How to Display the Total Number of Comments in WordPress

Do you want to display the total number of comments on your WordPress site?

Comments are the main way that users can engage with the content on your website. By showing off the total comment count, you can encourage more users to join the conversation.

In this article, we will show you how to easily display the total number of comments on your WordPress website.

Method 1. Display WordPress Comment Count Using a Plugin (Easy)

This method is easier and is recommended for all users. Instead of writing code, you’ll be using the Simple Blog Stats plugin to show the comment count in WordPress.

However, just be aware that this plugin doesn’t include pings and trackbacks in its count.

Many websites turn off trackbacks and pingbacks in an attempt to block spam comments in WordPress, so this may not be a big problem for your website.

However, if you want to include trackbacks and pings in your total comment count, then we recommend using method 2 instead.

To get started with this method, you’ll need to install and activate the Simple Blog Stats plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to Settings » Simple Blog Stats to configure plugin settings.

On this page, you’ll see all the shortcodes that you can use to show different stats like the total number of comments, registered users, number of posts, categories, and more.

To show the total count of all approved comments on your website, simply use the following shortcode: [sbs_approved]

If you want to show the total number of comments on a page or post, then simply create a new post or edit an existing one.

Then, click on the ‘+’ button to add a new block. You can now start typing ‘Shortcode’ and select the right block when it appears.

Next, simply paste the shortcode [sbs_approved] into the block.

You can add any text you want to display before or after the shortcode.

Another option is to use the shortcode inside a paragraph block.

Simply add the shortcode where you want to show the total comment count.

Using the paragraph block also allows you to style the total comment count using the standard formatting settings. For example, you might make it bold or italic.

When you’re finished, click on the publish or update button to save your changes. You can now visit your website to see your changes in action.

Displaying total comment count in a sidebar widget

You can also add the total comment count to a sidebar or similar section, using the same shortcode. This is an easy way to display this number across your entire WordPress website, as you can see in the following image.

You can find your widget area by going to Appearance » Widgets.

Here you’ll see a list of all the available widget areas. For example, in the following image we’re using the ThemeIsle Hestia Pro theme, and you can see it has multiple areas where you can add widgets, including the sidebar, header, and footer.

The areas you can place widgets are defined by your WordPress theme, so you may see something different depending on the theme you’re using.

Now, click on the blue ‘+’ button and type in ‘Paragraph.’ When the Paragraph widget shows up, add it to the area where you want to show the comment count.

You can now paste the [sbs_approved] into the widget and type in any text that you want to show before or after the total comment count.

When you’re finished, click on ‘Update’ to store your changes.

Now, if you visit your website you’ll see the total comment count widget in action.

Method 2. Display Comment Count Using Code (Most Accurate)

If you want to include pingbacks and trackbacks in the total comment count, then you’ll need to add custom code to your website.

Typically, you would need to add custom code snippets to your theme’s functions.php file.

However, we don’t recommend this method as even a small mistake in your code could cause a number of common WordPress errors, or even break your site entirely.

That’s why we recommend using WPCode. It allows you to add custom code in WordPress without having to edit any core WordPress theme files.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the free WPCode plugin on your website. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to Code Snippets » Add Snippet.

Here, you’ll see all the ready-made snippets that you can add to your site using WPCode.

Since we’re creating our own snippet, hover your mouse over ‘Add Your Custom Code,’ and then click ‘Use snippet.’

To start, enter a title for the custom code snippet. This can be anything that helps you identify the snippet.

Once you’ve done that, open the ‘Code Type’ dropdown and choose ‘PHP Snippet.’ Next, paste the following snippet into the code editor:

function wpbeginner_comment_count() { 
   
function comment_count( $count ) {
    if ( ! is_admin() ) {
        $comments_by_type = &separate_comments(get_comments('status=approve'));
        return count($comments_by_type['comment']);
    } else {
        return $count;
    }
}
add_filter('get_comments_number', 'comment_count', 0);
   
$actual_comment_count = get_comments_number(); 
   
return $actual_comment_count;
   
}
   
add_shortcode('actual_comment_count', 'wpbeginner_comment_count');

Below the code box, you’ll see some insertion options.

To use the shortcode on any page, post, or widget-ready area, open the ‘Location’ dropdown menu and select ‘Run Everywhere.’

After that, scroll to the top of the screen and click on the ‘Inactive’ toggle so it shows ‘Active.’

With that done, click on ‘Save snippet’ to make the comment snippet live.

You now have a shortcode that you can use to show the total number of comments on your website including trackbacks, pings, and unapproved comments.

Simply add the [actual_comment_count] shortcode anywhere you want to show the total comment count. For more information on how to place the shortcode, please see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to display the total number of comments in WordPress. You may also want to learn how to create an email newsletter and the best social media plugins for WordPress.

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