How to Completely Disable Comments in WordPress (Correct Settings Explained)

Comments in WordPress can be confusing. Even after removing comments from theme files like single.php, users may still comment, and admins may still receive email notifications.

This guide shows the exact, correct Discussion settings to fully disable comments permanently, explained with real-world scenarios and benefits.

Why This Guide Matters

WordPress comments are controlled by database + settings, not just theme files

Common Problems with Incorrect Settings

Incorrect Discussion settings can still allow:

• Comments via REST API
• Spam comments flooding your database
• Email notifications disrupting your workflow
• Pingback spam from malicious sites

What This Guide Ensures

❌ No comments (new or old posts)
❌ No notifications
❌ No spam
✅ Clean, future-proof setup
✅ Better site performance
✅ Reduced security vulnerabilities

Location of These Settings

WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Discussion

1. Default Post Settings (MOST IMPORTANT)

These settings control whether new posts allow comments or not.

Benefits:

• No comments on future posts – New content stays clean automatically
• No pingbacks or trackbacks – Eliminates refback spam
• No external spam links – Protects your site’s SEO and security

Real-World Scenario:

Business Blog Owner: “I publish weekly articles but only want contact via email. With these settings, I never worry about moderating spam or rude comments. My content stays professional and clean.”

2. Other Comment Settings

These settings become irrelevant once comments are disabled, but should still be turned off to keep the system clean.

Ignore these fields:

• “Close comments after X days”
• “Thread levels”

They do nothing when comments are disabled.

Real-World Scenario:

Portfolio Site Owner: “I had ‘registered users only’ enabled thinking it blocked comments. It didn’t. Spambots still tried commenting via REST API until I unchecked everything.”

3. Comment Pagination

Pagination is unnecessary when comments are disabled.

Benefit:

• Faster page loads – One less script WordPress needs to load

4. Email Notification Settings (CRITICAL FOR PRODUCTIVITY)

These settings are responsible for comment emails. If even one is enabled, you may still receive notifications.

Benefits:

• Zero comment-related emails – Clean inbox
• No admin notification spam – Focus on real work
• Better email deliverability – Email server not flagged for spam

Real-World Scenario:

Freelancer with 5 Client Sites: “I was getting 200+ spam notification emails daily across all sites. After unchecking these, my inbox is finally manageable. I can focus on actual client emails.”

5. Before a Comment Appears

These settings control moderation behavior. They should be OFF if comments are not used.

Benefit:

• No zombie moderation queue – Clean dashboard

6. Comment Moderation

Since comments are disabled, moderation is unnecessary.

7. Disallowed Comment Keys

These are used only when comments are active.

8. Avatar Settings (Clean & Performance-Friendly)

If you don’t allow comments, avatars should also be disabled.

Recommended Avatar Options (if kept for user profiles)

Benefits:

• Faster page loads – No external Gravatar requests (saves 200-500ms per page)
• No external requests – Better privacy compliance
• Cleaner UI – No broken avatar images

Real-World Scenario:

News Site Editor: “Our articles loaded 0.8 seconds faster after disabling Gravatars. That’s huge for mobile SEO and user experience.”

CRITICAL: Disable Comments on Existing Posts (One-Time Step)

Discussion settings apply only to NEW posts.

To disable comments on already published posts:

1. Go to Posts → All Posts
2. Select All Posts (check the box at top)
3. Choose Bulk Actions → Edit
4. Set Comments → Do not allow
5. Click Update

Pro Tip for Large Sites:

If you have 1000+ posts, do this in batches of 200 to avoid timeouts:

• Filter by date ranges
• Process 200 posts at a time
• Repeat until all posts are covered

Real-World Scenario:

Blogger with 500 Posts: “I changed Discussion settings but still had comment forms on old posts. After bulk editing, my site finally looked professional without those abandoned comment sections.”

Recommended Extra Safety (Optional but Highly Recommended)

Install a Disable Comments plugin and set:

Disable comments everywhere

What This Blocks:

Recommended Plugins:

• Disable Comments (by WPDeveloper)
• Disable Comments – Remove Comments & Stop Spam (by Samir)

Real-World Scenario:

E-commerce Store Owner: “Even with all settings unchecked, spam bots were posting comments via the REST API. The plugin finally stopped them completely. Zero spam in 6 months.”

Final Result After Correct Setup

Use Case Scenarios: When to Disable Comments

Perfect For:

1. Business Websites

• Corporate sites that want professional appearance
• Contact forms preferred over comments
• No time for comment moderation

2. Portfolio Sites

• Freelancers, designers, photographers
• Work speaks for itself
• Contact via project inquiries only

3. Landing Pages

• Product launches, SaaS sites
• Comments distract from CTAs
• Focus on conversions, not discussions

4. News/Media Sites (One-Way Publishing)

• Content-only distribution
• Social media used for engagement
• Comments managed on Facebook/Twitter instead

5. E-commerce Stores

• Product reviews handled by WooCommerce
• Don’t need blog post comments
• Customer service via chat/email

6. Private/Internal Sites

• Company intranets, documentation
• Communication via Slack/Teams
• No public discussion needed

Not Recommended For:

• Community blogs that thrive on discussion
• Tutorial sites where questions add value
• Forums or membership sites
• Sites using comments for user-generated content

Performance Benefits (Real Data)

Speed Improvements:

Database Benefits:

Final Checklist (Quick Verification)

Before you consider comments fully disabled, verify:

• [ ] All Default Post Settings → UNCHECKED
• [ ] All Email Notifications → UNCHECKED
• [ ] Show Avatars → UNCHECKED
• [ ] Existing posts → Comments disabled via bulk edit
• [ ] Test new post → No comment form appears
• [ ] Check theme files → Comment code removed or hidden
• [ ] Install security plugin → REST API comments blocked
• [ ] Test REST API → Cannot post comments via /wp-json/wp/v2/comments
• [ ] Mobile app test → Comments not accessible
• [ ] Email test → No comment notifications received

Security Bonus: Why This Matters

Vulnerabilities Eliminated:

1. Comment Spam Exploits – 85% of WordPress spam comes via comments
2. XSS Attacks – Malicious scripts in comment fields
3. SQL Injection – Comment form database exploits
4. Spam Link Farms – SEO negative attacks
5. Credential Harvesting – Fake comment forms stealing logins

Real-World Scenario:

Small Business Site Hacked: “We got hacked via a comment form exploit. After disabling comments completely and using a security plugin, we’ve been breach-free for 2 years.”

Maintenance: Set It and Forget It

Once properly configured, this setup requires:

• Zero ongoing maintenance
• No moderation time
• No spam fighting
• No plugin updates (if using native WP settings only)

Time Savings:

FAQs

Q: Will this affect my SEO?
A: No. Google doesn’t rank sites higher for having comments. Quality content matters more.

Q: Can I re-enable comments later?
A: Yes. Just reverse these settings. Old comments remain in database.

Q: What about pingbacks from my own internal links?
A: Self-pingbacks are blocked by default in WordPress. No issue.

Q: Will this break plugins that use comment tables?
A: No. Database tables remain intact, just unused.

Summary

Disabling WordPress comments properly requires:

1. Discussion settings (all unchecked)
2. Bulk edit existing posts (one-time)
3. Optional plugin (maximum security)

Result: A cleaner, faster, more secure WordPress site with zero comment spam and zero maintenance.