WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Tutorials» How to Separate Trackbacks from Comments in WordPress

How to Separate Trackbacks from Comments in WordPress

Last updated on June 21st, 2012 by Editorial Staff
4 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Separate Trackbacks from Comments in WordPress

How to Separate Trackbacks from Comments is no new hack, but when WordPress released version 2.7, they introduced a new renovated comment system which included threaded comments, ability to paginate and much more. But along with this change, they also changed a lot of core file parameters. In this article we will show you how you can separate trackbacks from comments in WordPress. This hack will only work for version 2.7+ and if you are not using it, then you should start now because of the recent MySQL attack on older versions.

We found this tutorial on one of the WordPress developer’s website called Sivel.net

Here is an example of the new loop that we will be referring to in the tutorial:

    <?php if ( have_comments() ) : ?>
    <h3 id="comments"><?php comments_number('No Responses', 'One Response', '% Responses' );?> to %u201C<?php the_title(); ?>%u201D</h3>
    <ol class="commentlist">
    <?php wp_list_comments(); ?>
    </ol>
    <div class="navigation">
    <div class="alignleft"><?php previous_comments_link() ?></div>
    <div class="alignright"><?php next_comments_link() ?></div>
    </div>

    <?php else : // this is displayed if there are no comments so far ?>

    <?php if ('open' == $post->comment_status) : ?>
    <!– If comments are open, but there are no comments. –>

    <?php else : // comments are closed ?>
    <!– If comments are closed. –>
    <p class="nocomments">Comments are closed.

    <?php endif; ?>
    <?php endif; ?> 

Find this code in your comments.php:

<?php if ( have_comments() ) : ?>

Directly below this code add the following code:

<?php if ( ! empty($comments_by_type['comment']) ) : ?>
[/php

Once you have added the above code then find this code:


<?php wp_list_comments(); ?>

Replace the above code with the following code:

<?php wp_list_comments('type=comment'); ?>

Now as you see in our example loop there is a code for ordered list that looks like

</ol>

Directly below this code add:

<?php endif; ?>

Now by adding the endif tag, if you do not have any comments, the ordered list will not be displayed. Now lets move on to adding the pings to the comments.

Add the following code below or however you want to display it. It will display the pings.

    <?php if ( ! empty($comments_by_type['pings']) ) : ?>
    <h3 id="pings">Trackbacks/Pingbacks</h3>
    <ol class="commentlist">
    <?php wp_list_comments('type=pings'); ?>
    </ol>

    <?php endif; ?>

Now when you have this it will display the trackbacks but it will show them just like comments. Now you may want to display them as a list because other wise you are just wasting space. So here is how you can do that.

Simply open functions.php which is in your themes folder and add the following function in there:

<?php
function list_pings($comment, $args, $depth) {
$GLOBALS['comment'] = $comment;
?>
<li id="comment-<?php comment_ID(); ?>"><?php comment_author_link(); ?>
<?php } ?> 

This function will let you display the pings as a list instead of showing like a comment. But you have to do one more thing.

Open your comments.php and find this code:

<ol>
<?php wp_list_comments('type=pings'); ?> 

Replace it with:

<ol>
<?php wp_list_comments('type=pings&callback=list_pings'); ?>

Now the final copy of the example loop would look this:

    <?php if ( have_comments() ) : ?>
    <?php if ( ! empty($comments_by_type['comment']) ) : ?>
    <h3 id="comments"><?php comments_number('No Responses', 'One Response', '% Responses' );?> to %u201C<?php the_title(); ?>%u201D</h3>
    <ol class="commentlist">
    <?php wp_list_comments('type=comment'); ?>
    </ol>

    <?php endif; ?>

    <?php if ( ! empty($comments_by_type['pings']) ) : ?>
    <h3 id="pings">Trackbacks/Pingbacks</h3>
    <ol class="pinglist">
    <?php wp_list_comments('type=pings&callback=list_pings'); ?>
    </ol>

    <?php endif; ?>
    <div class="navigation">
    <div class="alignleft"><?php previous_comments_link() ?></div>
    <div class="alignright"><?php next_comments_link() ?></div>
    </div>

    <?php else : // this is displayed if there are no comments so far ?>

    <?php if ('open' == $post->comment_status) : ?>
    <!– If comments are open, but there are no comments. –>

    <?php else : // comments are closed ?>
    <!– If comments are closed. –>
    <p class="nocomments">Comments are closed.

    <?php endif; ?>
    <?php endif; ?> 

Now you are done. There is a bonus hack that you can use. Since you are displaying them separately, it would be good if you display the accurate comment count by excluding trackbacks and pings. Use this tutorial that we wrote to display the most accurate comment count in WordPress.

4 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

8 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Saumya Majumder says:
    Sep 16, 2015 at 4:18 pm

    Just one question, if the comments are paginated to several comment pages, does the trackback still shows up? Can anyone confirm, it doesn’t show up in genesis though for this will it shows up?

    Reply
  2. Iteire Apollos says:
    Jan 30, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    i use genesis theme and i want to separate trackbacks and ping-backs from comments. Do you have any idea how i can go about it?

    Reply
    • Editorial Staff says:
      Jan 31, 2013 at 7:02 am

      Genesis themes by default does that.

      Reply
  3. Amey says:
    Jan 2, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    Nice post. As an add, you should also close the tag used in the “comments are closed” section.

    Reply
  4. Laura says:
    Apr 13, 2010 at 10:01 am

    Thanks for sharing this! is exactly what I was looking for.

    Reply
  5. Jesse says:
    Mar 15, 2010 at 1:45 am

    Thanks, This is exactly what I want!

    Reply
  6. twthosting says:
    Sep 17, 2009 at 3:25 am

    great! all expert start from beginner, so this can be one of their kick start. thanks!

    Reply
  7. Tim Live Chat says:
    Sep 9, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    The url of this site wpbeginner.com. But I think the tutorials are kind of advanced. Keep up the good work.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel 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.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
PushEngage
PushEngage
Increase your website traffic & revenue with push notifications. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2020 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2020)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2020)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4196 Users & Our Experts (2020)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2020)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2020 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
MainWP
MainWP Coupon
Get 15% OFF on MainWP WordPress multisite manager plugin.
Sprout Invoices
Sprout Invoices Coupon
Get 50% OFF on Sprout Invoices WordPress invoicing plugin.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).
Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress CDN by MaxCDN | WordPress Security by Sucuri.