The number of site visitors and comments on your website are the true indicators if your website is working its magic or not. But, then there is also a menace related to this one- SPAM. Huge traffic also means being spammed by automated spam bots and even several users. This spamming further tends to lower your site’s SEO score. On a highly-engaged and popular website, the number of spam comments could go as high as 85%. This totals the conclusion that out of every 100 comments, only 15 are legitimate. And if you have been looking for a solution to this, keep reading on. Because in this blog post, we will discuss the best WordPress Akismet Anti-Spam Plugin in the market i.e. Akismet. Offered by Automattic, this is the best spam fighter around the block and a must try too.
How Akismet Works
Users need an API key to use Akismet which is free for individual and non-commercial websites. This Plugin uploads all incoming comments to its server which go through several anti-spam algorithms. The right ones are published and the rest are sent to the spam queue. If the plugin fails to decide if a particular comment is spam or not, it goes to the moderation queue. False positives can be verified via detailed data insights available with the paid version of this plugin. The Akismet Anti-Spam Plugin comes integrated with Jetpack and Contact Form 7 to offer maximum functionality.
Its major features are:
- The Akismet plugin directly checks for all comments and filters out the ones which look like spam.
- On the other hand, URLs can be shown in the comment body in order to reveal hidden or misleading links.
- You can see a number of approved comments for each user.
- This by default feature outright blocks the worst spam and even can save you disk space and speed up your site.
Also Read: Best 6 Featured Plugins for WordPress
Setting up Akismet
By default, WordPress installs Akismet Anti-Spam Plugin on every WordPress site and it simply needs to be activated. However, if you are manually setting up your site, do the following:
Now go to the Dashboard of your WordPress site, then click on Plugins > Add New > Search for Akismet > Install
- Now when Akismet is installed, click the option to Activate it. The Akismet plugin needs an API key to get activated.
Also Read: Ways that proves Akismet is the Best Spam Plugin for WordPress
How to Get API Key for Akismet
- Go to Installed Plugins in your Dashboard and select Activate under the Akismet Plugin.
- A large green bar saying ‘Activate your Akismet account’ will appear. Click on it.
- Now, go to the settings area of Akismet. Click on the button ‘Get Your API Key’.
- Now, you will be redirected to the Akismet plans and pricing page. Choose the one that precisely suits you.
- A box asking for a WordPress.com account setup will appear.
- Create an account. Click ‘Sign Up’ to move ahead.
- (If you have a WordPress.com Account, sign into your account.)
- You will be redirected to the Akismet Pricing plan page. Choose a subscription as per your requirement.
- If you go for the personal site’s basic plan, simply sign up. By default, it will display $36 for the basic version. However, if you don’t want to pay right now, you can simply slide the bar toward the 0$ scale.
- Complete your registration by entering your first and last name.
- Finally, you will find your new API Key in a new popup that will appear in the new window.
- Copy the Key and go back to your site dashboard’s Akismet settings area and paste and save your API Key.
- Now, your plugin has been successfully activated.
Akismet Stats
You can see an overview of Akismet Anti-Spam Plugin Stats after logging in to your WordPress website. The overview will show you the number of Spam comments held by Akismet, and how the number in the spam queue right at that time. However, for a detailed view of stats, you can navigate through the Dashboard » Akismet Stats menu item. You can also use an Akismet Widget if you want to display the number of spam comments.
Now, Set up Akismet Anti-Spam Plugin on your website, get an Akismet API Key, and learn why Akismet will help you combat your spam woes. For questions and feedback please leave a comment below.
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