Mar 24

How to Make WordPress Comments Suck Less

Those who have been around for awhile have probably noticed the ever-changing comment systems here at CKTB (and my personal finance blog, So Over Debt). I’ve used Disqus for a long time, but I recently tried out LiveFyre. As of today, though, I’ve switched back to native WordPress comments.

I’ll be the first to admit that I HATE the native WordPress comment system. I think it’s ugly, difficult to moderate, and just generally not my favorite way to communicate with readers. So why am I using it on both of my sites?

Because readers hate comment systems.

For the most part, bloggers don’t seem to have strong preferences for commenting on other blogs. We usually have a Gravatar set up already, along with accounts for Intense Debate, WordPress.com, Disqus, Livefyre, and our various social media accounts. All the different logins are just part of blogging - we have to be able to comment on blogs in our niche no matter what system the blogger uses.

But what about people who don’t have a blog of their own? Or people who have a blog but haven’t been crazy enough had time to set up 12 billion accounts? Overwhelmingly, I’ve received feedback that the third-party commenting systems suck. So that’s why you’ll find native WordPress comments at the bottom of each of my posts now - enter your name and email address (and URL if you have one), check the box, and you’re ready to comment.

How to Make WordPress Comments Suck Less

I’ll probably always dislike the native commenting system in WordPress. However, there are a few options and plugins you can use to make it suck less.

Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin (GASP) - This plugin is one of the easiest ways to keep spam commenters away. It installs a checkbox at the bottom of your comment box, asking commenters to prove they aren’t a spammer (or a robot, or however else you’d like to phrase it). Most spammers use scripts that will scour the internet for forms, fill them with crap, and submit them. That tiny checkbox will confound nearly every script, preventing the spammers from attacking your site.

CommentLuv - I haven’t decided whether I’ll install this one yet, but Comment Luv allows commenters to link to their most recent posts if they enter a website in the URL field. Just an extra incentive to leave their thoughts on your post - free publicity!

Threaded Comments - This is in your WordPress settings under Settings > Discussion. If you check the box to enable threaded/nested comments, you’ll be able to respond directly to someone and have it show up under the original comment instead of at the bottom. This makes it much easier for other people to follow the conversation.

Comment Options and Plugins to Avoid

Akismet - I know a lot of people use Akismet to catch spam; after all, it comes installed on WordPress by default. However, Akismet is really bad about “false positives” - sending real comments to spam instead of allowing them to show on your blog. If you’re running the GASP plugin, there is really no need for Akismet. Plus you won’t have to spend hours digging your readers’ comments out of the spam section.

Thank Me Later - If there’s one thing people hate, it’s getting a random form email. So why in the world would you send one after they comment on your blog for the first time? It would be one thing if you were sending a personalized email related to their comment and encouraging them to come back. But when the message is obviously a standardized response (and believe me, people can tell), it just makes them hesitant to comment again in the future.

Auto Subscribe to Comments - I know all of us would like our readers to come back to participate in the discussions of our posts. It sucks to ask someone a question and not get a response. But neither of those are reasons to force someone to receive email notifications of new comments. It’s just unfair - when the box is checked by default, few people notice because they don’t scroll down that far. Personally, when I end up subscribed to a comment thread against my will, I never comment on that particular blog again.

Bloggers, What About You?

What comment system do you use on your blog? If you’re using native WordPress comments, what have you done to customize?

Andrea Whitmer

Andrea Whitmer is a full-time freelance web designer who works exclusively with the WordPress platform. She enjoys helping individuals and small businesses create an online presence and dedicates her time to consulting and design. Connect with Andrea on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, or Instagram.

  1. Rachel 24 Mar 2024 | reply

    Hmmm…the comment spam i promised is now forming. Unfortunately after wrangling small children during a move (still not sure how this happened), i have no snazzy spammy ideas for you. Beware of kangaroos in rabbit disguises.

    • Andrea 1 Apr 2024 | reply

      I feel like a jerk because I just posted this, yet here I am with ANOTHER comment system. Hopefully this one won't think you're a spammer!

  2. Mary 25 Mar 2024 | reply

    If I could comment on the box asking to follow the comments, this can be used for good, especially if you'd like to see if either the blogger or someone else comments on your comment. But, have to admit I always check to see if it's checked. The thing I hate, though, is when the choice of following the "comments" are mixed in with subscribing to the blog and you end up getting two or even three posts from the same blog. How do you get out of it without losing the blog completely and who the hell has the time to go back and try and fix these? Right now, I'm just deleting the duplicate posts but it's MORE than aggravating!

    Mary

    • Andrea 1 Apr 2024 | reply

      I agree with you completely. I like having all the options to subscribe, but I don't want anyone choosing FOR me! Drives me insane - if I like a blog, I'll subscribe on my own without any auto-checked boxes, popups, or reminders every five minutes.

  3. Tushar@EverythingFin 27 Mar 2024 | reply

    What did you not like about LiveFyre?

    • Andrea 27 Mar 2024 | reply

      It offers a way for people to comment as guests, but it's REALLY hard to find. People didn't want to sign up for another account, and some people had trouble seeing or posting comments from work. WP comments just seem to be the way to go, though I really did love Disqus.

  4. TB 27 Mar 2024 | reply

    Maybe it's because I'm just getting started, but I hate making new accounts all the time. Sometimes I want to comment on someone's blog but won't because I have to sign up for something new. It sucks. I like the wordpress commenting- easy for anyone to leave a comment and easy for me to moderate/respond.

    • Andrea 1 Apr 2024 | reply

      I really hope you don't kick me when you see the switch to IntenseDebate. Please let me know if it gives you any hassles! This is one that I always forget about because it's so similar to the regular WordPress system.

  5. Michelle 28 Mar 2024 | reply

    I'm still trying to decide what to use. I can't decide. I was going to try Intense Debate. Have you heard anything bad about that?

    • Andrea 29 Mar 2024 | reply

      Same as Disqus and Livefyre - people don't like feeling like they have to sign up for another service. One good thing about Intense Debate is that it makes it pretty obvious how to post as a guest. If you decide to try it, let me know how your readers like it!

  6. MaryAnne @ Parenting 31 Mar 2024 | reply

    I had no idea Akismet can have false positives. I have been blindly relying on it and not checking my spam box.

    • Andrea 1 Apr 2024 | reply

      Akismet seems to think I'm a spammer pretty frequently when I comment on other blogs. I don't know if it's because my comments tend to be really long, or if it just hates me. Drives me nuts! I've seen a lot of other people complain about the same thing.

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