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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Moderating comments in WordPress means reviewing messages before (or after) they appear, approving useful contributions, and removing spam or abuse. Start at Comments in the WordPress admin area: the queue shows what is waiting, and each comment can be approved, answered, edited, marked as spam, or moved to Trash. Then use Settings > Discussion to decide how strict your site’s default rules should be.
What comment moderation does
WordPress describes comment moderation as a way to prevent comments from appearing on your site without your express approval. A comment in Pending is invisible to visitors until you approve it. Approved comments are public, comments marked Spam are hidden, and comments in Trash can be recovered for up to 30 days before WordPress permanently deletes them, according to the current WordPress.org comments overview (updated June 24, 2025).
Review the comment queue
Open Pending first
- Sign in to your WordPress administration area.
- Open Comments and select Pending to see comments awaiting review.
- Read the complete message and the post or page it responds to. Context helps distinguish a genuine question from an irrelevant promotion.
Choose the appropriate action
| Action | Result | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Approve | Makes the comment visible to visitors. | The contribution is relevant and acceptable. |
| Reply | Publishes your response according to the comment’s status and site settings. | You want to answer or continue the discussion. |
| Edit or Quick Edit | Changes the comment text or details before it is published. | A minor correction is needed and the underlying comment is legitimate. |
| Spam | Flags the comment as unwanted and hides it from visitors. | It is promotional, misleading, abusive, or otherwise unsolicited. |
| Trash | Moves the comment to a recoverable holding area; WordPress deletes trashed comments permanently after 30 days. | You want it removed without treating it as a spam pattern. |
| Not Spam | Restores a wrongly classified comment to the normal comment workflow. | A legitimate comment was sent to Spam. |
Process several comments together
Select the checkboxes beside multiple comments, choose an action from the bulk-action menu, and apply it. Bulk processing is useful for an obvious burst of spam, but inspect selections carefully before using a destructive action.
Set default comment rules
Go to Settings > Discussion. The controls there determine how comments are handled by default for new posts and pages.
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Choose a review model
| Model | How it works | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approve every comment | Every new comment waits in Pending until a moderator approves it. | Small sites, high-risk subjects, or publishers who want complete control. | Every legitimate comment creates review work and a delay before publication. |
| Rule-based moderation | Comments can appear without manual approval unless they meet a link-count or moderation-term rule. | Sites with regular discussion and a manageable spam pattern. | Some unwanted comments may pass through, while strict rules can hold genuine comments. |
Use the link threshold carefully
Discussion settings can hold a comment when it contains at least a specified number of links. This can catch promotional spam, but a legitimate answer that cites several resources may also be sent to Pending. Check the queue regularly and set the threshold for the way your audience actually writes.
Add moderation terms
The moderation list routes comments containing matching terms to Pending. Treat this as a review filter, not proof that a comment is bad: words can appear in an innocent context.
Understand the blocklist
The blocklist is more aggressive than the moderation list. A matching comment may be marked as Spam automatically, so broad words or common phrases can create false positives. If you use it, keep entries specific and periodically inspect Spam for legitimate comments.
Remember that defaults do not rewrite old posts
Discussion settings generally establish defaults for new content. A post or page can have its own comment setting, so changing the site-wide option may not open or close comments on older content. If one article behaves differently from the rest, edit that post or page and inspect its individual Discussion setting.
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Configure moderation email
In Settings > Discussion, WordPress offers separate notifications for comments that are held for moderation and for comments posted in general. A held-comment notice is sent to the administration email configured in Settings > General. Enabling email for every comment can overwhelm an active site’s inbox; many editors choose alerts for held comments and review the Comments screen on a schedule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot: “Why are all the comments being moderated?”
- Check manual approval. In Settings > Discussion, confirm whether the option requiring every comment to be approved is enabled.
- Check the link rule. A comment with enough links to meet the threshold will be held, even when it is genuine.
- Check moderation terms. Review the words and phrases in the moderation list for a match.
- Inspect the individual post or page. Its Discussion setting may override the default used for new content.
- Review spam plugins. Installed plugins can add their own filters or workflows. WordPress documentation names Akismet as an optional tool for comment-spam control; it is not required for WordPress’s built-in moderation.
Interface labels and available controls can vary with your WordPress version, hosting configuration, user permissions, and installed plugins. If a documented control is missing, check the current screen for an equivalent setting or ask the site administrator.
Quick Recap
Best Value
A practical moderation routine
For a low-volume site
- Open Comments > Pending daily or whenever a notification arrives.
- Approve useful comments, reply where a response adds value, and send obvious spam to Spam.
- Check Spam occasionally for false positives.
For a busy site
- Use a link threshold and narrowly chosen moderation terms to reduce the queue without blocking normal discussion.
- Notify the administration address only when a comment is held, unless there is a reason to audit every post.
- Use bulk actions for clearly related spam, then sample the remaining queue manually.
- Revisit rules when readers’ legitimate comments are repeatedly held.
What “good” moderation looks like
- Consistent: Apply the same relevance, safety, and civility standards regardless of the commenter.
- Contextual: Judge links and disputed wording in the context of the post, rather than relying only on a keyword.
- Recoverable: Use Spam for unwanted patterns and Trash when you simply want a comment removed; remember that Trash is temporary.
- Checked: Review Spam and Pending often enough that false positives do not disappear unnoticed.
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