Block spam comments and register virtual users in WordPress - The problem with spam comments and fake user registration has exploded to the point where many leading websites have decided to close the comments.
This is really an alarming thing for writing websites and the internet in general. The big website decided to close comments and stated that it would be better without them.
Although constructive comments increase the value of the website, the real problem is filtering out spam comments and fake user registration. It takes a lot of time and effort to go through each of them if you just want to approve good comments.
There are many effective ways to control, or at least minimize, spam comments and fake user registrations.
How to control spam comments in WordPress with plugins
First of all, if you have a lot of spam comments, you will need to delete them. Go to the WP admin panel -> Comments. At the screen option, comments are set to 999. Select all of them and then move them to the trash.
When you're done cleaning, the next step is to filter and then keep the new comments there
Probably spam.
Go to the admin panel-> Settings-> Discuss, in the Comment Moderation section, you'll find the statement: Keep the comment in the queue if it contains 1 or more links. Guaranteed value is 1. Spammers often add links to comments.
The next step is to identify the keywords or phrases used by most spammers and then add them to the blacklist. For example, keywords, like boots, drugs, poker, software, buy, rent, real estate, casinos, insurance, betting, etc., are the most spammed words. You add keywords to the list to mark as spam.
This will make life a lot easier, because all comments containing keywords in the blacklist will be converted to spam at the admin panel-> Comment. You clean them up with just one click.
The easiest way to block comments created by bots is to add a CAPTCHA mechanism that appears when submitting comments. Bots have no way around the CAPTCHA, nor will it encourage manual spammers. The most popular plugin that does it is the SI Anti-Spam Plugin or the Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin.
In addition, you should configure Akismet, the integrated plugin that comes with all current WordPress installations. The plugin is free to use on a personal website, but you will need to purchase it for commercial use. Akismet is undoubtedly the most effective way to fight spam. To activate Akismet, visit the Administration Console-> Plugins-> Activate Akismet. Then, click on install and configure the API key.
See more: How to back up the Website
Use a web-based commenting service to control spam
Another way to control spam is to use a web-based commenting service like Facebook, Disqus or LiveFyre. These services help control spam, but that doesn't mean they are an effective solution. Some spammers have improved their tactics, they know how around the service, and their comments are automatically approved. If you want to take some time to know who is commenting, these services are very helpful because many genuine comments are given by people with real IDs.
If you are willing to compromise a bit about website loading speed, then using a third-party comment system is good enough to use.
Back in 2012, Pingdom conducted research at a website running WordPress with and without comment services from this third party. The results show that website loading time is slightly affected when using Disqus, LiveFyre, Facebook or other sites.
How to stop registering bot users
If you have a WordPress website that agrees to register users, then chances are you already have a few registered users with odd email addresses.
WordPress spam users
These users are nothing but bots. These are quite difficult issues with the WordPress website where registration is open. Fortunately, there are plugins available to control this problem. We suggest you do the following:
- Add the CAPTCHA to the registration form.
- Limit login attempts.
- IP blacklist.
- Change the default registration URL to something else.
You can use the Saber plugin, Wanguard or custom registration link, to perform the necessary security steps. Even so, our personal favorite is Wordfence. It allows you to restrict login attempts, automatically expire user logins, block IPs by value, entire country or more.
Conclude
If you do not control spam comments and bot users, then it will become a big problem and eventually destroy the website. If you have a lot of spam comments with external links, then the website is likely caught up in Google updates. Similarly, there are many bot users who will increase the size of your database and slow your website down, you don't know what is causing the problem.
The best way to avoid these problems is to establish security before it becomes such a big problem.
See more at: 9 Steps to Creating a Free Sales Website without spending a penny.
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