WordPress stores whether comments are open or closed for each post or page. Closing comments prevents new submissions for that content. It does not automatically delete comments already approved, pending, spammed, or trashed.
Post or Page settings
Open the editor sidebar, expand Discussion, and turn off the option that allows comments.
Quick Edit
Change the Allow Comments setting directly from the Posts or Pages list without opening the full editor.
Bulk Edit
Select multiple posts or pages and change their comment status together.
Method 1: Disable comments in the block editor
Open the post or page
Go to Posts > All Posts or Pages > All Pages, then edit the content that should stop accepting comments.
Open the settings sidebar
Select the Settings button in the upper-right corner when the sidebar is hidden. Make sure the Post or Page tab is active rather than the settings for an individual block.
Open Discussion
Expand the Discussion panel. Depending on the WordPress version and editor configuration, the control may be labeled Allow comments or represented as an open/closed comment setting.
Turn comments off
Disable the option that allows comments. Leave pingback or trackback settings unchanged unless those should also be disabled.
Save the content
Select Update, Save, or Publish, then open the public page while logged out and confirm that the comment form is gone.
Method 2: Use Quick Edit
- Open the content list. Go to Posts or Pages.
- Find the item. Hover over its title and select Quick Edit.
- Find Allow Comments. Clear the checkbox to close comments for that item.
- Select Update. The setting is saved without opening the full editor.
Quick Edit is especially useful when a published article must be closed immediately or when the editor’s Discussion panel is difficult to locate.
Method 3: Disable comments on several posts or pages
- Select the checkboxes beside the posts or pages that need the same setting.
- Choose Edit from Bulk actions and select Apply.
- Change the Comments option to Do not allow or the equivalent closed setting.
- Select Update.
- Open a sample of the changed items publicly to verify the result.
Posts and pages are managed on separate administration screens, so repeat the bulk process for each post type that needs updating.
Historical classic-editor instructions
What happens to existing comments?
Closing comments
Stops new comment submissions for the selected post or page. Existing approved comments may continue to appear below the content.
Trashing comments
Removes selected comments from normal public display and places them in Trash until they are restored or permanently deleted.
Marking comments as spam
Moves suspicious submissions into the Spam view for review or deletion.
Hiding all comment output
May require deleting existing comments, adjusting the theme’s Comments template, or changing the relevant block template—depending on the intended result.
Manage existing comments
Open Comments in the WordPress administration area. From there, comments can be approved, replied to, edited, marked as spam, or moved to Trash. Closing the post and moderating existing comments are separate operations.
Per-content setting versus site-wide defaults
| Control | What it changes | What it does not automatically change |
|---|---|---|
| Editor Discussion setting | One specific post or page. | Other content or the default for future posts. |
| Quick Edit | One existing item from the list screen. | Existing comments or other posts. |
| Bulk Edit | The selected existing posts or pages. | Future content not included in the selection. |
| Settings > Discussion | The default comment behavior for new articles. | Older posts or pages that already have comments open. |
The global setting Allow people to submit comments on new posts establishes a default for newly created content. Individual posts can override that default, and older content may remain open until it is edited or bulk-updated.
When the comment form still appears
A maintained theme should check the post’s comment status before displaying a submission form. If the form remains active after comments are closed, test the content with a current default theme in staging and inspect the custom theme or plugin.
<?php
if ( comments_open() || get_comments_number() ) {
comments_template();
}
?>This common pattern allows a theme to display the comments area when new comments are open or when existing comments need to remain visible. Do not add it blindly to a block theme or a theme that already manages comments elsewhere.
Block-theme comment templates
Block themes may display comments through Comments, Comment Query Loop, and Post Comments Form blocks in the Single or Page template. Closing comments controls whether new submissions are accepted, while the template determines which existing comment elements remain visible.
Before deleting blocks from a template, decide whether the change should affect one item, one post type, or every post using that template. A template edit is broader than the per-post Discussion setting.
Comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks are separate
The Discussion controls may include options for comments and for pingbacks or trackbacks. Disabling comments does not necessarily disable incoming link notifications. Clear both options only when both behaviors should stop.
Troubleshooting
The Discussion panel is missing
Open editor settings or preferences and enable the panel. Also confirm that the current user can edit the post and that the selected post type supports comments.
Quick Edit has no Allow Comments option
Verify that the content type supports comments and that a plugin or custom administration screen has not changed the Quick Edit fields.
The public form is still visible after updating
Clear page caches, CDN caches, and full-page optimization caches. Test while logged out. If the form still accepts submissions, review the theme or plugin because WordPress’s comment status should be respected.
The form disappeared, but existing comments remain
This is expected when comments are closed. Moderate or remove existing comments separately, or adjust the template only when the goal is to hide the entire discussion.
New posts keep opening comments automatically
Review Settings > Discussion. That screen controls the default for newly created articles, while individual items can override it.
A product review or custom post discussion remains open
Ecommerce, membership, learning, directory, and custom post type plugins may manage reviews or comments through their own settings. Review the plugin documentation before changing templates or database values.
Verify the change
Logged-out view
Open the public URL in a private window and confirm that no new-comment form is available.
Existing comments
Confirm whether approved comments should remain visible and whether pending or spam comments need moderation.
Cache behavior
Check uncached responses and purge only the necessary page, plugin, host, or CDN caches.
Responsive layout
Ensure removing the form does not leave excessive blank space, broken separators, or an empty heading.
Accessibility
If a closed-comments message remains, make sure it is understandable and not announced as an interactive form.
Related systems
Check reviews, memberships, notifications, feeds, and moderation workflows that may depend on comments.
What changed from the original 2014 tutorial
The original guide instructed readers to edit the post or page, scroll to the Discussion pane, clear its checkboxes, enable Discussion through Screen Options if necessary, and publish or update. Those steps and both screenshots are preserved, with current block-editor, Quick Edit, Bulk Edit, existing-comment, global-default, theme, cache, and troubleshooting guidance added.
Article status
Archived discussion
The original page contained an inactive reply form. It has been removed so visitors are not asked to submit personal information to an obsolete endpoint.