Title: Comments Issue Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # Comments Issue * [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/) * I have comments disabled in my options, but every now and then, a spammer tries to comment. I get an email notifying me of the comment, and besides the content being spam, I know it’s a fake comment because the post to which they commented doesn’t even have the comment link. I do have comment.php in my themes; will removing it from any themes work, and will it be enough? Thank you. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282270) * Will it be enough? Only until the spammers find another way…. but yes, removing both comments.php and comments-popup.php will prevent some of that sort of abuse. * Someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe you can also take out of the root of the install the following files: wp-comments-post.php, and wp-commentsrss2. php. * And this assumes that you are running the current version…. * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282274) * Thanks! And yes, it’s the current version. * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282275) * If removing the last two files from the root borks something, just put them back– meaning back them up somewhere! * [Ajay](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ajay/) * (@ajay) * [20 years, 7 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282285) * If you want comments disabled totally then I guess deleting those files will help. * However, if you are really interested in preventing/reducing spam you might want to take a look at my post [Protecting your blog from spam](http://ajaydsouza.wordpress.com/2005/10/02/protecting-your-blog-from-spam/) * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282687) * I’m going to try Bad Behavior, but I’ve already removed the files mentioned, and I’m still getting notices of comments being posted. They don’t actually get published to my blog, but it’s just annoying to have to deal with them at all. * I’m so sick of spam in all forms, in email and wherever. You add a spam filter, and the next thing you know, you spend so much time adding addresses to it, it becomes just as much of a pain as the spam itself. Plus, spam still gets through, and if you have a filter set up like I do at one of my addresses, where only those in the address book get through, you still have to check the “potential spam” to make sure nothing valid got stuck in there, so it defeats the purpose. * Sorry, just a bit of a rant. * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282688) * If you have deleted `wp-comments-post.php` and are still receiving “spam comments”, then your are actually receiving spam trackbacks, not comments. You would have to delete the `wp-trackbacks.php` file too. * Personally, I wouldn’t delete either one of them, and I wouldn’t go through the trouble of constantly adding addresses to a blacklist. Just let an anti-spam plugin such as Bad Behavior or Akismet handle the spam fighting for you. * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Spam_Tools](http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins/Spam_Tools) * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Combating_Comment_Spam](http://codex.wordpress.org/Combating_Comment_Spam) * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282691) * Well, I prefer not to delete wp-trackbacks.php, and I’ve installed Bad Behavior on my site, so we’ll see what happens. If I don’t have problems, I’ll probably put the comments files back as well…I like having the option to include comments if I so choose. Thanks! * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282692) * Ok, so I’ve got Bad Behavior installed, and I did hear from the creator, and it appears to be working correctly. Except…I’m still getting notices to moderate posts (which are nothing more than someone posting a title and usually just a couple of words like a drug name or something). So, is my only choice to disable trackbacks and remove the wp-trackbacks.php file? * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282693) * No, you can fight them with the Comment Blacklist, at least that’s what I do. The blacklist instantly deletes matching posts, unlike the moderation list. Or, you could back-up Bad Behavior up with a plugin like Akismet or Spam Karma. * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282694) * I really hate the idea of having to keep a blacklist, because adding to it takes more time I don’t have. Is there something I could put in there that would eliminate all comments? I have comments disabled, so it seems I shouldn’t be getting any comments to moderate, anyway. * Edit: Actually, I came up with an idea that might work. It’s not foolproof, but there’s more stuff I can do if need be. I’ll see what happens. * Moderator [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/) * (@macmanx) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282695) * Yeah, you’re getting trackbacks, not comments. Again, you could delete `wp-trackbacks. php`. That, combine with deleting `wp-comments-post.php` would cripple your blog’s comment and trackback system. You would get absolutely nothing. You wouldn’t need Bad Behavior, because you blog would receive no comments and no trackbacks. If that’s what you want, fine. But, it would be better to leave comments and trackbacks active so they can be used by legitimate people, and run Bad Behavior combined with a Blacklist, or another plugin like Akismet or Spam Karma, to keep the spam away. * Thread Starter [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * (@amulet) * [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282696) * I only want trackbacks, not comments. If my idea doesn’t work, I will definitely try another plugin. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘Comments Issue’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 12 replies * 4 participants * Last reply from: [amulet](https://wordpress.org/support/users/amulet/) * Last activity: [20 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/comments-issue-1/#post-282696) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics