How to disable comments in WordPress

WordPress comments can foster engagement and community, but not every site or post benefits from them. Some wordpress sites may wish to eliminate spam comments, while others simply prefer to keep things focused on content without distractions. If you’re wondering how to disable comments in WordPress, you’ll find several options, from stopping them site-wide to turning off comments on specific posts or pages.

Table of Contents

• Reasons to disable comments in WordPress
• Disable comments for future posts
• How to disable comments on specific posts or pages
• Using bulk edit to disable comments on multiple posts
• Disable comments on media and custom post types
• Using WordPress Disable Comments plugin for more control
• How to hide existing comments
• Questions and answers

Reasons to disable comments in WordPress

There are several strategic reasons why site owners and content creators might choose to disable comments on their WordPress site. While comments can encourage engagement, they aren’t always beneficial, depending on the site’s goals, target audience, and content style. Here’s a deeper look at why turning off comments could be advantageous:

Reducing Spam and unwanted content

One of the most common reasons to disable comments in WordPress is the sheer volume of spam comments many sites receive. Without constant moderation, spam can clutter the comments section with irrelevant, offensive, or harmful content, harming the credibility of your site. Spammers often target WordPress sites for backlink building, filling comment sections with links and low-value comments. By disabling comments, you eliminate the need for time-consuming moderation and reduce the risk of malicious links or scams appearing on your site.

For businesses, this move can be particularly strategic, as any questionable content might tarnish a professional image. Even with spam filters or plugins, a determined spammer may still find ways to bypass defenses, making complete comment removal a more effective solution.

Streamlining site management and content focus

Comments can require regular attention, which can be resource-intensive. For site owners or small teams who manage multiple aspects of their WordPress site, managing and responding to comments may not be practical. Disabling comments can help save time and streamline site management, allowing more focus on content creation, design, and optimization.

In addition, certain types of content simply don’t benefit from comments. Blogs with instructional guides, company announcements, or evergreen resources may prefer a clean, distraction-free interface where readers can focus solely on the content. This approach can also be helpful for e-commerce sites, portfolios, and business sites where the primary goal is to highlight products, services, or achievements without additional input.

Preventing negative or Off-Topic discussions

Some topics naturally attract debate or disagreement, especially when dealing with polarizing or controversial subjects. By choosing to disable comments, site owners can prevent potentially divisive or negative interactions from detracting from the intended message of a post. This is especially beneficial for brands and businesses that want to avoid public disputes or negativity within their digital spaces.

While respectful conversation can be valuable, off-topic discussions often emerge in comment sections, steering away from the original purpose of the post and potentially leading readers off course. Removing the comment feature helps ensure that content stays focused, reducing the risk of reader distraction or unintended tangents.

Improving site performance and load times

Every element on a webpage affects its performance, and comments are no exception. On large sites or sites with highly trafficked posts, pages, or media, a comment section can contribute to slower load times, as it adds additional content that the server must load. Pages with extensive comment threads are particularly at risk, as they require more server resources to display the comments in real-time.

For sites focused on performance and SEO, disabling comments may provide a slight boost to page speed, which can positively impact search engine rankings. Additionally, reducing load times improves the user experience, especially for mobile users who may have limited bandwidth.

Aligning with brand or content strategy

Some brands or creators may simply find that a comment-free site aligns better with their overall goals and strategies. For example, news outlets, official brand blogs, or portfolio sites often aim to present authoritative information, choosing instead to encourage feedback via social media channels where conversations are more accessible and easier to monitor. This allows site owners to guide discussions in a more controlled environment, managing engagement in spaces where they can better monitor brand perception.

Content-driven sites, such as e-commerce websites or recipe blogs, may find that comments are less necessary since product descriptions or instructional content is typically straightforward. Disabling comments in such cases helps to maintain a clean, brand-focused site without additional commentary that may distract or detract from the brand’s messaging.

Enhancing security and protecting data privacy

Lastly, comments on WordPress sites can sometimes create security vulnerabilities, as hackers may exploit comment forms for SQL injections or other cyber threats. Disabling comments eliminates this entry point, especially for sensitive sites that prioritize security, such as financial services, healthcare providers, or educational institutions.

Beyond security, some sites may have privacy policies or regulatory requirements that discourage or limit public interactions on their platforms. For example, sites dealing with user data or sensitive subjects may choose to remove comments to avoid collecting or displaying user data publicly, adhering to stricter data privacy standards.

Disable comments for future posts

To turn off comments in WordPress for new posts, you can make adjustments in the settings to ensure that comments are not allowed on any future content you publish.

1. Begin by accessing the WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > Discussion.
3. Look for the option labeled Allow people to submit comments on new posts and uncheck it.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.

This change will only apply to new posts, so if you want to remove the comment option on existing posts or pages, you’ll need to use additional settings or plugins.

How to disable comments on specific posts or pages

Disabling comments on a specific post or page is an easy process if you only need this change for certain areas of your WordPress site.

1. Access the WordPress dashboard and go to Posts > All Posts or Pages > All Pages, depending on where you want to apply the change.
2. Hover over the post or page you wish to edit and click on Quick Edit.
3. Under the comment status section, uncheck Allow Comments.
4. Click Update to save changes.

This way, you can keep comments on specific posts or pages and disable them where they aren’t necessary.

Using bulk edit to disable comments on multiple posts

The bulk edit function is perfect if you want to disable comments on a group of posts at once.

1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Posts > All Posts.
2. Select the checkboxes next to the posts where you want to disable comments.
3. From the Bulk Actions dropdown, select Edit and click Apply.
4. In the comment settings section, choose Do not allow from the comments dropdown.
5. Click Update to apply changes.

This will quickly turn off comments for multiple posts simultaneously, making it an efficient solution for larger sites.

Disable comments on media and custom post types

By default, WordPress allows comments on all posts, pages, and media files, but some users may want to turn them off for custom post types or media files as well.

1. Go to Settings > Discussion in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Scroll down to find settings related to specific post types, such as posts pages or media.
3. For media files, consider using a plugin if the option isn’t available in the discussion box.

Plugins like Disable Comments can be particularly useful for those looking to turn off comments across all custom post types or when WordPress settings don’t cover specific cases.

Using WordPress Disable Comments plugin for more control

The Disable Comments plugin is popular among WordPress users who want to disable comments across the entire site or on certain content types without manually adjusting each setting.

1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for Disable Comments and click Install Now, then Activate.
3. In the plugin’s settings, you’ll be able to choose options to disable comments site-wide, on posts, pages, or media.

Using a plugin offers greater control if you need to remove comments in WordPress consistently across various post types.

How to hide existing comments

If you’ve decided to turn off comments but have existing ones on your site, hiding or deleting them can streamline your content.

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Comments and select the comments you want to delete.
2. You can bulk delete by selecting multiple comments and choosing Move to Trash under Bulk Actions.
3. If you only want to hide the comments without deleting them, a plugin like Simple Comment Editing or a custom CSS solution can help.

Questions and answers

1. How can I disable comments on all posts? Use the Disable Comments plugin or adjust bulk edit options for multiple posts.
2. Can I turn off comments for future posts only? Yes, go to Settings > Discussion and uncheck Allow people to submit comments on new posts.
3. How do I disable comments on custom post types? Some themes offer options for custom post types, or you can use a plugin to manage these settings.
4. How can I remove comments from specific posts? Use Quick Edit under the post or page settings to disable comments on specific posts.
5. What is the best plugin to disable comments in WordPress? The Disable Comments plugin is popular for managing comments across the site.
6. Can I hide existing comments without deleting them? Yes, you can use CSS or plugins like Simple Comment Editing to hide them.
7. Is there a way to bulk disable comments on pages? Yes, go to All Pages, select multiple pages, and use Bulk Actions to turn off comments.
8. How can I turn off comments for media files? Plugins like Disable Comments allow you to turn off comments on media files across your site.
9. What happens if I disable comments on old posts? Disabling comments will close them for all users, but the existing comments may still be visible.
10. How do I change comment settings on my WordPress site? Access Settings > Discussion in the WordPress dashboard to manage comment settings.