What is Disable Comments plugin?
Disable Comments is a WordPress plugin that provides global, granular control over the WordPress comment system — removing comment forms, comment counts, comment fields, and the entire comment admin interface from specified post types. While WordPress provides per-post comment disabling through the discussion settings, Disable Comments allows disabling comments globally (across all existing and future posts, pages, or media attachments) with a single setting, without requiring individual post edits or complex database queries.
The plugin is particularly useful for business websites, portfolios, and landing pages where comments are not a desired feature and the comment system’s presence creates unnecessary UI clutter, spam vulnerability surface, and database overhead. With Disable Comments active, the comment section is removed from post types you select, comment-related admin menus are hidden, and the comment count is zeroed out across the site — producing a cleaner, spam-free site without ongoing comment management.
Disable Comments is completely free with no premium tier. For sites that want to disable comments globally and permanently, or selectively disable comments on specific post types while keeping them on others (e.g., disable comments on pages and media but keep them on posts), this plugin provides the targeted control that WordPress’s built-in settings lack. It also removes the comment form from media attachment pages and custom post types, which WordPress’s native discussion settings do not cover comprehensively.
Need Help With Disable Comments Setup, Troubleshooting, or Customization?
Need help with Disable Comments? Whether you are dealing with errors, broken functionality, styling problems, plugin conflicts, or advanced customization, we can help you fix the issue and get the plugin working properly on your WordPress site.
Get Disable Comments Expert HelpKey Features
- Disable comments globally on all post types with one click
- Selective disabling by post type: posts, pages, media, custom post types
- Removes comment form, comment count, and "Comments" column from admin lists
- Hides "Comments" admin menu item entirely
- Removes comment-related dashboard widgets
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Single-click global comment disabling — no per-post editing needed
- Removes comment-related UI from admin for a cleaner experience
- Disables REST API and XML-RPC comment endpoints for security hardening
Cons
- Disabling comments removes the feature entirely — no granular rules for specific categories or user roles
- Existing approved comments remain visible (not deleted) even when new comments are disabled — requires manual cleanup if needed
Free vs Premium
Completely free. No paid version.
Common Problems & Fixes
After activating Disable Comments, some pages still show a comment count in the admin list. How do I fix this?
Comment counts in the WordPress admin post list reflect the count stored in the database, which is not immediately updated by Disable Comments. The plugin closes comments and removes the form but does not retroactively change stored counts for posts that already had comments. If the count is cosmetically bothering you, you can update counts via WP-CLI: wp comment recount. For the post list column, Disable Comments removes the clickable “Comments” column link — the number may still appear but will show as static text rather than a linked count.
Disable Comments is active but comment forms still appear on WooCommerce product pages. How do I disable them?
WooCommerce product reviews use a custom version of the WordPress comment system. In Disable Comments → Settings, check if “Products” (WooCommerce product post type) is included in the post types where comments are disabled. If you want to keep product reviews but disable regular comments on other post types, exclude “Products” from Disable Comments and instead disable standard comments only for posts and pages. For disabling WooCommerce reviews specifically (separate from comments), go to WooCommerce → Settings → Products → General → “Enable product reviews” and uncheck.
After deactivating Disable Comments, comments returned on posts that previously had comments disabled. How do I prevent this?
Disable Comments works by filtering WordPress’s comment open/close logic at runtime — it does not change per-post database settings. When deactivated, posts revert to their database-stored comment_status value. If you need to permanently close comments on all existing posts even after potential plugin deactivation, run a database update: UPDATE wp_posts SET comment_status = “closed” WHERE post_type IN (“post”, “page”) AND post_status = “publish”; This permanently closes comments in the database, after which you can deactivate Disable Comments without comments returning.
Customization & Developer Notes
How do I disable comments on media attachments specifically using Disable Comments?
In Disable Comments → Settings, check the “Media” option in the post type selection. This disables comment forms and comment functionality specifically on media attachment pages (the individual page WordPress creates for each uploaded media file). Media attachment comments are often overlooked as a spam vector — disabling them is recommended for most sites that do not actively use media attachment pages for community discussion.
Can I disable comments on custom post types registered by other plugins using Disable Comments?
Yes — Disable Comments lists all registered public post types, including those created by other plugins (WooCommerce products, LearnDash courses, Events, etc.). In the plugin settings, all available post types are listed with checkboxes. Select any custom post type post types to disable their comment functionality. If a custom post type does not appear in the list, it may have been registered as non-public (public => false) — check the post type registration code or contact the plugin developer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Disable Comments delete existing comments?
No — Disable Comments closes comments and prevents new ones, but does not delete existing approved, pending, or spam comments from the database. Existing comments remain in the database and can still be viewed and managed in Comments → All Comments in the WordPress admin. If you want to remove all existing comments from the site entirely, use a combination of Disable Comments (to prevent new ones) and a database cleanup — you can delete all comments via phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI: wp comment delete $(wp comment list –format=ids).
Is Disable Comments GDPR-compliant?
Disabling comments helps with GDPR compliance by eliminating the collection of personal data (name, email, IP address) that comment submission involves. With comments disabled, no comment-related personal data is collected. If comments were previously active and collected personal data, that data still exists in the database and must be handled per your GDPR policy (retain, anonymize, or delete). Disable Comments itself collects no data and introduces no external data transfers.
Can Disable Comments break after updates?
Yes, that can happen, especially on older sites with many plugins. This usually happens when the plugin, theme, and add-ons are updated out of sequence. In most cases, testing on staging catches the issue before it reaches the live site. From experience, backups and changelog reviews save a lot of cleanup time.
What should I check before installing Disable Comments?
Start by checking whether another plugin already does the same job. In most cases, overlap is what creates avoidable conflicts and performance issues. A common issue is installing a plugin because it looks convenient without checking the stack first. From experience, a short compatibility review avoids most of the pain later.