Comments were once the lifeblood of blogs, allowing readers to engage with content and participate in discussions. However, they’re no longer suitable for every WordPress website. In this guide, we’ll walk you through why disabling comments can be beneficial, the steps to disable them manually, and how to use a free plugin to make the process even easier.
Why Disable Comments in WordPress?
Disabling comments can be a smart move for many websites. Here’s why:
- Avoid Spam: Managing spam comments can be a time-consuming headache. Even with anti-spam plugins, spam still sneaks through.
- Not All Content is Comment-Friendly: If your site is focused on business, portfolio work, or informational pages, comments may not add value.
- No Blog? No Need for Comments: Websites without a blog don’t benefit from comment sections, yet comments are enabled by default.
- Less Monitoring Required: Turning off comments reduces the need to monitor and moderate content, freeing up time for other tasks.
Why Comments are Enabled by Default in WordPress
When WordPress launched in 2003, it was designed as a blogging platform. Naturally, commenting was a default feature to encourage interaction. Today, WordPress powers a wide range of websites, from e-commerce stores to forums and portfolios. Many of these sites don’t need comments, but the feature remains enabled by default as a legacy of WordPress’s origins.
How to Disable Comments for New Posts
- Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings > Discussion.
- Under Default post settings, uncheck the following boxes:
- “Allow people to submit comments on new posts.”
- “Allow link notifications from other blogs (pingbacks and trackbacks).”
- Save your changes.
From now on, comments and pingbacks will be disabled for any new content you create.
Make sure to disable both link notifications and comments on new posts.
How to Bulk Remove Existing Comments
If your site already has comments, you’ll need to delete them manually. Follow these steps:
- In your WordPress Admin Dashboard, go to Comments.
- Select all the comments on the page by checking the top-left checkbox.
- From the Bulk Actions dropdown, select Move to Trash and click Apply.
- Repeat this process until all comments are deleted.
For larger websites with hundreds of comments, consider using a plugin for bulk deleting comments.
Bulk select all comments and move them to trash.
How to Remove the Comments Tab in the WordPress Admin Area
To completely hide the Comments tab from your WordPress admin area, you can add a code snippet to your functions.php file. Use a free plugin like Code Snippets or a child theme to add the code in a safe way.
// Remove the Comments menu from the WordPress dashboard function disable_comments_admin_menu() { remove_menu_page('edit-comments.php'); } add_action('admin_menu', 'disable_comments_admin_menu');
Save the file, and the Comments tab will disappear from your WordPress admin menu.
How to Disable Comments with a Free Plugin
If you prefer a quick, code-free solution, the Disable Comments plugin is a fantastic option.
Steps to Use the Disable Comments Plugin:
- Install and activate the Disable Comments plugin.
- Go to Settings > Disable Comments in your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Select the options for disabling comments:
- Everywhere: Removes comments site-wide.
- On specific post types: Choose to disable comments on posts, pages, or media only.
- Save your changes.
The plugin also removes all traces of comment-related elements, including the Comments tab in the admin area, and disables comment-related widgets and pingbacks.
That’s all for today!
Disabling comments in WordPress is easy and can save you time and effort, especially if your site doesn’t benefit from user discussions. Whether you disable comments manually or use the free Disable Comments plugin, you now have the tools to streamline your website and focus on what matters most.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. Subscribe to VictorDuse.com on YouTube and join our Facebook group for more crisp content on WordPress and web design. Got questions or tips for managing comments in WordPress? Share them in the comments section below (not kidding!). 😉
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