Trusted WordPress tutorials, when you need them most.
Beginner’s Guide to WordPress
WPB Cup
25 Million+
Websites using our plugins
16+
Years of WordPress experience
3000+
WordPress tutorials
by experts

11 Ways to Get More Comments on Your WordPress Blog Posts

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on WPBeginner. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Learn more about Editorial Process.

Do you want to get more comments on your WordPress blog posts?

Comments are an easy way to build user engagement, get more pageviews, and build a community around your website.

In this article, we’ll share proven and tested tips to easily get more comments on your WordPress blog posts.

Ways to Get More Comments on Your WordPress Blog Posts

1. Allow Users to Subscribe to Comments

By default when a user leaves a comment on your website, they will have to bookmark the link to come back and see if there is a new comment on the article.

If they forget to bookmark or can’t remember the name of your blog, then they will probably never come back again.

You can provide users a chance to subscribe to comments on your WordPress posts. This way they can get immediate notifications when there is a new comment.

This will significantly increase your pageviews and the number of comments on your website. Your users will find discussions on your site to be more engaging.

Subscribe to comments

Take a look at our guide on how to allow users to subscribe to comments in WordPress.

2. Notify Users on Replies to Their Own Comments

When a user leaves a comment on your site, there is no way for them to find out if anyone has replied to their comment. They will have to bookmark the page and visit it later. Most users will not do that.

You can easily allow users to subscribe to their own comments. This way they will ONLY receive a notification email when someone replies to their comment.

Subscribe to replies

If you make it a habit to reply to most user comments on your site, then this could develop a highly engaging community around your blog.

For detailed instructions check out our tutorial on how to notify users on replies to their own comments in WordPress.

3. Keep Discussing Quality High with Comment Moderation

The best way to ensure there’s high quality conversations happening in comment is to enable comment moderation in WordPress.

You can turn this on by going to Settings » Discussion in your admin area.

Require all comments to be manually approved

Comment moderation will not only allow you to block spam, but it will also provide you a chance to interact with your users more often.

When you reply and engage with your readers, they’re more likely to comment more often.

See our beginner’s guide on how to moderate comments in WordPress for detailed instructions.

Note: Some website owners use CAPTCHA to block comment spam, but this is not user friendly and it often discourages regular users from commenting.

This is why we recommend enabling comment moderation on your site and manually approve each and every comment (if you have to).

4. Show Newest Comments First

By default WordPress shows the newest comment at the bottom of the comments list. Now if you have lots of comments on a post, then users will be seeing the oldest comments on top.

This can be easily changed in WordPress.

Simply go to Settings » Discussion and scroll down to other comments settings section. You need to select newer from the drop down menu.

Newer comments first

For more details, take a look at our tutorial on how to rearrange comments in WordPress – Display the most recent one on top.

5. Turn on Comments for Old Posts

Most bloggers turn off comments on older posts to reduce comment spam. However, there will be lots of users who might want to comment on these posts.

Since you are already using comment moderation, you can safely turn on comments on old posts.

Simply go to Settings » Discussion and scroll down to other comments settings section. Uncheck the box next to ‘Automatically close comments on articles older than X days’.

Open comments for older post

Don’t forget to click on the Save Changes button to store your settings.

6. Showcase Your Top Commenters

A good way to encourage and appreciate your most loyal users is by highlighting your top commenters. This shows users that they are part of your blog’s community, and you appreciate their effort to bring life into your comments.

Top commenters widget

Simply install and activate the Top Commenters Widget plugin. Upon activation, go to Appearance » Widgets page and add Top Commenters Widget to a sidebar.

For more detailed instructions, please see our guide on how to display your top commenters in WordPress sidebar.

7. Display Recent Comments

When users are looking at your homepage, they have no idea what’s happening in your blog’s comments section. For example, there may be a heated debate going on a new post where a user may want to chime in.

You can provide users a chance to look at current discussions by showing recent comments on your site.

Simply go to Appearance » Widgets and add Recent Comments widget to a sidebar.

Recent comments

8. Allow Users to Rate and Share Comments

The default WordPress commenting system is plain and simple. It does not have the social, gamification, and user engagement elements of a modern discussion platform. However, you can easily add these features in WordPress using plugins.

Simply install and activate the wpDiscuz plugin. Upon activation the plugin will beautifully transform your WordPress commenting system into a highly engaging discussion platform.

Rate and share comments

wpDiscuz comes with features like voting, social sharing, comment bubble, and many more. For details, see our article on how to improve WordPress comments with wpDiscuz.

9. Notify Users When Their Comment is Approved

When a user submits a comment on your blog, WordPress shows them that their comment is awaiting moderation. The users have no idea when you approve their comment or delete it.

You can increase your pageviews as well as user engagement by simply notifying users when their comment is approved.

Simply install and activate the Comment Approved plugin. Upon activation, go to Settings » Comment Approved page to configure the plugin.

Comment Approved Settings

For detailed instructions see our tutorial on how to notify users when their comment is approved in WordPress.

10. Allow Users to Edit Comments in WordPress

By default, users cannot edit their comments once they have submitted them. This can be frustrating for users as they may want to correct a typo or grammar mistake.

Simply install and activate Simple Comment Editing plugin, which allows users to easily edit their own comments on your site. You can set a time limit to editing permission.

Simple comment editing

For details, see our article on how to allow users to edit comments in WordPress.

11. Get Better WordPress Hosting

Comments consume resources on your web hosting server which may affect overall WordPress speed and performance.

Each time a user submits a comment on your WordPress site, your server runs a PHP script. If multiple users are submitting comments at the same time, this could slow down your site or even crash your site.

So to get more comments on your site, you first need to make sure your website can handle more comments.

The easy way to deal with this is by using a WordPress caching plugin. This should work for most websites on shared WordPress hosting provider.

However, for busier websites, this may not be enough. If you have a larger site, then try a managed WordPress hosting provider like WP Engine or SiteGround for better speed.

We hope this article helped you learn some new ways to get more comments on your WordPress blog posts. You may also want to see our guide on how to style WordPress comments and improve WordPress SEO on your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us. Here's our editorial process.

Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

Get FREE access to our toolkit - a collection of WordPress related products and resources that every professional should have!

Reader Interactions

38 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. Syed Balkhi says

    Hey WPBeginner readers,
    Did you know you can win exciting prizes by commenting on WPBeginner?
    Every month, our top blog commenters will win HUGE rewards, including premium WordPress plugin licenses and cash prizes.
    You can get more details about the contest from here.
    Start sharing your thoughts below to stand a chance to win!

  2. Jiří Vaněk says

    using the WP discuz plugin helped me get more comments for one simple reason that you also write about. Reply notification. Once a user posts a comment and I respond to it, they get a notification and that usually prompts them to come back. Quite often he just writes thank you or something similar, but it increases the number of comments under the article, and if there is at least a little liveliness, many other users will join.

  3. David Mitchell says

    These are some excellent tips for getting more comments on your WordPress blog posts! Here are a few more suggestions to further encourage engagement and discussion:

    Ask engaging questions: At the end of your blog posts, pose thought-provoking questions that encourage readers to share their insights or experiences. This can spark conversation in the comments section.

    Respond to comments promptly: Be active in responding to comments on your blog posts. Engage with your readers, answer their questions, and thank them for their input. This shows that you value their contributions and encourages them to comment more in the future.

    Use a comment plugin: Consider using a comment plugin that enhances the commenting experience for your readers. Plugins like Disqus or wpDiscuz offer features like threaded comments, social media login integration, and notifications, making it easier for readers to engage with your content.

    Implement gamification: Add a gamification element to your comments by using plugins that allow users to earn points or badges for their contributions. This can incentivize readers to comment more frequently and increase overall engagement.

    Encourage sharing on social media: Include social sharing buttons at the end of your blog posts, allowing readers to easily share the post on their preferred social platforms. This can help expand the reach of your blog post and bring in more readers and potential commenters.

    Remember, creating a welcoming and engaging environment is key to fostering more comments. By implementing these strategies and actively participating in discussions, you can encourage your readers to get involved and share their thoughts on your blog posts.

  4. sameer says

    Hi Thanks for such a great content you together. I additionally have experienced an awesome method for learning and they have made the whole procedure incredibly straightforward and educational.

  5. Jolie says

    I read this blog almost daily since I signed up and I constantly find new plugins/tools/ideas to add to my site. thank you so much!

  6. Johnpaul Onwueme says

    Every aspect of this article is very helpful. You took your time to arrange it and it is also simple to understand. thank you so much

  7. Munna Hossain says

    Nice article. Comments are really important for any blog. After publishing a good content you must want to get a good feedback. Comment is an excellent indicator of your performance. Thanks for your helpful article.

  8. Sal Rosso says

    Very helpful and useful article for every blogger, Thanks for sharing such type interesting article.

  9. Faylinn says

    I have a WordPress account and I’m kind of struggling with it because nobody ever comments. I allow my users to subscribe to comments, but it seems like I need to be doing a lot more. What can I do to actually get people to comment on my blog and participate in the conversation? There are literally no comments for me to even showcase.

  10. Mahesh says

    With these plugins, I am sure I will get more comments on my site. I have enabled the de:comments plugin now and also installed Comments Approved. Thanks for sharing. you guys have made my task easier.

  11. Grant Winney says

    Great point about responding to comments. You can’t respond to everyone, especially on a busy blog, but why some authors allow comments but never respond to any of them (as I’ve seen on some blogs) is beyond me. The whole fun of blogging is knowing read what you wrote and learned something from it, or otherwise felt it worthy enough to engage in a discussion.

    • Penelope Silvers says

      I agree with Grant. I’ve left comments on sites that have no replies on them. It’s like crickets and I have no desire to return. The fun of leaving a comment is interacting with the host. Like a party! ;)

  12. Asim Awan says

    Nice and informative post to boost comments. What’s your opinion about using Disqus commenting system instead of WordPress Comments?

    • Naveen says

      Hey what do you mean by reputation here?
      This site is mostly beginners only and this article focused to beginners who are looking for comments usage. I can say this is the best article about the comments.

  13. Andrew Hansen says

    Good advice, I already do most of it on my small, personal faith, politics and culture blog (The Uncovered Lamp) but may use some of the advice. I use the askimet plugin for spam along with Wordfence premium’s anti-spam scanning.

    To get more readers and then commenters I try to take part in comment threads on facebook to topics relevant to what i talk blog about and if relevant link to my post on the subject. I may have to check out the plugin for notifying people when their comment has been approved

  14. Mladen says

    I have learned a lot from your articles, and I am thankful for that. But you comments unsubscribe system isn’t working and you better check it out.

  15. Dennis Verdonschot says

    What about Facebook comments?
    Lot’s of people stay constantly logged in Facebook.
    My small blog got it’s first few replies soon after I added them.

    • Editorial Staff says

      I added Facebook comments on my site and the engagement wasn’t as high as I thought it would be. Plus you can not retain them 100% also it’s hard to moderate.

      -Syed

      Admin

  16. Mary Jo Campbell says

    This was very helpful! Thank you. I plan to add widgets for Recent comments and Comments approved. Love this site! You guys make WordPress so easy to use and customize!

  17. Carrie HeartCore says

    Hmmmm interesting article. I might have to try some of these tricks on a few test projects that I am running.

Leave A Reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.