How to Reduce WordPress Spam Comments Effectively

WordPress is the most effective platform for blogging. But one big problem with it is spam comments. Thousands of spam comments come in every day, which harms your performance, lowers search rankings, and wastes time. In this article, we will see step by step how to effectively reduce spam. Let’s get started!

What are spam comments, and why do they occur?

Spam comments are unnecessary, promotional, or malicious link comments. They are usually posted by bots (automated software). Why do they appear? Spammers want to increase your site’s domain authority or spread malware. For example, comments like “Great post! Check my site for free money”.

WordPress has a default comment system that is open, which gives spammers an opportunity. As a result, thousands of comments accumulate in your moderation queue. This increases the server load, and Google’s algorithm considers your site spammy. Statistics say that on average, 60-70% of comments on a WordPress site are spam!

The solution? Use the right plugins, settings, and strategy. Now let’s look at the practical steps.

1. Use WordPress’s built-in anti-spam feature

WordPress already has some tools that are free and easy. First, check out Discovery Acquisition.

• Set moderation settings: Go to Dashboard > Settings > Discussion. Check “Comment must be manually approved”. This will cause all new comments to go to your review.
• Add blacklist keywords: If the same comment appears 10 times or contains certain keywords (e.g., viagra, casino), it will be auto-blocked.
• Avatar check: Block comments without a Gravatar avatar.

These will reduce spam by 20-30%. But these are not enough. The next step is plugins.

2. Install the best anti-spam plugin

Spam control is impossible without plugins. Here are the top 5 plugins reviewed:

Akismet Anti-Spam
The most popular. Made by WordPress.com. It uses AI to detect spam.

• Install: Plugins > Add New > Search for Akismet.
• Set up: Get an API key (open a free account at akismet.com).
• Features: 99% accuracy, spam logs, auto-learning.
• Pros: Free for personal sites, $5/month for larger sites.

CleanTalk
Cloud-based, no CAPTCHA. Used by 2 million+ sites.

• Pros: IP blacklist, bot detection.
• Price: Starting at $8/year.

Wordfence Security
Security plugin, but an excellent spam fighter.

• Features: Firewall, malware scan with comment protection.
• The free version is sufficient.

GrowSumo or Antispam Bee
Free options. GrowSumo is a free alternative to Akismet.

Tip: Don’t use 2 plugins at the same time; they can conflict. Start with Akismet.

3. Use CAPTCHA and Honeypot Techniques

Bots are not humans, so prove that the commenter is human.

• reCAPTCHA v3: Free tool from Google. Install plugins like “Advanced noCaptcha & Invisible Captcha”. It is invisible, does not bother the user.
• hCaptcha: Privacy-friendly alternative to reCAPTCHA.
• Honeypot: Create invisible fields that bots can fill but not humans. Plugins like “SI CAPTCHA Anti-Spam” are available.

Code snippet (add to functions.php):

function honey_pot_field() {
    echo '<div style="display:none;"><input type="text" name="honeypot" value="" /></div>';
}
add_action('comment_form', 'honey_pot_field');

If the field is filled in, the comment block.

4. Server-level and Cloudflare protection

Spam bots attack servers. Prevent:

• Cloudflare: Open a free account, turn on Bot Fight Mode. Challenge suspicious IPs.
• .htaccess rules: Block spammer IPs.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/wp-comments-post\.php$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://(.+\.)?yourdomain\. [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} bot [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F]
</IfModule>

• Fail2Ban: Ban bad IPs by installing them on the server (available in cPanel).

5. Regular maintenance and monitoring

Spam reduction is an ongoing process.

• Weekly check: wp-admin > Comments > Delete Spam.
• Database clean: Empty the spam table with the WP-Optimize plugin.
• Analytics: Track comment traffic in Google Analytics.
• Test: Post a spam comment yourself and check.

Results and Conclusions

Follow these steps to reduce spam by 95%+. I get 99% clean comments using Akismet + Cloudflare + Honeypot on my site. Get started today—your site will be fast and secure!

Any questions? Comment (no spam 😊). Share with friends!