How to Protect Your WordPress Website from Spam Comments
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems around. With its emphasis on simplicity, security, and performance, it is an easy option for any blogger who wants to create a professional-looking website without the hassle of technical knowledge.
However, all that elegance comes with a price. With the rise of social media and its focus on content, bloggers have found themselves under the microscope.
What if I tell you there’s a way to protect your WordPress website from spam Comments (unwanted posts and comments)?
Well, you’d be pleased to hear there’s a solution, and it’s quite easy to implement. In this article, we will teach you how to protect your WordPress site from spam Comments.
How to Protect Your WordPress Website From Spam
Spam is an undesirable form of content, and many bloggers see it as a nuisance that gets in the way of their article’s message. However, not all spam is created equal – there’s plenty of cheap affiliate spam that doesn’t provide much value, so it’s important to be able to tell the difference between good and bad spam.
If you’re new to the blogging world, you might not know that there are certain measures you can take to prevent spam comments on your blog. The following are some simple tips to help protect your blog from spam:
1. Choose a strong password.
The first thing you need to do to protect your WordPress blog is create a strong password. For best results, choose a password that contains numbers, capital letters, and lowercase letters. Also, make sure you have a unique password for each website you create, as WordPress automatically creates one for you when you first install the plugin. You should definitely change your password once you learn it, as it is easily guessable – if someone hacks your old password, they can access all your blog’s content.
2. Activate the Akismet WordPress plugin.
The Akismet WordPress plugin is a free tool that helps protect your WordPress site from spam. When you install the plugin, it creates a “spam filter” that examines each comment before it is published. If the spam checker detects a comment as possibly being spam, it is placed in a queue for approval. While the plugin is activated, your website is protected against spam.
When you activate the plugin, you will see a red flag next to the submission form on your blog’s comment page. This is a good thing, as it indicates that the plugin is working and preventing spam comments on your blog. However, it also means you have a lot of spam to go through and approve before your content can be published.
3. Use a content blocker.
Another way to protect your blog against spam is to install a content blocker on your device. Popular content blockers like uBlock Origin and AdGuard block annoying ads, trackers, and content that is hidden in images – all of which may contain spam. When you install a content blocker onto your device, you will see a green flag next to your blog’s URL in the popup blocker’s window. This means the content is “clean” and approved for viewing.
However, not all content blockers are created equal. If you decide to install AdGuard onto your device, be sure to whitelist the blog you’re trying to protect. This way, it won’t block content from your favorite blogs, but rather your own site only. And while we’re on the topic of AdGuard, let’s also mention that you can use its “domain privacy” feature to prevent your blog from being indexed by search engines if it’s not publicly available.
4. Install WordPress straight from Git.
If you’re a software developer or sysadmin, you can install WordPress directly from the Git source code. This way, you can ensure that the source code is exactly what is being hosted on your blog, and that there are no backdoors or malicious code that could potentially compromise your user’s data. Also, you can use the WordPress source code to create a local copy of your blog, and work on it anywhere you want – even on a public computer!
To do this, you must first have Git installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, you can download the free version from GitHub. Once you have it, launch the terminal application on your Mac or PC. Next, enter the following command to install WordPress directly from the Git source code:
$> git clone https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress.git
This will download the latest stable version of WordPress into your computer’s GitHub folder. To verify that you’re working with the correct WordPress copy, open a Terminal window and enter the following command:
$> git status
This will show you the files that make up the WordPress copy you downloaded. If you see a file named differently than expected (for example,.gitignore vs.git), then you have the wrong copy. To fix this, remove the file named.gitignore from your computer and replace it with the file.git.
5. Use a VPN to protect your data when online.
A VPN protects your data while you’re online by encrypting all of your Internet traffic – this includes your email correspondences, browsing history, and more. Popular VPNs like ProtonVPN and TunnelBear offer advanced features like kill switches, which allow you to prevent your data from being captured by a third party. If you decide to use a VPN, make sure to set it up properly on your device.
To protect your WordPress site from spam, you should first choose a VPN that offers military-grade encryption. The next step is to set up a smart proxy on your device – this is an application that routes your Internet traffic through a VPN. Finally, create a VPN exception for your blog, so it does not get encrypted when you use it on your device. To learn more, be sure to watch this MarketingCharts Video Tutorial by Kuretid.
The above tips should help you get started creating a spam-free WordPress site. Nonetheless, if you want to go the extra mile, you can download the SpamNotifier plugin from the WordPress plugin directory. This tiny plugin alerts you when there’s a new comment on your site that’s been identified as spam. You can choose to be notified via email or a desktop notification (which sounds better to you?).
If you find this plugin useful, be sure to click the “like” button below so others can see it too. Also, be sure to leave a comment if you feel this article was helpful.