A fresh installation of WordPress has comments enabled by default. Typically comments are used on blog posts but you can also allow them on pages. With our themes, comments can be made on sermons, locations and events as well.
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Disabling Comments
You can disable comments globally and on a per page/post basis.
Globally (New Posts Only)
To disable comments globally for new posts and pages, go to Settings > Discussion and uncheck the box for “Allow people to post comments on new articles”.
Important: This only applies to posts and pages made from this point on. Old posts must have their setting adjusted individually (see below).
Individually
For pages/posts that already exist, you will need to disable comments manually for each.
- Edit one of your posts or pages
- Click Document then Discussion
- Uncheck the “Allow comments” option
- Save your post
Time Saver: Consider the Disable Comments plugin if you have many posts to disable comments on.
Disabling comments in an individual post
Preventing Spam
We recommend taking two measures to reduce automated spam comments.
Require Approval
Go to Settings > Discussion and make sure the box by “Comment author must have a previously approved comment” is checked. The first time a user posts a comment, the admin has to approve it. No approval is necessary for posts after that (they are trusted).
To require approval for every comment, every time, check the box for “An administrator must always approve the comment”, although consider automatic protection described below for a more time-saving approach.
Automatic Protection
Install the Antispam Bee plugin. It’s free and works very well without configuration.
- Go to Plugins > Add New > Search.
- Search for “Antispam Bee”.
- Click Install Now then Activate Plugin.
For more information on preventing spam, read How to Prevent Spam in WordPress.