Would you like to be able to comment on the site, but are unhappy with the constant spam that keeps popping up?
Spam is a problem. It’s a pain to constantly delete it, and most people prefer to give up on comments altogether after a while. Which is a shame.
But is there another way?
There is. Let’s take a look at two simple steps that should solve your comment spam woes.
Once and for all.
Installing the anti-spam plugin
If you don’t have any anti-spam plugins installed yet, this is where your journey should begin. You will choose a plugin based on whether you have a nonprofit hobby project or something you offer/sell on your site.Akismet – the best choice for hobby websites
If you write a blog for fun or have a simple informational site where you don’t offer or sell anything, Akismet is a good and simple choice.
The WordPress repository will probably jump out at you without you having to type anything.
After installation, click on “Activate” and go through the plugin settings. If you have a non-commercial site, you can get by with the “Personal” plan, and you can set the annual price to $0.
What to do, however, if you want to protect yourself against spam and you have a commercial website where you offer something?
WP Armour – the best solution for commercial websites
Unlike Akismet, WP Armour is a free solution that you can easily use on commercial projects.
You install the plugin, activate it, and you don’t even have to set it up. It is already set up.
After a few days, you can then see how much spam the plugin has removed for you.
WordPress Settings
And if you have the plugin installed, I highly recommend spending a few dozen seconds in the “Comments Settings” directly in WordPress as well.
Nominally, I would do two things:
- Set the comment to be approved by an administrator before posting
- Set “banned words”
Set the approval at the top of the page:
You will then find the disabled keywords below:
Personally, I like to use common English terms as banned words. Since no English person will read my blog in English. It’s a pretty simple way to screen out a lot of spam.
If you have a bilingual site, unfortunately this option will not be available to you. However, even on English sites, words like “free money”, “$”, etc. are worth considering.
Words in conclusion
Spam is an annoying and unnecessary part of many webmasters’ jobs. Fortunately, WordPress offers a number of ways to prevent it and make their job easier or almost eliminate it altogether.
Let me know in the comments what experience you have with spam on your site.
