If you allow comments, spam is inevitable without protection. Automated bots post junk and links relentlessly. The good news is that WordPress and a few tools make it easy to keep spam under control. This guide explains your options.
Adjust your comment settings #
Under Settings > Discussion you can reduce spam significantly:
- Require comments to be manually approved before appearing.
- Hold comments with links for moderation.
- Require a name and email.
- Close comments on posts after a number of days.
Use an anti-spam plugin #
An anti-spam plugin automatically filters out the vast majority of spam comments before you ever see them. This is the single most effective step and saves you constant manual moderation.
Moderating comments #
- Review pending comments under Comments in the dashboard.
- Approve genuine ones, and mark junk as spam so filters learn.
- Block persistent spammers by keyword, email, or IP in the Discussion settings.
Consider disabling comments #
If you do not need comments, turning them off entirely removes the spam problem. You can disable them site-wide in Discussion settings, and turn them off on existing posts in bulk. Many business sites simply do not use comments.
Troubleshooting #
- Still getting spam: enable an anti-spam plugin and require moderation.
- Genuine comments caught: check the spam folder and mark them “not spam”.
- Comments on pages: disable comments on pages, which rarely need them.
Need help? #
If comment spam is overwhelming you, our support team can suggest the right setup over live chat.
