reply A3 (parent_id: A)      ← Reply
+├── Comment B (parent_id: NULL)      ← Top-level comment
+│   └── Reply B1 (parent_id: B)      ← Reply
+└── Comment C (parent_id: NULL)      ← Top-level comment (no replies)
+```
+
+- **Multiple top-level comments** allowed per AI response
+- **One level of nesting** (replies to comments, but no replies to replies)
+- API enforces nesting limit, not DB constraint
+
+### Comment Anchoring
+
+- Comments attach to **AI responses only** (not user messages)
+- Comments attach to **entire message** (not text selection)
+- Validated by checking `message.role == 'assistant'`
+
+### @Mentions
+
+- **Storage format:** `@[uuid]` in raw content
+- **Display format:** `@Display Name` in rendered content
+- Mentions extracted and stored in separate table for notifications
+- Only search space members can be mentioned
+
+### Read/Unread Mentions
+
+- Simple boolean on mention record
+- Marked read when user clicks the mention notification
+- No automatic read-on-view (keep it simple)
+
+### Cascade Behavior
+
+- Deleting a comment deletes all its replies (DB CASCADE)
+- Deleting/regenerating a message deletes its comments (DB CASCADE)
+
+### Backend-First Architecture
+
+- All business logic in backend
+- Frontend is a thin consumer
+- Backend returns computed fields: `can_edit`, `can_delete`, `is_edited`, `content_rendered`
+
+---
+
+## Database Design
+
+### Table: `chat_comments`
+
+| Column | Type | Constraints | Description |
+|--------|------|-------------|-------------|
+| `id` | `SERIAL` | PK | Primary key |
+| `message_id` | `INTEGER` | FK → `new_chat_messages(id)` ON DELETE CASCADE, NOT NULL | Which AI response |
+| `parent_id` | `INTEGER` | FK → `chat_comments(id)` ON DELETE CASCADE, NULLABLE | NULL = top-level, otherwise = reply |
+| `author_id` | `UUID` | FK → `user(id)` ON DELETE SET NULL | Who wrote it |
+| `content` | `TEXT` | NOT NULL | Plain text, may contain `@[uuid]` |
+| `created_at` | `TIMESTAMPTZ` | NOT NULL, DEFAULT NOW() | Creation time |
+| `updated_at` | `TIMESTAMPTZ` | NOT NULL, DEFAULT NOW() | Last edit time |
+
+**Indexes:**
+- `idx_comments_message_id` on `message_id`
+- `idx_comments_parent_id` on `parent_id`
+- `idx_comments_author_id` on `author_id`
+- `idx_comments_created_at` on `created_at`
+
+### Table: `chat_comment_mentions`
+
+| Column | Type | Constraints | Description |
+|--------|------|-------------|-------------|
+| `id` | `SERIAL` | PK | Primary key |
+| `comment_id` | `INTEGER` | FK → `chat_comments(id)` ON DELETE CASCADE, NOT NULL | Which comment |
+| `mentioned_user_id` | `UUID` | FK → `user(id)` ON DELETE CASCADE, NOT NULL | Who was mentioned |
+| `read` | `BOOLEAN` | NOT NULL, DEFAULT FALSE | Has user seen it |
+| `created_at` | `TIMESTAMPTZ` | NOT NULL, DEFAULT NOW() | When mentioned |
+
+**Constraints:**
+- `UNIQUE (comment_id, mentioned_user_id)` - Can't mention same person twice
+
+**Indexes:**
+- `idx_mentions_user_unread` on `(mentioned_user_id) WHERE read = FALSE` (partial index)
+- `idx_mentions_comment_id` on `comment_id`
+
+### Schema Diagram
+
+```
+new_chat_messages (existing)
+         │
+         │ 1:N
+         ▼
+┌──────────────────────────────────┐
+│       chat_comments              │
+├──────────────────────────────────┤
+│ id (PK)                          │
+│ message_id (FK)                  │
+│ parent_id (FK, self-ref)         │
+│ author_id (FK → user)            │
+│ content                          │
+│ created_at                       │
+│ updated_at                       │
+└──────────────────────────────────┘
+         │
+         │ 1:N
+         ▼
+┌──────────────────────────────────┐
+│   chat_comment_mentions          │
+├──────────────────────────────────┤
+│ id (PK)                          │
+│ comment_id (FK)                  │
+│ mentioned_user_id (FK → user)    │
+│ read                             │
+│ created_at                       │
+└──────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## API Design
+
+### Endpoints
+
+| Method | Endpoint | Purpose |
+|--------|----------|---------|
+| `GET` | `/api/v1/messages/{message_id}/comments` | List comments with replies |
+| `POST` | `/api/v1/messages/{message_id}/comments` | Create top-level comment |
+| `POST` | `/api/v1/comments/{comment_id}/replies` | Reply to a comment |
+| `PUT` | `/api/v1/comments/{comment_id}` | Edit comment (author only) |
+| `DELETE` | `/api/v1/comments/{comment_id}` | Delete comment + replies |
+| `GET` | `/api/v1/users/me/mentions` | List user's mentions |
+| `POST` | `/api/v1/mentions/{mention_id}/read` | Mark mention as read |
+| `POST` | `/api/v1/users/me/mentions/read-all` | Mark all mentions read |
+
+### Request Schemas
+
+**Create/Update Comment:**
+```json
+{
+  "content": "string (1-5000 chars)"
+}
+```
+
+### Response Schemas
+
+**Comment Response:**
+```json
+{
+  "id": 1,
+  "message_id": 123,
+  "content": "Is this accurate? @[uuid-here]",
+  "content_rendered": "Is this accurate? @John Doe",
+  "author": {
+    "id": "uuid",
+    "display_name": "Jane Smith",
+    "avatar_url": "https://...",
+    "email": "jane@example.com"
+  },
+  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:42:00Z",
+  "updated_at": "2024-01-15T10:42:00Z",
+  "is_edited": false,
+  "can_edit": true,
+  "can_delete": true,
+  "reply_count": 2,
+  "replies": [
+    {
+      "id": 2,
+      "content": "Yes, verified",
+      "content_rendered": "Yes, verified",
+      "author": { ... },
+      "created_at": "...",
+      "updated_at": "...",
+      "is_edited": false,
+      "can_edit": false,
+      "can_delete": false
+    }
+  ]
+}
+```
+
+**Comment List Response:**
+```json
+{
+  "comments": [ ... ],
+  "total_count": 5
+}
+```
+
+**Mention Response:**
+```json
+{
+  "id": 1,
+  "read": false,
+  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:42:00Z",
+  "comment": {
+    "id": 5,
+    "content_preview": "Hey, can you check...",
+    "author": {
+      "display_name": "John Doe",
+      "avatar_url": "..."
+    },
+    "created_at": "..."
+  },
+  "context": {
+    "thread_id": 123,
+    "thread_title": "Q3 Analysis",
+    "message_id": 456,
+    "search_space_id": 1,
+    "search_space_name": "Finance Team"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Mention List Response:**
+```json
+{
+  "mentions": [ ... ],
+  "unread_count": 3
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Permission Model
+
+### New Permissions
+
+Add to `Permission` enum in `db.py`:
+
+| Permission | Value |
+|------------|-------|
+| `COMMENTS_CREATE` | `"comments:create"` |
+| `COMMENTS_READ` | `"comments:read"` |
+| `COMMENTS_DELETE` | `"comments:delete"` |
+
+### Default Role Assignments
+
+| Role | `comments:read` | `comments:create` | `comments:delete` |
+|------|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------|
+| Owner | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| Admin | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| Editor | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
+| Viewer | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
+
+### Authorization Rules
+
+| Action | Who Can Do It |
+|--------|---------------|
+| Read comments | Anyone with `comments:read` |
+| Create comment | Anyone with `comments:create` |
+| Create reply | Anyone with `comments:create` |
+| Edit comment | Author only |
+| Delete own comment | Author |
+| Delete any comment | Anyone with `comments:delete` |
+
+---
+
+## Business Rules
+
+### Validation Rules
+
+1. **Message must be AI response:** `message.role == 'assistant'`
+2. **Reply parent must be top-level:** `parent.parent_id IS NULL`
+3. **Content not empty:** 1-5000 characters
+4. **Mentioned users must be search space members**
+
+### Computed Fields (Backend Returns)
+
+| Field | Logic |
+|-------|-------|
+| `is_edited` | `updated_at > created_at` |
+| `can_edit` | `comment.author_id == current_user.id` |
+| `can_delete` | `author_id == user.id OR has_permission("comments:delete")` |
+| `content_rendered` | Replace `@[uuid]` with `@Display Name` |
+| `reply_count` | Count of replies |
+
+### Mention Processing
+
+1. On comment create/update, parse `@[uuid]` patterns from content
+2. Validate each UUID is a member of the search space
+3. Insert/update records in `chat_comment_mentions`
+4. Invalid UUIDs: silently ignore (don't create mention record)
+
+### Error Responses
+
+| Scenario | HTTP Status | Message |
+|----------|-------------|---------|
+| Message not found | 404 | "Message not found" |
+| Message is not AI response | 400 | "Comments can only be added to AI responses" |
+| Comment not found | 404 | "Comment not found" |
+| Cannot reply to reply | 400 | "Cannot reply to a reply" |
+| Not authorized to edit | 403 | "You can only edit your own comments" |
+| Not authorized to delete | 403 | "You do not have permission to delete this comment" |
+| Mention not found | 404 | "Mention not found" |
+
+---
+
+## File Structure
+
+```
+surfsense_backend/app/
+├── routes/
+│   └── comments_routes.py         # All comment endpoints
+│
+├── services/
+│   └── comments_service.py        # Business logic + DB access
+│
+├── schemas/
+│   └── comments.py                # Request/response schemas
+│
+├── utils/
+│   └── comments.py                # Mention parsing, helpers
+│
+├── db.py                          # Add models (ChatComment, ChatCommentMention)
+│
+└── alembic/versions/
+    └── XX_add_comments_tables.py  # Migration
+```
+
+## Implementation Phases
+
+### Phase 1: Foundation (P0)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 1.1 | Create `chat_comments` table migration |
+| 1.2 | Create `chat_comment_mentions` table migration |
+| 1.3 | Add `ChatComment` model to `db.py` |
+| 1.4 | Add `ChatCommentMention` model to `db.py` |
+| 1.5 | Add comment permissions to `Permission` enum |
+| 1.6 | Update `DEFAULT_ROLE_PERMISSIONS` |
+
+### Phase 2: Core CRUD (P0)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 2.1 | Create Pydantic schemas in `schemas/comments.py` |
+| 2.2 | Implement `GET /messages/{id}/comments` |
+| 2.3 | Implement `POST /messages/{id}/comments` |
+| 2.4 | Implement `POST /comments/{id}/replies` |
+| 2.5 | Implement `PUT /comments/{id}` |
+| 2.6 | Implement `DELETE /comments/{id}` |
+
+### Phase 3: Mentions (P1)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 3.1 | Create mention parser in `utils/comments.py` |
+| 3.2 | Validate mentioned users are search space members |
+| 3.3 | Insert mentions on comment create/update |
+| 3.4 | Return `content_rendered` with names resolved |
+| 3.5 | Implement `GET /users/me/mentions` |
+| 3.6 | Implement `POST /mentions/{id}/read` |
+| 3.7 | Implement `POST /users/me/mentions/read-all` |
+
+### Phase 4: Authorization (P1)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 4.1 | Check `comments:read` on list endpoint |
+| 4.2 | Check `comments:create` on create/reply |
+| 4.3 | Check author-only on edit |
+| 4.4 | Check author OR `comments:delete` on delete |
+| 4.5 | Validate message is AI response |
+| 4.6 | Validate parent is top-level |
+
+### Phase 5: Response Enrichment (P1)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 5.1 | Return `can_edit` per comment |
+| 5.2 | Return `can_delete` per comment |
+| 5.3 | Return `is_edited` |
+| 5.4 | Return author info (name, avatar, email fallback) |
+| 5.5 | Return `reply_count` per top-level comment |
+
+### Phase 6: Edge Cases (P2)
+
+| Task | Description |
+|------|-------------|
+| 6.1 | Handle deleted user (author_id SET NULL) |
+| 6.2 | Handle mention of user no longer in search space |
+| 6.3 | Clear error when replying to deleted comment |
+
+---
+
+## Testing Checklist (will be done manual)
+
+### Functional Tests
+
+- [ ] Create comment on AI response
+- [ ] Create comment on user message (should fail)
+- [ ] Reply to comment
+- [ ] Reply to reply (should fail)
+- [ ] Edit own comment
+- [ ] Edit other's comment (should fail)
+- [ ] Delete own comment (and verify replies deleted)
+- [ ] Delete other's comment as owner/admin
+- [ ] Delete other's comment as editor/viewer (should fail)
+
+### Mention Tests
+
+- [ ] Mention valid user creates mention record
+- [ ] Mention invalid UUID is ignored
+- [ ] Mention non-member is ignored
+- [ ] `content_rendered` shows display names
+- [ ] List mentions returns correct data
+- [ ] Mark mention read updates `read` flag
+- [ ] Mark all read updates all mentions
+
+### Edge Case Tests
+
+- [ ] Comment with 10+ replies scrolls properly (frontend)
+- [ ] Delete parent comment cascades to replies
+- [ ] Regenerate AI response deletes comments
+- [ ] Comment on one-word AI response (frontend min height)
+- [ ] User A deletes comment while User B replies → clear error
+
+### Permission Tests
+
+- [ ] Viewer can read comments
+- [ ] Viewer can create comments
+- [ ] Viewer cannot delete other's comments
+- [ ] Owner can delete any comment
+
+---
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+The following are explicitly NOT included in v1:
+
+| Feature | Reason |
+|---------|--------|
+| Multiple threads per message | Simplicity |
+| Text selection comments | Complexity |
+| Rich text (bold/italic/images) | Complexity |
+| Email/push notifications | Infrastructure |
+| Emoji reactions | Scope |
+| Comment on user messages | Focus on AI responses |
+| Nested replies (> 2 levels) | UX complexity |
+
+---
+
+## Future Considerations (Not Now)
+
+These are documented for future reference but NOT to be implemented now:
+
+1. **Stale comment detection:** Store `message_content_hash` to detect if AI response changed
+2. **Real-time sync:** Electric-SQL integration for live updates
+3. **Notification center:** Dedicated page for all notifications
+4. **Email digests:** Periodic email summaries of mentions
+5. **Comment reactions:** Thumbs up, etc.
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- Existing patterns: `routes/new_chat_routes.py`, `services/connector_service.py`
+- Permission system: `db.py` (Permission enum, DEFAULT_ROLE_PERMISSIONS)
+- Schema patterns: `schemas/new_chat.py`
+
+# Important rules
+
+- Never do actions in bulk , you will always need my approval before doing something i dod not specifically mention in the prompt
+- After each item task , we need to commit , for the backend we need to make sure , there are no ruff errors (ruff check, ruff format); for the frontend we need to run pnpm format:fix at web project.
+- Commits should have minimal message and use --no-verify flag
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/routes/rbac_routes.py b/surfsense_backend/app/routes/rbac_routes.py
index e90970b29..84e95f7ca 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/routes/rbac_routes.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/routes/rbac_routes.py
@@ -452,6 +452,8 @@ async def list_members(
                 "created_at": membership.created_at,
                 "role": membership.role,
                 "user_email": member_user.email if member_user else None,
+                "user_display_name": member_user.display_name if member_user else None,
+                "user_avatar_url": member_user.avatar_url if member_user else None,
             }
             response.append(membership_dict)
 
diff --git a/surfsense_backend/app/schemas/rbac_schemas.py b/surfsense_backend/app/schemas/rbac_schemas.py
index 736d40807..a51f3bc28 100644
--- a/surfsense_backend/app/schemas/rbac_schemas.py
+++ b/surfsense_backend/app/schemas/rbac_schemas.py
@@ -73,8 +73,10 @@ class MembershipRead(BaseModel):
     created_at: datetime
     # Nested role info
     role: RoleRead | None = None
-    # User email (populated separately)
+    # User details (populated separately)
     user_email: str | None = None
+    user_display_name: str | None = None
+    user_avatar_url: str | None = None
 
     class Config:
         from_attributes = True
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/comment-panel-container.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/comment-panel-container.tsx
index c92bfdef0..f8c2fd2ed 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/comment-panel-container.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/comment-panel-container.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 	updateCommentMutationAtom,
 } from "@/atoms/chat-comments/comments-mutation.atoms";
 import { membersAtom } from "@/atoms/members/members-query.atoms";
+import { currentUserAtom } from "@/atoms/user/user-query.atoms";
 import { useComments } from "@/hooks/use-comments";
 import { CommentPanel } from "../comment-panel/comment-panel";
 import type { CommentPanelContainerProps } from "./types";
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export function CommentPanelContainer({
 	});
 
 	const [{ data: membersData, isLoading: isMembersLoading }] = useAtom(membersAtom);
+	const [{ data: currentUser }] = useAtom(currentUserAtom);
 
 	const [{ mutate: createComment, isPending: isCreating }] = useAtom(createCommentMutationAtom);
 	const [{ mutate: createReply, isPending: isCreatingReply }] = useAtom(createReplyMutationAtom);
@@ -38,8 +40,13 @@ export function CommentPanelContainer({
 
 	const members = useMemo(() => {
 		if (!membersData) return [];
-		return membersData.map(transformMember);
-	}, [membersData]);
+		const allMembers = membersData.map(transformMember);
+		// Filter out current user from mention picker
+		if (currentUser?.id) {
+			return allMembers.filter((member) => member.id !== currentUser.id);
+		}
+		return allMembers;
+	}, [membersData, currentUser?.id]);
 
 	const isSubmitting = isCreating || isCreatingReply || isUpdating || isDeleting;
 
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/utils.ts b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/utils.ts
index b046c4ff1..a612ad4e6 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/utils.ts
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/comment-panel-container/utils.ts
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ export function transformComment(comment: Comment): CommentThreadData {
 export function transformMember(membership: Membership): MemberOption {
 	return {
 		id: membership.user_id,
-		displayName: membership.user_email ?? "",
+		displayName: membership.user_display_name ?? null,
 		email: membership.user_email ?? "",
-		avatarUrl: null,
+		avatarUrl: membership.user_avatar_url ?? null,
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/member-mention-item.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/member-mention-item.tsx
index 339cd3758..e07f7a1d4 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/member-mention-item.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/member-mention-item.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { Avatar, AvatarFallback, AvatarImage } from "@/components/ui/avatar";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import type { MemberMentionItemProps } from "./types";
 
-function getInitials(name: string, email: string): string {
+function getInitials(name: string | null, email: string): string {
 	if (name) {
 		return name
 			.split(" ")
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function getInitials(name: string, email: string): string {
 			.toUpperCase()
 			.slice(0, 2);
 	}
-	return email[0].toUpperCase();
+	return email[0]?.toUpperCase() ?? "?";
 }
 
 export function MemberMentionItem({
diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/types.ts b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/types.ts
index 4f190a3e4..aa8733140 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/types.ts
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/chat-comments/member-mention-picker/types.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 export interface MemberOption {
 	id: string;
-	displayName: string;
+	displayName: string | null;
 	email: string;
 	avatarUrl?: string | null;
 }
diff --git a/surfsense_web/contracts/types/members.types.ts b/surfsense_web/contracts/types/members.types.ts
index d20109b96..9e0665c65 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/contracts/types/members.types.ts
+++ b/surfsense_web/contracts/types/members.types.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ export const membership = z.object({
 	created_at: z.string(),
 	role: role.nullable().optional(),
 	user_email: z.string().nullable().optional(),
+	user_display_name: z.string().nullable().optional(),
+	user_avatar_url: z.string().nullable().optional(),
 	user_is_active: z.boolean().nullable().optional(),
 });