If you have a WordPress website, then you’ve probably had to deal with spam comments sometimes. In this article, we will provide some tips on how to prevent and block spam comments on WordPress using a few different methods. So, let’s get rid from these unwanted comments!
Table of Contents
What are Spam Comments?
Spam comments are automated, unwanted, and irrelevant comments posted on a website. These comments are usually posted by automated bots and are designed to promote a product or service. While there are ways to reduce the amount of spam, it’s impossible to eliminate it. The best you can do is to take steps to prevent and block spam comments.
These comments may be filled with random text, links, and other nonsense. They can detract from the content of a website. WordPress sites are also more likely to be targeted by spammers, as they are popular and easy to find.
Why is it important to prevent and block spam comments?
It’s important to prevent and block spam comments because they can be a disturbing. Spam comments can also affect a website’s reputation. Also, it can create a negative experience for visitors, as they may feel overwhelmed by the useless comments.
How to Prevent Spam Comments in WordPress?
It’s very worthy to learn how to prevent and block spam comments. The best thing is that there are a number of ways to prevent and block spam comments in WordPress. We will discuss some of the most effective methods to stop spam comments on WordPress.
1. Optimize WordPress built-in Settings.
You can manually block comments from unwanted sources in WordPress. You can also set up a blacklist of words and phrases that you want to auto-block.
Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Go to “Settings” tab in the WordPress dashboard and click on the “Discussion” page.
By checking mark, “Users must be registered and logged in to comment” may help to avoid spam comments on WordPress.
You can also check mark the option “Comment must be manually approved”. This can be helpful to filter the spam comments manually.
Step 3: Add common spam words in “Comment Moderation” section.
Step 5: “Click on Save Changes”.
2. Stop WordPress Spam Comments by using a Captcha
There is a very easy way to effectively block spam comments on your WordPress site by using Captcha. Captcha is a type of challenge-response test that can be used to ensure that only humans are able to submit comments on your site. Follow the instructions to configure Advanced Google reCAPTCHA to stop WordPress comment spam.
If you don’t know how to install a plugin, you can check our detailed guide on Installing WordPress plugins.
Step 1: In the WordPress Dashboard, Go to the “Plugins” menu in the left-hand panel and select “Add New.”
Step 2: Type “Advanced Google reCAPTCHA” in the search bar then click on the “install” button and activate the plugin.
Step 3: In the Advanced Google reCAPTCHA settings, click on “register your domain”
Step 4: Fill-up the details selecting “reCAPTCHA v2″as shown below
Step 5: Click on “Submit”.
Step 6: Copy “SITE KEY” and “SECRETE KEY” from the text box.
Step 7: Go back to the Advanced Google reCAPTCHA settings in the WordPress Dashboard.
Step 8: Paste the Site Key and Secret Key and click on “Save All Changes”.
Now the comment section on your website appear with the reCAPTCHA.
3. Use Anti-Spam Plugins to Block Spam Comments
The best way to prevent spam comments in WordPress is by using anti-spam plugins. These plugins are designed to detect and block comments from bots and other malicious sources.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to block spam comments on WordPress using the best WordPress plugin named Akismet Spam Protection that we highly recommend.
Step 1: Go to the “Plugins” menu in the left-hand panel and select “Add New.”
Step 2: Type “Akismet” in the search bar then click on the “install” button and activate the plugin.
Step 3: Click on “Setup your Akismet account” on the plugin settings.
Step 4: Select “Get Personal”.
Step 5: Fill-up the details following the instructions. You can choose a paid plan or just slide left to choose free version as shown below. Then click on “Continue with Personal Subscription.”
Step 6: After you receive the Akismet confirmation e-mail message, enter the confirmation code and hit “Continue”.
Step 7: Go to WordPress plugin page and Click “I already have a key”.
Step 8: Enter the API Key from your email and hit “Connect with API key”
Step 9: Configure the settings as shown below and click on “Save Changes”.
Now spam comments can be seen in “Spam” section seperately.
If you are concerned with WordPress website safety, we strongly recommend you to use Two-Factor Authentication in your WordPress login page. For that you can check our detailed guide on integrating 2FA in WordPress.
4. Use “URL Field Remover” Plugin
Most people spam your sites with unnecessary comments with an aim to get a dofollow backlink. This is possible because by default the WordPress comment box has a URL field. You can remove this URL field from WordPress comment box by installing a free plugin called URL Field Remover. After installing the plugin, you just have to activate it and it will disable the URL field from the comment box.
FAQs
How to stop spam comments?
There are a few things you can do to reduce the amount of spam comments on your blog:
– Install a spam filter plugin like Akismet.
– Moderate comments so that they don’t appear automatically.
– Use reCAPTCHA in the comment box.
What is the simplest way to get rid of spam comments?
There are a couple of ways that you can stop getting spam comments on your blog. One way is to moderate all comments manually before they are published. This way, you can screen out any comments that look like they might be spam.
What is the best plugin for blocking spam comments?
Akismet is the best plugin that helps you to block spam comments on your WordPress site. It comes with a built-in spam filter that uses an algorithm to identify and filter out spam comments.
Wrapping Up
Dealing with spam comments is a part of maintaining a website. However, there are ways to prevent and block spam comments in WordPress. By using anti-spam plugins and manually blocking unwanted sources, you can reduce the amount of spam comments on your website. So, if you’re looking for a way to deal with spam comments, then you should try one of the methods mentioned above.