Category: WordPress • Est. reading time: 2 minutes
Not every site wants comments, and that is completely fine. Turning them off cuts down on spam and upkeep. You can switch comments off for new content going forward, for everything already published, or both. Here is each option.
Turn Off Comments on New Posts (Going Forward)
This is the main switch, and it applies to posts you publish from now on.
- Open Settings, then Discussion.
- Uncheck Allow people to submit comments on new posts.
- For a complete shutoff, you can clear the other boxes in that section too, though unchecking that one is what actually stops new comments.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom.
Remember, this only affects new content, not anything already published.
Turn Off Comments on Existing Posts and Pages
To silence comments on content you have already published, edit those in bulk.
- Open Posts, then repeat later for Pages.
- Tick the checkbox at the top to select everything, or pick specific items.
- In the Bulk actions menu, choose Edit and click Apply.
- Set Comments to Do not allow, then click Update.
For a single post, hover over it, click Quick Edit, and uncheck Allow Comments.
Keep Comments, but Close Them on Older Posts
Maybe you want to keep comments running but stop old posts from collecting new ones, or spam. WordPress can close them automatically after a set age.
- Open Settings, then Discussion.
- Check Automatically close comments on old posts.
- Set the number of days. Setting it to 1 closes comments on anything older than a day, which effectively limits comments to your newest content.
- Save your changes.
One Extra Tip: Turn Off Avatars
If you are switching comments off entirely, you can also turn off Avatars near the bottom of the Discussion screen. They pull commenter profile pictures from an outside service on each load, so with no comments to show, it is a small request your site no longer needs.
Already Have Comments to Clear Out?
If a pile of comments or spam has built up, see our guide on how to mass delete comments.
We teach WordPress live and one-on-one at allydrez.com/learn-how-to-use-wordpress, or we will manage your site for you. Reach us at support@allydrez.com or 1-321-209-2004.