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WordPress.com Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Going On

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Hugh W. Roberts

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WordPress.com Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Going On

Are you having problems leaving comments on WordPress.com blogs?

If so, I’ve reported two problems I’ve had today when trying to leave comments on blogs.

Details of the problems.

When I try to leave a comment, I get the issue shown in the image below.

A screenshot of a website comment section under the heading "Leave a Reply." Inside a bordered text field, an error message reads, "This block has encountered an error and cannot be previewed." At the bottom left, a profile photo of Hugh W. Roberts appears next to his name and a "Log out" link, with a dark "Comment" button in the bottom right corner.

When clicking in the comments box, the error message ‘This block has encountered an error and cannot be previewed,’ prevents me from being able to type anything.

Thankfully, the WordPress Engineer I spoke with was able to reproduce the same error.

The problem does not occur when leaving a comment via the WordPress Reader, as long as I don’t click the post title and open it in a new window.

This is what the engineer told me.

A screenshot of two support chat bubbles. The top message states that the support agent reproduced a comment error across multiple blogs using their own WordPress.com account, confirming it is not limited to the user's account. The bottom message explains that the comment editor encounters an error before accepting comments and that the issue is being escalated to developers for further investigation.

The other problem I started encountering recently when trying to leave a comment is being asked to sign in when I am already signed in.

A screenshot of a blog comment section under the heading "Add your thoughts or join the discussion. One relevant link is OK, more require moderation." Inside the bordered input field, an error message states, "This block has encountered an error and cannot be previewed." At the bottom, a default user avatar appears next to a red link prompt reading "Add your name," with a black "COMMENT" button in the bottom right corner.

As you will see in the above image, I’m being asked to ‘Add my name.’

When I click on the ‘Add your name’ box, another box opens asking me if I want to log in using my WordPress account or log in as a guest.

Since I am already logged in, the engineer told me this shouldn’t be happening either.

A screenshot of a support chat message bubble from a "Happiness Engineer". The text advises that repeated sign-in prompts might indicate a separate issue with the comment form recognizing the user's login, suggesting it can be investigated separately once the main comment issue is resolved.

They’re investigating both issues and will get back to me. Once they do, I’ll update this post with details.

These problems may not be affecting all WordPress users, but since WordPress was able to reproduce them, I wanted to let you know help is underway if you’re affected.

Update: I’m delighted to say that WordPress have been in touch and has resolved the first problem. Click here to get an update on the second problem.

A screenshot of a support message addressed to Hugh, thanking him for reporting the issue. The text explains that a recent update to a component in the new comment editor broke the comment box, but confirms that the bug has been fixed and additional tests and fallbacks have been added to prevent future occurrences. It concludes by asking for feedback on the new comment box.

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51 responses to “WordPress.com Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Going On”

  1. thomasstigwikman avatar
    thomasstigwikman

    I’ve seen the same problems. After several months having no problems with comments the comment issues started reappearing. Thank you for this information.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      You’re welcome. I’ll publish another update today.

      Reply
  2. November Writer’s Tips – WordPress Comment Problems, #Publishing and Book Club #Scams, #Writing Prompts – DGKayewriter.com avatar
    November Writer’s Tips – WordPress Comment Problems, #Publishing and Book Club #Scams, #Writing Prompts – DGKayewriter.com

    […] WordPress.com Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Going On […]

    Reply
  3. WordPress Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Still Going On avatar
    WordPress Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Still Going On

    […] you read my recent post ‘WordPress.Com Comment Problems? Here’s What’s Going On,’ I outlined two problems which many WordPress users were having when attempting to leave […]

    Reply
  4. BookerTalk avatar
    BookerTalk

    It’s so irritating being asked to sign in to leave a comment when I am already signed in. I hope WP can fix this soon.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m on the case with them about this problem. I’ll have an update soon.

      Reply
      1. BookerTalk avatar
        BookerTalk

        Thanks for taking this up on our behalf Hugh.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          You’re welcome. My post with all the updated details is about to go live.

          Reply
  5. dgkaye avatar
    dgkaye

    Very timely post Hugh. This week in particular has been extremely annoying with having to log in EVERY blog I was reading. As a matter a fact it’s asking me here on your blog too. :)

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Is it asking you to log on every time you want to read a post, or only when you want to leave a comment, Debby?

      Reply
      1. dgkaye avatar
        dgkaye

        Only when I want to comment.

        Reply
  6. Kay Castaneda avatar
    Kay Castaneda

    Hi Hugh, I’m so happy that you wrote about this today! I’ve been having the same problems leaving comments for about a year now. It started out on just one blog. Now it’s happening on others. Whenever I go to a blog from my email, I’m unable to leave a reply. I get various messages such as “This blog does not allow comments” or “You must sign in to reply to this blog.” Many times I can go straight to a blog and leave a comment with no problem. Another problem is my comments disappear sometimes. The blog owner never receives anything from me. Or if my comment gets posted, I show up as Anonymous! The other day, I wrote a thoughtful comment on someone’s post. The topic was about how some authors get censored by Amazon. I couldn’t leave a reply until I filled in my name and blog address, but my info has been there for several years. My comment didn’t show up on the other side. I called WP “dirty names” last week. My husband asked me who I was talking to in my office if nobody else was there except me. WP-the king of blogging! The blogging mafia! Those were a few of the mild things I said.

    Do I have to log in to Word Press, go to Reader and then search for my favorite blogs? I didn’t know other people had the same problem. It’s the same issue on Facebook. If I come across a person I know and open their post, the post says Read more on the blog. I click on that and read. But I can’t reply. By the way, I’m reading your post today from my email notification. Hope I made myself clear. Thanks. 😊

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Hi Kay,

      Is your blog self-hosted or a WordPress.Com blog?

      The problems I recently encountered only began on the day I published this post. I’ve not encountered any of the problems you have outlined that you have been having, although I have had to start signing into WordPress again the majority of the time I leave a comment on another blog. However, it’s not a big problem; it’s more about remembering to sign in.

      There are many reasons why these problems can occur. The main one is if a blog’s theme has been retired by WordPress. Although users can continue to use retired themes without problems, any issues or bugs that do arise won’t be fixed because WordPress no longer supports the theme. The only solution is to switch your blog to a supported theme. I did this earlier in the year and published some posts about my experience. It was much easier to do than I thought.

      Regarding missing comments, your comments may have gone to spam, and unless the blogger you left them for checks their spam folder, they won’t show up. It’s worth asking whoever you sent the comment to to check their spam folder. Before leaving a comment, I recommend checking that the comment box says you are logged into WordPress. Another recommendation is to copy your comment before pressing the comment button, just in case it goes missing; then you can paste it back into the comments box.

      All the blogs you follow will show on the WordPress Reader whenever they publish a post. I had no problem leaving comments via the reader while WordPress fixed the commenting issue I had last week.

      I hope this helps, Kay, but please don’t hesitate to ask any further questions.

      Reply
  7. Smitha V avatar
    Smitha V

    Hi Hugh, Thank you for sharing this. I encounter this error on some blogs that I try commenting on.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Is it still happening? It shouldn’t be, as WordPress fixed the bug very quickly. However, I still have to sign in to WordPress most of the time when I want to leave a comment on another blog. It’s not a huge problem, just a matter of remembering to sign in.

      Reply
      1. Smitha V avatar
        Smitha V

        Yes, it’s asking me to sign in before I comment.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Next time I speak with WordPress, I’ll inform them that the problem is back.

          Reply
          1. Smitha V avatar
            Smitha V

            Thank you, Hugh

            Reply
  8. Urspo avatar
    Urspo

    I should remember if WordPress is at shenanigans I should stop by your place first to see if you know the matter.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m always on the case with WordPress bugs. They were very helpful and sorted it within a few hours of my post going live.

      Reply
  9. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
    Liesbet @ Roaming About

    I haven’t had any of these problems, Hugh, but I have been a bit annoyed with the comment box ever since WordPress changed it into the “block version” like in our blog posts.

    My biggest issue is that I can’t copy and paste the multiple paragraph comment anymore, since all the program allows is to copy one paragraph at a time. I’ve had this issue for years already and try to deal with it.

    Why does this matter? – I’m often in areas where the Internet is not great and sometimes, the connection drops and I lose everything I just typed. So, I always copy my comments before posting them, so I can reproduce them if necessary.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Hi Liesbet, WordPress users can disable Blocks in their blog’s comments box from their dashboard settings. However, the host must disable this setting on their blog. I know some bloggers who still use the Classic editor and have turned off the block setting. I included details in a post a few years ago, but unless you know it can be done, you won’t know how to do it.

      Like you, I often copy what I’m writing in a comment box, just in case something goes wrong. However, unlike you, I can copy and paste multiple paragraphs. The only thing I can suggest is to write your comment in a Word document and copy and paste it into the comments box. I know that takes time, but it’s just a suggestion, and you may have already considered it.

      This morning, I woke up to an email from WordPress about the new comment box they have launched that matches your blog’s theme. I haven’t tested it yet, but I plan to. However, it may not apply to self-hosted blogs.

      Reply
      1. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
        Liesbet @ Roaming About

        Thanks for those details, dear Hugh!! Have a great Sunday.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          You’re very welcome, Liesbet.

          You too have a great Sunday and a lovely week ahead.

          Reply
  10. Linda Schaub avatar
    Linda Schaub

    I’ve not encountered this problem Hugh. I only access WordPress on my laptop using Reader, but occasionally, I will go to press “Send” and I get the dreaded “Duplicate comment – you already said that!” Knowing full well I didn’t press “Send”, I will go to my actual blog site and there it is … the comment is sitting there. Hmm. It doesn’t happen often, maybe once a couple of times a month.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’ve encountered that same problem, but not for a very long time now, Linda.

      Reply
      1. Linda Schaub avatar
        Linda Schaub

        It is a bit bizarre isn’t it? It’s not happened to me recently thankfully.

        Reply

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