Dealing with Comments on your WordPress Website

If you operate a WordPress website and allow users to comment on your articles, then you should be aware that there are many different ways to deal with these comments.  There are WordPress plugins that can filter spam, other plugins that alter the appearance of your comment section, and even ways to require users to login in order to leave comments.  WordPress has a built-in comment system that works rather well; though, every website owner should know all of their options.  Here are some tips for dealing with comments on your WordPress website.

Replacing the Default Comment System

For those that do not like the default comment system included with WordPress, whether this is due to the appearance or how the comments are handled, there are WordPress plugins that will replace this comment system with an alternative.  For example, you can replace the default WordPress comment system with a plugin that allows your visitors to login into their social media profile, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus, and leave comments.  This could result in less spam and many users enjoy it because they can receive notifications when you or another user responds to their comments.  This is a streamlined approach that has a professional look.  The comments can still be moderated however you wish.  One of the more popular options is to use a Disqus comment system.  Disqus is used by some of the biggest brands and was developed strictly as a comment system.  It can be used on WordPress website by copying the code that provide or installing a Disqus WordPress plugin.

Filtering Spam Comments

When you stick with default WordPress comment system, you will want to filter spam comments.  The more traffic you get to your website, the more likely you are to receive spam comments on your site.  People will attempt to leave spam comments in the hopes that you will not catch it.  You can choose to moderate your comments before they are posted.  When you check this option in your administrator’s dashboard, all comments will need to be approved before they show up on your site.  You can also allow users that have previously been approved to have their comments automatically accepted.

There are ways to automatically filter spam comments so that you have one less thing to deal with on your WordPress site.  Askimet, which is often included in default installations of WordPress, provides a great spam filter.  After installing WordPress you may have to activate this plugin for it to work.  This plugin will check incoming comments for spam and includes reports and additional features.

Some WordPress sites may have multiple users.  If you are the administrator, you should decide who will be in charge of moderating comments and be sure to assign that user the correct permissions or upgrade them to a user role that includes the ability to moderate comments.  You can also use a user role editor to create a custom user role.

Comments are needed on a blog so that you can stay connected with your visitors.  People enjoy being able to comment on articles that they have read and to interact with other visitors and commenters.  If spam is becoming a problem for you or you want a more streamlined method for users to use when leaving comments, then give some thought into how you handle comments on your WordPress site.