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Understanding How the Disable Comments Plugin Works and Common Solutions

61 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Disable comments – remove comments & stop spam [multi-site support]

Content

The Disable Comments plugin is a popular tool for WordPress site administrators looking to remove and manage comment functionality. However, users often have questions about its capabilities and limitations. This guide explains the plugin's core behavior and addresses the most common scenarios based on community discussions.

How the Plugin Works: A Core Principle

The primary function of the Disable Comments plugin is to globally disable comments on entire post types (like Posts, Pages, or supported Custom Post Types). It is not designed to disable comments on a per-post, per-category, or per-user basis. When you disable comments for a post type, it affects every single item of that type. Importantly, the plugin must remain active for its settings to work. If you uninstall the plugin, all of its settings will be reset and comments will reappear.

Common Questions and Solutions

1. Can I disable comments for specific posts or categories?

No. The plugin operates on a post-type level, not on individual posts, pages, or categories. If you need to disable comments for a specific category or post ID, this functionality is outside the plugin's current scope. The development team has noted this as a potential feature request for future updates.

2. Why are comments still appearing on my multisite network with over 100 sites?

This was a known bug in a previous version of the plugin. A function used to apply settings across a network had a default limit of 100 sites. The development team has since resolved this issue in an update. If you encounter this, ensure your plugin is updated to the latest version to apply settings to an unlimited number of subsites.

3. How do I re-enable comments after disabling them everywhere?

To reverse a site-wide disable, you cannot simply uncheck the "Everywhere" radio button. Instead, you must select the "Specific Post Types" option and then ensure no post types are checked in the list below it. This will effectively re-enable comments across your site while keeping the plugin active.

4. Why is a 'Comments are closed' message or a comment icon (like an 'X') still showing?

These visual elements are typically controlled by your WordPress theme, not the Disable Comments plugin. The plugin removes the backend functionality but cannot always remove every frontend element added by a theme. To remove these, you may need to add custom CSS to your theme or contact your theme's developer for support. For the "Comments are closed" text, a recent plugin update addressed its removal.

5. Does the plugin handle comment spam from trackbacks/pingbacks or Gravatar requests?

The plugin disables standard comments and their associated features, which includes blocking Gravatar requests from the comment sections it disables. For trackbacks and pingbacks, it's recommended to disable them using WordPress's built-in setting (Settings > Discussion) before activating the Disable Comments plugin, as the plugin may hide the menu where this setting is located.

6. Will the plugin delete existing comments?

Yes, but only if you use the "Permanently delete all comments" option. Simply disabling comments using the standard options will hide existing comments from the frontend and admin area but will not delete them from your database. The delete function is separate and must be explicitly activated.

Conclusion

The Disable Comments plugin is a powerful tool for site-wide comment management. Understanding that it works on a global, post-type level is key to using it effectively. For issues related to theme-specific display elements or highly specific use cases, solutions often involve complementary actions like adding custom code or adjusting other WordPress settings.

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