Have you noticed the new feature WordPress has added to your blog’s dashboard? It’s located on the ‘My Home‘ page in the top right corner.
But what does this new feature do?
This new ‘settings’ feature is easy to use. But what does it do?
For this post, I’m using an Apple iMac desktop computer and the ‘Default‘ view setting of my blog’s dashboard.
You’ll find this new feature on the ‘My Home’ page of your blog’s dashboard
Let’s get started
Click on the meatball menu (three horizontal dots) to open a new menu.
Click the kebab menu to open a new menu
The menu contains two options – Settings and Manage Domains.
Let’s take a look at the two options
Settings – this option takes you to the General Settings page of your blog.
You can make many changes to your blog on this page, including your blog’s icon (photo or image), name, and tagline.
Edit your blog’s icon, title and tagline
Click the ‘Save Settings‘ button if you make any changes.
On the same page, you can also create a logo for your blog via Fiverr logo maker (note that there is a charge for this) and set/change your blog’s primary language and timezone. Remember to save any changes you make.
Another option includes setting privacy settings for your blog.
Privacy – This is where you can set your blog to public viewing (anyone can view it) or private viewing (only visible to you and logged-in members you have approved to view it). There is also a ‘Coming Soon‘ option, so your blog is hidden from view until it’s ready for viewing.
Set privacy settings for your blog
Two other options are also available.
If ticked, the ‘Discourage search engines from indexing this site‘ option will prevent search engines from indexing your blog, but note that it is up to search engines to honour your request.
The ‘Prevent third-party sharing‘ option should be ticked if you want to restrict your blog’s content from AI training and third-party use. It will exclude your blog’s public content from WordPress’s network of third-party content and research partners. It also adds known AI bots to the ‘disallow’ list in your blog’s robots.txt file to stop them from crawling your site, though it is up to AI platforms to honour this request.
Click the ‘Save Settings‘ button if you make any changes.
Other settings include –
Accept a gift subscription – turn this setting on to accept gift subscriptions from visitors to your blog.
Footer credit: Here, you can choose or edit a footer credit that appears at the bottom of your blog’s pages and posts.
Site tools – this section allows you to do the following.
Register a new domain or change your blog’s URL address.
Transfer your blog to another blogging provider.
You can reset your blog and start afresh while keeping the same domain/blog name. (If you choose this option, all your posts, pages, and media will be deleted).
Delete your blog and give up your blog’s domain/address.
2. Manage Domains — This option takes you to the part of your blog where you can manage your blog’s domains.
It’s worth checking this page to see what domains you have and to see offers for other domains you may be interested in purchasing for your blog.
While you may not visit your blog’s settings page regularly, it’s worth knowing that there is now an even quicker way to find these settings.
Have you noticed the new style comment box on WordPress?
In line with the Block editor, WordPress has rolled out a new cool comment box on most WordPress blogs. While I’m writing this post, I still see a few blogs with the old-style comments box, but I’m confident all WordPress blogs will soon display the block-style comment box.
The new style comments box appears on blog posts, but not when you add your comment via the comments box on the WordPress Reader.
This new comments box can do more than just leave comments
For the purpose of this post, I’m using an iMac desktop computer.
Here is a breakdown of what users can do when leaving comments on blogs with the new block-style comment box.
What does it look like?
This is what the new style comment box looks like.
WordPress Block Style Comments Box
It looks very simple, doesn’t it? And it is very easy to use. Your Gravatar image appears in the bottom left corner.
The comments box looks like this as soon you click in the box.
Click inside the box to start typing your comment.
Notice the difference? A toolbar has opened along the top, and an ‘+‘ icon has appeared inside the comments box. Let’s examine what they do. I’ve numbered some icons in the following image.
Features of the toolbar
Block being used.
Aline text
Bold
Italic
Pingback link
1 – This is the type of block being used when commenting. It will always be the Paragraph block by default, but you can switch to the List or Quote block by clicking on it. If you change it to the List or Quote block, a new toolbar will appear.
2 – Use this icon to align text to the left, right or centre.
3 – Use this icon to make the text bold.
4 – Use this icon to make the text italic.
5 – Use this icon to create a pingback.
Most readers only use text when leaving comments and they will never feel the need to align it or make it bold. However, many bloggers want more.
You can now insert other blocks into the comments box by clicking the ‘+‘ icon. For example, you can now easily insert an image in your comment by clicking the ‘+‘ icon and choosing the Image block.
Copy and paste the URL address of the image you want to add.
How cool is that? (not the photo of me, but the fact that I can add an image to the comments). This is especially good for participating in photography challenges without creating a blog post or when explaining something where including an image or screenshot helps.
I want to mention that you can create pingbacks in your comments. Pingbacks are powerful and can help boost visitors to your blog. We could already add pingbacks when using the Classic view on our blog’s dashboard but we can now finally do it using the Default view.
Before submitting your comment, remember to click the small settings cog next to your Gravatar photo to open a new menu. Why?
Click the settings cog next to your Gravatar picture for a new menu.
Not only will the menu that opens confirm if you are logged into WordPress, but you can also sign up to receive web and mobile notifications for posts on the blog you are leaving your comment on, get email notifications of new posts, and receive email notifications of any new comments left on the post (including a response to your comment from the blog host).
Press the ‘Comment‘ box to submit your comment.
Is this true?
I’ve heard that some bloggers are threatening to stop leaving comments or are thinking of leaving WordPress because of the introduction of the new block-style comment box.
Given that the bare minimum somebody has to do to leave a comment is to type their comment into the box, I find it hard to believe that people are threatening to stop leaving comments or leaving WordPress because of the introduction of this new comments box. If you are, please reconsider your decision.
The new block-style comments box is not hard to use; it’s just a little different!
Update
Users can now disable blocks in comments. Go to Settings – Discussions, and in the ‘Comments‘ section of the page, turn off ‘Enable blocks in comments.’ Remember to save the change.
WordPress’s new comments box style is a refreshing update that enhances the user experience. Its modern and intuitive design makes interacting with comments more enjoyable. If you have any questions about it, feel free to leave them in the comments section. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
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WordPress constantly changes; some things keep changing and return to where they were before. That’s why I’ve updated and am republishing this post from July 2023.
This is where to find the ‘Open in new tab’ box on WordPress.
If, like me, when you create a pingback, you prefer links to open in a new window rather than in the same window you’re viewing (thus losing the page), it’s vital that you tick the ‘open in new tab‘ box when adding links or pingbacks to a blog post.
The ‘open in new tab‘ box used to be visible when creating a pingback but has reverted to being hidden again. I don’t know why, but I wanted to show you where to find it.
I came across some comments recently where somebody asked how to create a pingback to the post they were leaving their comment on. The blog host didn’t know. It got me thinking that I should do an updated post on what pingbacks are and how to create them.
Pingbacks are a powerful blogging tool. Don’t miss out on not using them.
What are pingbacks?
A pingback is a type of notification that allows you to inform another blogger that you have linked to a post or article on their blog or website. This notification is typically automated and serves as a way to establish connections between different blogs or websites. Sometimes, pingbacks are also referred to as trackbacks.
If the other blogger has a pingback-enabled website or blog, then they can see a notification that you have linked to their article. They can then choose to allow your link to appear in the comments section of their blog post.
This may drive traffic to your blog when readers click on the pingback notification link.
Click the pingback link that pops up in the toolbar.
In the URL box, enter the URL address of the blog post you’re linking to, or if it’s one of your own posts, search for the post.
Choose the post you’re linking to.
Finally, and most importantly, tick the box next to the ‘open in new tab‘ box.
Tick the ‘Open in new tab’ box.
Ticking the ‘open in new tab’ option guarantees that when users click the pingback link, the linked post will open in a new tab or page. This feature effectively retains users on the current page, allowing them to easily return to your post to leave a comment or engage with the content.
Not selecting the “open in new tab” option could result in missed opportunities for comments and likes.
Your pingback has been created and will be highlighted in the post.
Tip – You can also highlight the pingback by making the text bold. To do this, highlight the text and click ‘B‘ (bold button in the toolbar).
Before publishing your post, preview it first and make sure the pingback works. Does it go to the right location? If not, delete the URL and insert the correct one.
Once you are happy that your pingback is working, publish the post.
Pingbacks should be exclusively directed toward blog posts and websites relevant to the subject of the post you are sharing or where you have been specifically invited to link.
Never create a pingback to a post that has no connection with the subject of your post.
Should I ask first before creating a pingback to another blogger’s post?
It’s always nice to ask first, but you’re good to go if the blogger has enabled pingbacks. And if you know the blogger well, there is no need to ask. But it’s best to ask if it’s your first time linking to one of their posts.
However, there’s no guarantee that your pingback requests will get the thumbs up. I receive pingback approval requests every day, and I won’t approve any that seem spammy or are completely unrelated to the post they’re trying to link to.
Are there any advantages of having pingbacks on your blog posts?
Yes. Here are a few advantages.
Creates traffic to your blog.
SEO-friendly.
Search engine optimizations (SEOs) such as Google and Bing rank blog posts that include pingbacks higher.
Bloggers may link back to one of your blog posts.
Great for promoting older blog posts you have published that some of your followers may not have read.
Caution—It is crucial to refrain from creating a pingback to a blog or website’s home page. This practice is discouraged because it fails to notify the blogger whose post you are referencing.
Do pingbacks attract spam?
Some experts recommend not allowing any pingbacks or trackbacks to a blog because they attract spam. However, by moderating all pingback notifications, you can prevent any spam pingbacks from appearing in the comments section of your blog posts.
Good news from WordPress about spam comments
After an update in 2023, the WordPress anti-spam software has dramatically strengthened its ability to intercept spam. Consequently, there has been a significant decrease in the volume of visible spam comments reaching blogs. Previously, hundreds of spam comments inundated my blog on a daily basis. However, following the update, I only encounter one or two weekly.
Where possible, try and include at least one pingback in every blog post you publish.
You can use a mixture of pingbacks to your posts and those of other bloggers.
Are there any problems with allowing pingbacks on your blog?
None that I am aware of.
An invitation to create a pingback
If you’ve never created a pingback before, try creating one for this post. I’ll be happy to let you know if it works and include it in the comments section.
If you encounter any problems creating a pingback, don’t hesitate to ask me for some help.
Summary: The Power of Pingbacks and How to Create Them
This guide explains pingbacks, how to create them, and the best practices to follow.
This guide covers everything from creating a pingback to the benefits, staying safe from spam comments, and recent anti-spam updates from WordPress.
This post also encourages readers to use pingbacks and shares my positive experience. It’s helpful for new and experienced bloggers, giving them the knowledge and confidence to use pingbacks effectively.
In the busy blogging world, pingbacks are important for connecting and getting more site visitors.
Pingbacks, sometimes also known as trackbacks, are useful tools for bloggers that let other bloggers know when you link to their posts.
It’s polite to ask first before creating a pingback to another blog unless you know the blogger well or have been invited to link to a post.
Always tick the ‘open in a new tab’ box so that readers do not lose the page they are reading.
Pingbacks do not attract spam.
WordPress anti-spam software now eliminates the majority of visible spam, saving you time in checking for comments that may have been marked as spam by mistake.
Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
I actively utilise pingbacks as part of my content strategy. My experience with using them has been positive, as they help me foster connections with other blogs and websites and enhance engagement. If you have any questions about pingbacks, please leave them in the comments section below, and I’ll be happy to address them.
You wouldn’t leave your doors unlocked if you were the last one to leave the house, would you?
Would you give a stranger the password to your online banking account?
Would you share or give a stranger the password to your blog?
Protecting your blog is just as important as protecting your home and online bank accounts, yet many bloggers share personal details about themselves on their blogs and on social media, which can be a treasure trove for scammers. Be careful what information you share.
Before sharing any information, ask yourself, ‘Would I share this information with a complete stranger?’
Adding this feature will give your blog an extra layer of security.
Although we’re all encouraged to use a strong password to protect our blogs, did you know that many blogging platforms, including WordPress, offer users an extra layer of security when it comes to protecting their blogs?
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to enter a code or use another device in addition to your password. For example, you can use an app like Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator to generate access codes for your blog.
WordPress offers users two-factor authentication security. Follow the guide below to set it up for your WordPress blog. For this example, I’m using an Apple iMac desktop computer.
How to set up two-step authentication for your WordPress blog.
In the top right of your blog, click on your profile picture/avatar.
Click on ‘Security‘ in the menu on the page’s left side.
Click on the ‘Security’ tab.
Select the ‘Two-step Authentication‘ option.
Select Two-Step Authentication
Select which method you would like to receive the two-step passcode generated by WordPress, and click the ‘Get Started‘ button.
Click the ‘Get Started’ button.
Follow the onscreen instructions depending on your selected method to receive the WordPress two-step authentication passcode.
Once enabled, logging into WordPress.com will require you to enter a unique passcode generated by an app on your mobile device or sent via text after adding your username and password.
You will receive an email from WordPress confirming that two-step authentication has been enabled.
You’ll get an email from WordPress confirming that two-step authentication has been set up for your blog.
That’s it! Access to your blog is now protected by an extra layer of security.
I’d recommend adding or checking that the recovery email address and recovery SMS number for your WordPress blog/account are also correct when switching on two-step authentication.
Are you making the most of Two-Step Authentication to safeguard your blog? Need guidance on setting it up? Share your best practices for securing your blog in the comments below.
This is my tenth December in the blogging world, and it’s shaping up to be just as wonderful as the rest. However, December in the blogging world differs from any other time of the year. Why? Read on for more details.
Help and improve your blog while it’s quiet in the blogging world.
I see a familiar path. As the days in December tick by, the blogging world gets quieter and quieter.
I’ve already had the privilege of witnessing bloggers bidding farewell to their blogs and followers for Christmas, joyously extending their warm wishes to their readers for a Merry Christmas while eagerly expressing their intention to return promptly in the New Year. Additionally, some have cheerfully shared their anticipated dates for a well-deserved blogging hiatus.
And who can blame them? Blogging is fun, but all bloggers need a break from the blogging world.
However, just because the blogging world gets quiet doesn’t mean you have to stop blogging. Instead, it’s the perfect time of the year to focus on the behind-the-scenes blogging tasks you may have meant to do throughout the year but never quite got around to.
Embrace this opportunity to make progress on all that behind-the-scenes work and watch your efforts flourish in the New Year.
1. Fix broken links.
It can be daunting if you’ve never checked for and fixed broken links on your blog, but don’t be put off doing it.
I use the free version of Brokenlink.com to check and fix broken links on my blog.
Fixing broken links helps improve your blog’s SEO score and reduces spam. Did you know that spammers are likelier to attack blogs containing broken links?
Your readers will also be happier once those broken links are fixed because they won’t be taken to pages and posts that no longer exist. No more ‘404-page not found’ errors!
Top Tip: Don’t try to tackle your list of broken links in one go. Do a few every day. Before you know it, you’ll have smashed it.
2. Update your ‘About’ page.
Every blogger should definitely have an ‘About’ page on their blog! Why, you ask? Well, not only do most readers enjoy getting to know the person behind the blog before deciding to follow, but it also happens to be one of the most visited sections of any blog. So, it’s a win-win situation for bloggers and their readers alike!
It’s just as essential to keep your ‘About’ page updated. When did you last update the ‘About’ page of your blog?
Top Tip: Tell visitors when you last updated your ‘About’ page by inserting the month and year you updated it. For example, mine reads, Meet Hugh – updated November 2023.
3. Behind the scenes, things can get messy, so do some blog housekeeping.
From sorting out the tags and categories on your blog to updating the menu bar, housekeeping your blog is vital to keeping it fit and healthy for the New Year.
Blogs where little or no housekeeping is performed lose more followers and readers than well-maintained blogs. Why would anyone want to follow a poorly maintained blog or website full of broken links? They can also look spammy and unsafe to use.
Prepare your blog for the New Year by performing some housekeeping during December.
Top Tip: Blog housekeeping may seem daunting, but doing a little a day will significantly improve your blog.
4. Explore the Block editor.
Are you still terrified of the Block editor? As the number of bloggers using the Block editor continues to skyrocket, now is the perfect time to explore the Block editor and join all those already using it.
The Block editor isn’t hard to use; it’s just different!
Don’t forget that you can use the Classic editor via the ‘Classic’ Block. When WordPress stops supporting the old Classic editor, it may be the only option available to gain access to the Classic editor, so start using it today rather than panic when the old Classic editor is removed.
Bring your blog into the 21st century by using the Block editor.
Top Tip: Create a free WordPress blog to test out the Block editor. That’s what I’ve done, and it’s helped me greatly.
5. Declutter the blogs you follow.
Following too many blogs is not suitable for your mental health. It can cause some bloggers stress and guilt from being overwhelmed with too many posts they feel obliged to read and comment on. Why follow a blog if you feel obliged to read it and are not interested in its content?
Take control of your time rather than lose it on blogs you rarely read or are not interested in.
Check what blogs you are following by clicking on the ‘Reader‘ button at the top of your blog. Click on ‘Manage‘ (next to ‘Subscriptions‘). You’ll be presented with a list of blogs you are following. Go through them and unfollow the blogs you’re no longer interested in.
Look after your mental health by unsubscribing from blogs that no longer interest you.
Top Tip: Set yourself a limit on how many blogs you follow. When reached, do not follow any more blogs unless you unsubscribe from some first.
6. Choose a new theme for your blog.
December is the perfect time to change the theme of your blog.
If the WordPress theme you are using has been retired, you are likely (or soon will be) having problems with your blog. This can result in being unable to leave comments on other blogs and not being able to draft and publish posts without encountering issues.
Once WordPress retires a theme, it removes support for it. Don’t waste your time trying to find workarounds. Choose a new theme. Old themes make blogs look outdated and unsafe and can cause navigation problems for visitors. SEOs also rank blogs using old, retired themes lower.
To choose a new theme, go to your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance – Themes. You’ll be presented with lots of current themes to choose from. However, do not spend too long choosing one. As soon as you find one you like, go with it.
The current theme I’m using is Toujours. It’s a Classic theme and is still fully supported by WordPress.
Top Tip: To find fully-supported Classic themes, type ‘Classic‘ in the search box of the themes page and click on ‘Classic theme.’ A complete list of classic themes will appear.
7. Delete old blog posts.
Did you know that keeping old, out-of-date posts can damage the health of your blog? These out-of-date posts are often the source of many broken links and errors that attract spammers. SEOs also lower the ranking of blogs that contain out-of-date information.
Top Tip: Deleting old blog posts will also free up memory space in your media library (if those posts contain images or photos). However, you must delete photos and images manually from your media library to free up space.
Conclusion:
Although all the above tips can be performed at any time of the year, make the most of the quietness December brings to the blogging world by performing these tasks.
Remember, doing a little daily goes a long way rather than doing nothing to look after your blog.
December is often a busy time outside blogging, with holidays and festivities. Taking a break from blogging allows you to recharge, relax, and fully immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. It will enable you to step away from the computer and focus on spending quality time with family and friends and doing other fun stuff.
And for those who do not celebrate Christmas, taking a break from blogging while other bloggers do the same will help improve your well-being. Whenever I’ve come back from a blogging break, I’ve come back refreshed and full of new ideas for blog posts.
While taking a blogging break in December is a personal choice, finding a balance that suits your needs and goals is essential. Whether you decide to take a break or continue blogging, make sure to prioritise your well-being and enjoy the holiday season.
Am I planning a blogging break?
Yes. I’m taking a blogging break from December 22nd until January 2nd.
I won’t be publishing any new blog posts apart from my monthly round-up post on December 31st.
I won’t be reading and commenting on blog posts during this time. However, I will respond to comments left on my blog posts.
What will you be doing with your blog during December? Are you planning a blogging break, or will you continue to blog? Do you have any questions regarding any of my seven blogging jobs you can do during December? Leave them in the comments section.
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If you don’t report problems to WordPress, how will they know about issues with their platform?
I am thrilled to inform you that the issue I reported regarding the ‘Email me new comments‘ checkbox when leaving a comment has been successfully resolved by WordPress.
Click the ‘Email me new comment’ button to get an email notification of when somebody has replied to a comment you left them.
So here’s what happened: When you checked the ‘Email me new comments‘ box, things went a bit haywire. You not only started getting email notifications for comments on that specific post, but you also got bombarded with notifications for comments on other posts on that blog, even if you hadn’t left a comment or picked the ‘Email me new comments‘ option. Your inbox was basically drowning in a sea of WordPress emails. Crazy, right?
Now, when you select the ‘Email me new comments‘ option, rest assured that you will only receive email notifications for comments posted on the exact same post where you have left a comment.
Why do I tick the ‘Email me new comments’ box?
Not only do I get informed via email when I get a reply to a comment I’ve left, but reading other blog posts’ comments always helps me with ideas for new posts. Sometimes, comments can be as interesting as the post they’ve been left on.
I can also definitely lend a helping hand when bloggers reach out for assistance in their comments. Moreover, I take great pleasure in rectifying any misinformation that comes my way. Just the other day, I came across a comment where a blogger erroneously mentioned that having a WordPress account is a prerequisite for leaving comments. Allow me to assure you that this information is not accurate. Indeed, anyone can participate in the discussion without the need for a WordPress account.
One problem remains
The problem I reported concerning no longer getting email notifications when somebody leaves a comment on any of my posts has still not been fixed. However, WordPress has assured me that they’re still working on fixing it.
I’d be interested in knowing if anybody else is experiencing problems with not getting email notifications when comments are left on their posts. Please let me know in the comments section.
Are you experiencing any problems with leaving or receiving comments on blog posts? What are they, and have you reported them to WordPress?
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You may already be acquainted with these exciting new features I’ve recently uncovered on WordPress. However, I wanted to discuss them in case some of you are still unaware of their existence or unsure about how they function. Let’s delve into these remarkable additions and explore their potential!
New features you may like to try out on WordPress.
Send Test email.
I absolutely love this new feature! It’s incredibly handy because not only do I get to double-check my email notifications for my new blog posts before hitting the publish button, but it also serves as a safety net to ensure that my blog post is flawless and error-free. This is a game-changer for me!
Note – this feature may not be available to WordPress free plan users.
Before scheduling or publishing a new blog post, click the ‘Send test email‘ button, and WordPress will send you an email showing the excerpt and a link to the post.
Where can I find the ‘Send test email’ button?
Under the ‘Publish‘ settings of the draft of your post. Ensure you open the ‘Newsletter: Everyone‘ section to see it.
Here’s a screenshot.
Send test emails for all your WordPress new post notifications.
Not only can you check that the excerpt of your blog post is correct, but you can also click the link within the email to open the post and verify that everything is as it should be.
So, no more –
Missing images
Uncentred captions
Upsidedown images
Misplaced images
Images and text overlapping
Missing blog post titles
Missing headings
Missing words
Spelling mistakes
Forgetting to close comments
Broken videos or YouTube links
Broken links/pingbacks
Of course, spelling and grammar mistakes may still appear, but at least you now have another way of checking and editing a post before it’s published.
A new way to showcase previous blog posts.
Most bloggers like to showcase previous blog posts so those who missed them the first time can catch up.
There are various ways to promote older blog posts on newly published posts. This is a new blog post template that WordPress has added to ‘Patterns‘ to help promote previous posts. In fact, WordPress has added lots of new ‘Blog Post’ templates. Here’s one I selected.
Where would we be without friends in our lives? We all need them, don’t we? As a gay man, I’ve had my fair share of both male and female friends over the years, but some of those friendships were not what I thought the true meaning of friendship was all about. Meet Tasmin, Neville and…
Where can I find Blog Post templates?
On a draft post, click the ‘+‘ symbol to add a new block and select ‘Patterns.’
On the menu that opens, click on ‘Blog Posts‘ and select from the many templates on offer.
Select a ‘blog posts’ template from the many on offer.
You can also select the ‘Blog Posts’ block for the same job.
Each template has many settings you can play around with. For example, I set the template I displayed above to two rather than three columns (displays as one column when viewing on a mobile phone). You can also change the background colour and text colour of the template.
On the template I used, up to six posts can be displayed, with new blog posts added as you publish them.
Unfortunately, I could not find a way of choosing which blog posts I wanted to feature in the template I chose, but some of the templates allow you to do this.
The one drawback I have noticed about my chosen template is the inability to set links to open in a new tab. As a result, users clicking on any of the links will lose their current page. To address this issue, I highly recommend including the ‘Blog Post Template‘ at the end of each post. This way, readers can easily navigate to related content without losing their place on the page.
Where did all my reusable blocks go?
Synced patterns have replaced Reusable blocks, offering a unified creation experience for new pattern functionality on WordPress. Any reusable blocks you’ve created for your blog can now be found under ‘Patterns.’
Ensure you view your blog’s dashboard in ‘Classic‘ view. When writing this post, it won’t work when viewing in ‘Default‘ view (WordPress are aware of the problem).
On the draft page of a post, click the three dots (options button) in the top right-hand corner of the page.
Click ‘Manage Patterns‘ in the new menu that opens.
Click ‘Manage Patterns’ to manage reusable blocks.
A page will open that lists all your reusable blocks. This is where you can edit or delete them.
A list of reusable blocks
IMPORTANT NOTICE – Please exercise caution when deleting a reusable block that has been previously used in your posts. Deleting a reusable block will result in its disappearance from all associated posts, and a notification will be displayed indicating that the block is no longer available. It is crucial to be mindful of this consequence to avoid any unintended disruptions to your content.
Have you explored any valuable new features on WordPress, or are you already utilising the ones I’ve mentioned? Are reusable blocks an essential part of your workflow? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section,and don’t hesitate to ask any questions.
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I’ve written about comments a lot over the last few months, so this seems like the ideal opportunity to discuss some problems with commenting on WordPress.
First, I want to discuss a problem with getting email notifications from WordPress whenever comments are left on my blog posts.
Are you experiencing any of these problems with comments on WordPress?
I’ve stopped getting email notifications whenever anyone comments on one of my posts, so I have had to revert to checking for new comments on my blog’s dashboard.
It’s not a huge problem, but the email notifications act as a backup, so I know when comments have been left, and they also serve as a reminder that I have comments to respond to. I don’t delete an email notification until I’ve replied to a comment. That way, I don’t miss any.
I reported the problem on the WordPress Forum. That was over two weeks ago, and whilst I’ve had a lot of contact from WordPress staff, the problem is currently with their developers.
Is anybody else having problems getting email notifications of comments left on their blog posts? Or is it just me?
I’ve also reported another issue to WordPress. I’m wondering if any of the following are happening to you when leaving comments on other blogs?
Other problems with commenting.
Have you noticed that the comments box on WordPress has changed? The old comments box has been replaced with a new one (see the following image), but it seems to be causing me a few problems.
Have you noticed the new comments box on WordPress?
The above new style comments box has gradually been introduced to most blogs on WordPress.
You can write a comment, press the reply button, and move on pretty swiftly, but my concerns are with something hidden behind the settings (cog) button next to the icon that displays your Gravatar image. When you press the cog, you’ll see this.
There are three options to choose from in the new-look comments box.
See those three new options at the bottom of the comments box? Not only can you now get web and phone notifications of new blog posts from the blog you’re leaving a comment on, but you can set how often you get notifications of new posts.
These are not new, though. They’ve been available for use on WordPress for a long time but were buried deep in our blogs’ dashboard settings. Now, they’re much easier to find and use.
So far, so good, you may think, but it’s the ‘email me new comments‘ button that is causing me concern.
You see, I’m one of those bloggers who like to receive an email whenever anyone replies to a comment I’ve left on their blog or when anyone else leaves a comment on the post I’ve already commented on. It’s my way of knowing that not only have they responded to my comment but also a way for me to either reply to or ‘like’ the comment. I do not like the thought of any blogger thinking I’ve ignored their comment.
The problem now is that when you slide the ‘email me new comments‘ button on, not only do you get emailed comments for the posts you’ve left comments on, but you’ll get email notifications of any comment left on any of the posts on that blog regardless of whether you left a comment or not.
If the blog you’ve left a comment on is huge and gets hundreds of comments, this could become a big problem with your email box filling up quickly.
Needless to say, that is something I do want. I only want email notifications of comments left on the posts I left a comment on. Why? Well, I find that reading comments can sometimes be as interesting as the post they’re left on, plus comments often give me new ideas for blog posts.
I’ve reported the issue to WordPress, and they’ve replied. See the screenshots below. However, I’m not the only one who reported this particular problem.
Somebody else has reported the same problem.
A response from a member of staff at WordPress
That was the last response from WordPress, but I’ll update this post with any developments.
Some good news – My spam box is empty!
Is it only me, or has anyone else seen a drastic reduction in spam since the new comment box appeared? I used to get hundreds of spam messages to scroll through every day, but now my spam box is empty almost every day – hooray!
So, there is no need to close comments off posts anymore if WordPress has waved a magic wand and stopped the spam once and for all. Hooray – that means I can leave comments on blog posts that are more than a month old.
Are you having any of the problems described in this post or any issues with leaving comments or receiving WordPress notifications as a whole? Has the amount of spam you’re getting plummeted? Let me know in the comments section.
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I’ve published many posts about the perils of using copyrighted images and photos. Several bloggers I know have been fined for downloading copyrighted images and photos, including when they reblogged posts.
Did you know that WordPress offers free, high-quality images and photos to enhance the visual appeal of your WordPress website or blog?
You’re searching for the right image for your new blog post. Rather than doing a Google search in a separate tab — and running the risk of using an image you don’t have rights to — use the free images and photos WordPress offers.
Did you know that WordPress offers users free photos and images?
To avoid any chances of being fined for using copyrighted images and photos, the best advice is to always try and use your own photos and images in your blog posts.
Of course, you could choose not to include any images or photos, but given that posts that include photos or images get 70% more traffic, you should add at least one image or photo to all your blog posts.
Where Do I Find The Free Images And Photos WordPress Offers?
Add an Image block to your blog post.
Click on the ‘Select Image‘ link to open a new menu.
The free images and photos are under ‘Pexels Free Photos‘ and ‘Openverse‘.
WordPress offers hundreds of free images and photos to all WordPress users.
Pexels Free Photos
When you click Pexels Free Photos, a new window will open that includes a search bar.
Add a description of the image or photo you are looking for in the search bar and click the ‘Search‘ button.
Look through the results, click the image you want to use and click the ‘Select‘ button.
Click the ‘Load More‘ button at the bottom of the page to see more results.
When you select an image from Pexels Free Photos, it is downloaded to your media library. Remember to add information about the image to help readers with sight impediments and who may use speech software on their devices.
WordPress will have already completed the title of the image or photo and added credit details, so the only information you need to add is Alt Text and Description.
Openverse
Openverse works like Pexels Free Photos. It’s a search engine for openly licensed media, which gives access to over 600 million Creative Commons licensed and public domain image and audio files. All files can be used free of charge.
You can use the search box to find content licensed for commercial use and content that may be modified.
If you use any images or photos from Openverse, they are downloaded to your media library. You’ll need to complete the Alt Text and Description boxes, giving the image/photo details.
It’s Not Only WordPress That Offers Free Images And Photos.
Several websites offer free images that you can use on your WordPress website. These websites curate collections of high-quality images that are free to use, often under various Creative Commons licenses. Here are some popular websites you can explore:
Review and respect the license terms associated with each image when using images from these sites. Providing proper attribution to the photographer or the source is always good practice.
WordPress Plugins
Another convenient way to find free images within your WordPress editor is by using plugins specifically designed for this purpose. These plugins integrate with popular free image websites, allowing you to search and insert images directly from your WordPress dashboard.
Some notable plugins for finding free images include:
Installing and activating these plugins will add additional options to your media library, making browsing and selecting free images for your content effortless.
Note: Plugins are not available on all WordPress plans.
Image SEO Best Practices
While finding free images for your WordPress blog is essential, optimising any images or photos you use for search engines is equally crucial. Following some basic image SEO best practices can improve your blog’s visibility and attract more organic traffic. Here are a few tips:
Use descriptive filenames and alt tags that reflect the image content.
Optimise image file sizes to improve site loading speed.
Add relevant captions and descriptions to provide more context.
Ensure images are responsive and look good on all devices.
By incorporating these strategies, you enhance the visual appeal of your content while improving your blog’s overall SEO performance.
Let’s Wrap It Up.
Finding free images and photos for your WordPress website or blog is easier than ever.
Whether you explore the WordPress options, leverage free image websites, or use dedicated plugins, the possibilities are abundant.
Adhering to image licensing requirements and optimising your images for SEO will ensure a visually appealing and optimised blog.
So go ahead and utilise the resources available to you, and make your WordPress blog shine with stunning images that complement your content!
Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Disclaimer: Always review and respect each image’s terms and conditions and licensing rights. The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
Where do you get the images and photos you use on your blog? If you have any questions about using free images and photos on your blog, leave them in the comments section. Alternatively, please join the discussion and conversation if you’d like to add any information about using free images and photos.
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Every day, our blogs come under attack from various elements.
Just like protecting our families, pets, and anything else we value, we should do all we can to protect our blogs from threats.
Are you doing enough to protect your blog from threats?
Threats come in all sorts of forms, but there are a few simple steps you can put in place to keep your blog safe.
1. Comments
What do you do if you receive unfriendly comments or comments that do not agree with what you have said in your blog post?
I’ve blogged for nearly ten years, and, in that time, I have received a handful of comments that were not only very personal but were rude, racist or homophobic.
Because I moderate all comments before they appear on my blog, I was able to stop these comments in their tracks. They were of the nature that did not call for a reply, and I simply marked them as spam and deleted them.
And it wasn’t only me that some of these unfriendly comments are aimed at.
I often see rude, unfriendly comments and spam appear on other blogs. Not only can they be shocking in their nature, but in many cases, the very name of the commenter can also be very offensive.
Unfortunately, Akismet, the WordPress software that blocks unwanted spam, doesn’t always catch all of it. So, monitoring all comments before they are published on your blog posts is worth considering.
Follow these steps to set up monitoring comments.
For the purpose of this post, instructions are via the ‘Default” view of your blog’s dashboard.
Click Settings – Discussion on your blog’s dashboard.
Click Settings and Discussion
On the Discussion Settings page, scroll down to the ‘Before A Comment Appears‘ box and slide open the button next to ‘Comment must be manually approved.’
To approve all comments, select the ‘Comment must be manually approved’ button
Click on the ‘Save settings‘ button.
You may also have noticed an option to allow comments to be posted straight away from people who have previously had comments approved by you.
Selecting the ‘Comment author must have previously approved comment’ means you don’t need to approve those comments.
For bloggers who are dealing with hundreds of comments daily, this is a great time-saving option as you don’t need to manually approve them.
However, be wary. Somebody who may have left a perfectly friendly comment on an earlier post could also leave an unfriendly comment on a future one.
How to deal with people who don’t agree with you
Sometimes, I receive comments from people who may not agree with what I have to say, but that’s a part of the whole blogging experience.
However, providing their comment has been written in a friendly and professional manner, I will approve it.
Nobody should tolerate rudeness or bad manners, so don’t allow any of these kinds of comments to appear on your blog.
If comments are unfriendly, rude or make you feel threatened, mark them as spam.
Allowing unfriendly, rude comments to appear on your blog can make your blog look unfriendly and unwelcoming, especially to new visitors.
If you see a rude comment or one that is spam on a blog you follow, inform the blog’s owner of the problem. They’ll probably thank you for looking out for them.
How to block certain bloggers or readers from leaving comments
Further down the same page on the Discussion Settings dashboard, you’ll see two boxes entitled ‘Comment Moderation‘ and ‘Disallowed comments.’
This is where you can blacklist other bloggers and comments
These boxes are where you can add certain words, the web address of a blog, the email address or the internet protocol of a user you want to block.
Comments will be held in a moderation queue if they contain anything you have added to the Comment Moderation box.
Comments will be sent to the trash bin if they match anything you have added to the Disallowed Comments box.
2. Internettrolls
If you are unlucky enough to find that an internet troll has decided to try and make your blog their new home, ignore them.
Whatever you do, don’t engage in any conversations with the internet troll. Whether through comments or if they try to contact you through your ‘contact me’ page, ignore them.
Internet trolls will do all they can to get you to react to what they have said. They may even try to get some of your readers to engage with them by responding to comments they have left, so never approve their comments.
Don’t give internet trolls the satisfaction of acknowledging them in any shape or form.
Remove any comments, and don’t allow them to upset you in any way. Add them to the ‘Disallowed Comments‘ box. They’ll soon get the message and move on.
3. Back-Up
How would you feel if you woke up one morning and found that all your blog content had disappeared?
It’s the stuff of nightmares, so be kind to your blog and make sure you back up its content regularly.
Depending on your WordPress plan, your blog can be backed up via Jetpack – Backup on your blog’s dashboard. If you don’t have this facility, consider saving all your blog posts via an external server or hard drive.
If you’re already writing your blog posts on Word, Pages or any other writing software such as Grammarly, ensure you save the documents on the iCloud (if you have access) or on another hard drive.
Don’t lose all your hard work by not backing up your blog.
4. Anti Virus Software
Always update anti-virus software on your device to protect your blog and ensure you have the latest version.
If hackers can get access to well-known websites, then they may be able to get access to your computer\device.
Malware could allow cybercriminals to take control of your computer, log your keystrokes, or access your personal information and financial data, which could lead to identity theft. So, not only could your blog be at risk from hackers, but so could your bank details and other personal information.
Remember to keep all other software on your computer up to date and use the latest software versions of any website you visit regularly.
WordPress.Com users will always have the latest version of WordPress as WordPress download updates directly. Those who have self-hosted blogs should ensure they have the latest updates installed.
This all may sound nightmarish, and you may ask yourself who would want to attack your blog, but every blogger should take it seriously. Don’t become a victim.
However, whatever you do, keep enjoying your blogging experience.
Although attacks on our blogs are happening constantly, your anti-virus software (and the software supplied by WordPress) deals with most threats without you knowing about it.
Let’s Wrap It Up.
Make sure you protect your blog from any online attacks.
Don’t approve any comments that are unfriendly, rude, or racist towards you or any other bloggers.
Consider moderating all comments before they appear on your blog.
People may disagree with what you say in your posts. Only approve their comments if they’ve been written in a friendly and professional manner.
Unsubscribe and or/block trolls and unfriendly readers from your blog.
Never respond to comments from trolls or allow their comments to appear on your blog.
Remember to regularly back up your blog or save your blog posts on an external hard drive.
Keep anti-virus software updated on your devices.
Ensure you’re using the latest version and tools of WordPress.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about protecting your blog from unwanted attention and attacks? Do you have any questions? Join the discussion by leaving me a comment with the details.
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Is your blog plagued by spam, spammers and spambots? Do they annoy you? Do you know they’re even there and the damage they could be doing?
Allowing spammers and spambots to follow your blog makes it easier for them to attempt to flood your blog with spam comments. In turn, this opens the floodgates to your readers becoming the victims of scams or having their computer, tablet or phone infected with malware.
Is your blog infected with spammers and spambots?
There are many different types of spammers in the blog world. From those who leave uninvited links, those who flood your posts with pleas to check out their blog and follow them, and comments from spambots; they can all be a nuisance.
Some spammers are easy to spot. The clues are in their name.
The name of some spammers gives them a way straight away.
Some spammers try a little harder to trick you.
Always check the web address of where a comment has come from.
The above comment may sound genuine, but just look at the web address where it’s come from.
I’ve witnessed some bloggers approve and respond to the comments from these spambots. The comments look genuine, but they’re not. Here’s an example of a spam comment from one of the dog breeders.
Comment from a dog breeders spambot
Approving and allowing comments from spammers and spambots onto your blog posts will damage the ranking of your blog. It may also end up resulting in genuine readers clicking on links in comments or visiting the sites of these scammers resulting in them becoming victims of scams or having their computer infected with malware.
These spammers often leave messages on posts that look authentic and nice, but they never mention anything about the contents of the posts (other than saying they like them) and often trick bloggers into believing they are genuine.
Spammers who follow your blog will also click the ‘like’ button on all your posts in the hope that other readers will see their gravatar icon, and visit their site. Once there, the reader puts themselves in danger of being scammed or having their device infected.
How Do You Spot Comments From Scammers and Spambot?
WordPress has recently improved the subscribers’ page of a blog. Not only has this helped spotting spammers and spambots, but it’s easy to remove them as subscribers to your blog.
Here’s a screenshot of a comment from a spambot. I’ve highlighted the spammers name for instructions on how to unsubscribe them from following your blog further down in this post.
Make sure you remove spammers from following your blog.
The Akismet Anti-Spam software that WordPress provides is excellent at dealing with spam, but it doesn’t catch it all.
Comments from spammers rarely have an image in their Gravatar, but spammers are now getting clever and inserting an image in their profile (like the one in the previous image).
Here’s how to spot, check and remove spammers and spambots as subscribers to your blog.
Make sure you are viewing your blog’s dashboard in ‘Default‘ view.
Copy the name of the spammers blog.
On your blog’s dashboard, go to ‘Users‘ – ‘Subscribers.’
Click Users – Subscribers
On the ‘Subscribers‘ page you’re taken to, paste the spammers blog’s name in the ‘search box.’
If the spammer is following your blog, their name will show in the results.
Click the three dots next to the blog you want to remove.
Click the ‘Remove‘ button to unsubscribe the blog from following you.
How to remove a spammer from following your blog.
The spammer has now been unsubscribed from following your blog.
Spammers who follow your blog are more likely to try and flood your blog posts with spam comments because they get notifications when you publish new posts. You can mark any such comments as spam, but I’d recommend you unsubscribe them from following your blog.
Of course, there is nothing stopping spammers from subscribing to your blog again, but every time they follow, unsubscribe them. As I have found out with those dog breeder spammers, they soon get fed up of having to keep subscribing to your blog.
Let’s Wrap It Up
Don’t allow spammers, scammers or spambots invade your blog or stress you out.
Spotting spammers, scammers and spambots is easy to do. Follow the guide in this post.
Never approve or respond to spam comments.
If you’re unsure a comment is from a spammer, check out their website address first.
Always unsubscribe spammers, scammers and spambots from your blog. Follow the guide in this post.
Although the Akismet Anti-Spam software that WordPress provides catches the majority of spam, it won’t catch all of it.
Approving and allowing comments from spammers and spambots onto your blog posts will damage the ranking of your blog. It may also end up resulting in genuine readers clicking on the links in their comments or visiting their website and becoming a victim of scams or having their computer infected with malware.
Look after your readers, not the spammers, scammers or spambots.
How do you deal with spam, spammers and spambots on your blog?Share details in the comments section.
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