One of the most important features of a WordPress theme is the comment system. By default, WordPress comes with a very basic comment system which allows users to leave comments on your posts. However, there are many ways to customize the comment system to make it more user-friendly and interactive. In this article, we will show you how to customize the comment system in WordPress themes.
Enabling Threaded Comments in WordPress
Threaded comments are a great way to keep the conversation going on your website. They allow users to reply to other comments, and the replies are displayed in a nested structure. This makes it easy for readers to follow the conversation and join in if they have something to say.
To enable threaded comments in WordPress, go to Settings » Discussion page and check the box next to Enable threaded (nested) comments depth option. You can also choose the maximum depth of threaded comments from the Maximum comment depth dropdown list.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. You can now go to any post on your website and test the threaded comments feature.
Moderating Comments in WordPress
By default, WordPress allows anyone to leave comments on your website. However, you can moderate comments so that they are not displayed on your website until you approve them. This is a great way to keep spam comments off your website.
To moderate comments in WordPress, go to Settings » Discussion page and check the box next to Comment must be manually approved option. You can also choose to hold a comment in the queue if it contains certain words or phrases that you specify. These words or phrases will be held for moderation and will not be displayed on your website until you approve them.
If you want to automatically approve comments from users who have previously approved comments, then check the box next to Comment author must have a previously approved comment option.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. Comments on your website will now be moderated according to the options you selected.
Comment Blacklist in WordPress
The blacklist feature in WordPress allows you to specify certain words or phrases that will be marked as spam. These words or phrases will be held for moderation and will not be displayed on your website until you approve them.
To add words or phrases to the blacklist, go to Settings » Discussion page and scroll down to the Comment Blacklist section. Enter the words or phrases that you want to blacklist in the Blacklisted Words or Phrases text area. Separate each word or phrase with a comma.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. Any comments containing the words or phrases on the blacklist will now be marked as spam and held for moderation.
Comment Whitelist in WordPress
The whitelist feature in WordPress allows you to specify certain words or phrases that will not be marked as spam. This is useful if you have a lot of legitimate comments that contain words or phrases that are commonly used in spam comments.
To whitelist words or phrases, go to Settings » Discussion page and scroll down to the Comment Whitelist section. Enter the words or phrases that you want to whitelist in the Whitelisted Words or Phrases text area. Separate each word or phrase with a comma.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. Any comments containing the words or phrases on the whitelist will now be approved automatically.
Comment Form Settings in WordPress
The comment form is the part of the comment system where users enter their name, email address, and comment. By default, WordPress requires users to enter their name and email address before they can leave a comment. However, you can change this behavior from the Settings » Discussion page.
Scroll down to the Comment Form section and check the box next to Comment author must fill out name and email option to require users to enter their name and email address. You can also check the box next to Users must be registered and logged in to comment option to require users to be registered and logged in to your website before they can leave a comment.
If you want to display a list of allowed HTML tags in the comment form, then check the box next to Show HTML tags as allowed in comments option. This will display a list of allowed HTML tags next to the comment form so that users know what they can and can’t use in their comments.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. The comment form on your website will now be updated according to the options you selected.
Avatar Settings in WordPress
An avatar is an image that represents a user. By default, WordPress uses the Gravatar service to fetch avatars for comments. However, you can change this from the Settings » Discussion page.
Scroll down to the Avatars section and select the Mystery Man option from the Default Avatar dropdown list. This will display a default image for users who don’t have a Gravatar image. You can also click on the Local Avatar radio button and then click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. This will allow you to upload your own default avatar image.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. The avatars on your website will now be updated according to the options you selected.
Comment Email Settings in WordPress
The comment email settings allow you to control how comment notifications are sent to you and other administrators on your website. By default, WordPress will send an email to the comment author when their comment is approved. However, you can change this from the Settings » Discussion page.
Scroll down to the Email Me Whenever section and check the boxes next to the comment events that you want to receive email notifications for. You can choose to receive email notifications for all comments, new comments, or comments that are held for moderation. You can also choose to receive email notifications for comments on specific posts.
Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings. You will now receive email notifications for the comment events that you selected.
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