The subject technology discloses configurations for providing comments restricted to a set of users for web content on a web page. In one implementation, a widget is provided that enables a content provider or a user to provide comments restricted to the set of users in a manner that does not disrupt an existing implementation or presentation of publicly viewable web content that already provides public comments from visitors of the web site. In particular, the widget may be provided as a plugin or extension in the user's web browser, or be integrated in the web page by the content provider. The scope of the comments restricted to the set of users are defined by one or more access control lists, which allow the comments restricted to the set of users to be only viewable by a specified set of users (and not viewable by other users).