Managing comments and conversations
WordPress comes with a stable comment management system of its own. All WordPress themes are equipped with a comment layout template. However, it is up to you to engage users on your website and encourage them to join conversations.
All comments on a WordPress website are displayed on the Comments page in your WordPress Admin area. However, the system offers many default options that you can easily configure from the Settings → Discussion page.
If you want to have a clear understanding of the default comment system provided by WordPress, this article explains how to:
- change the settings and rules for your comment section (e.g., who can comment on your website)
- enable/disable comments for specific pages or posts;
- manage comments (e.g., approve, mark as spam, delete).
If you struggle with generating engagement on your website or just want to start off on the right foot, read our in-depth article that guides you on how to encourage conversations and get people to move from a passive reader to an active contributor.
FAQ
What is a comment?
A comment is any message/text submitted by a reader for a certain post/article or page. It does not matter if it is a reply to another message or not.
What is a reply?
A reply is a comment in response to another comment. The reply becomes a direct response (or child) to the other, parent comment.
What is a top-level comment?
A top-level comment is a comment without any parent comments. We could say that top-level comments are direct responses to the main article.
What is a conversation?
A conversation is a top-level comment and its immediate replies. We could say that the top-level comment was the starter for a conversation, with people continuing the chain of thought, showing their appreciation or disagreement with the initial thoughts. Here’s a visual representation that can help you understand better.
How to get rid of spam comments?
The best way is to use a plugin with built-in spam prevention filters. Our recommendation is to us Akismet. It’s one of the most popular spam protection plugins, and, from our experience, it drastically reduces spam comments. To install it, follow the steps detailed in this article.