Tag: WordPress Support

An image of the letter W in lots of blue badges.

Now This Is Why Keeping Your WordPress Site Updated Matters

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts62 Comments

WordPress has introduced a useful new feature that benefits all users, including those with a ‘Free’ plan.

With just a few clicks, you can check whether the version of WordPress you are using is up to date, whether any plugins you have installed are current, and if the theme of your WordPress site is the latest release.

Here’s how to verify that all your WordPress installations are up to date. I am using an Apple iMac desktop computer for this guide.

  • Go to the dashboard of your blog and click on Dashboard – Updates.
An image emphasising the 'Update' button on the dashboard of a WordPress blog.
Click the ‘Update’ button.
  • After clicking on Updates, you will see a page that informs you whether you are using the latest version of WordPress, plugins, and the WordPress theme you have installed.
An image of a page on a WordPress blog informing if WordPress, plugins and themes are all up to date.
Is everything on your WordPress blog updated?

If, like me, you are a WordPress.com user, WordPress will keep all these items up to date for you. So, why am I then informing you of this feature? Well, it’s all about retired themes and plugins that cause problems.

If you are using any plugins or a theme that has been retired, even if it appears you have the latest versions, any bugs affecting the theme or plugin since the final update will no longer be fixed because WordPress has withdrawn support.

How do I find out if the WordPress theme I’m using is still supported?

To find out if the WordPress theme you are using is still supported (and receiving updates), visit your blog’s dashboard and click Appearance – Themes. You will see a message indicating your theme is retired if it is no longer supported by WordPress. As we all know, using outdated themes can cause numerous problems for users.

Although a retired theme might not cause problems now, it could in the future. Some users attempt to use a workaround to avoid issues, but this is not advised, as it may lead to further problems. Instead of a workaround, switch to a current theme fully supported by WordPress. You don’t have to move to a Block theme if you prefer not to, since many Classic themes remain supported by WordPress. I am still using a Classic theme (Toujours) on my blog, which is fully supported.

Using an outdated, unsupported theme can lead to several issues. Here are a few.


1. Security vulnerabilities: Without ongoing updates, the theme may become prone to security risks that could compromise your blog.
2. Compatibility issues: As plugins and WordPress itself update, an outdated theme may not function correctly with newer versions, causing layout glitches, functional problems such as not being able to leave comments and issues with WordPress believing you are not logged in.
3. Lack of support: You won’t have access to official support for troubleshooting any issues or queries that arise with the theme. WordPress will advise you to change to a supported theme.
4. Performance issues: Unsupported themes may not be optimised for speed and performance, leading to slower load times.
5. Missed features: Regular updates often include new features and improvements; sticking with an unsupported theme means missing out on these enhancements, which could benefit your blog’s features and user experience.

If you are using a retired theme and refuse to switch to a supported one, there’s no point in blaming WordPress for any problems with your blog. It’s not their fault if you continue to use something they no longer support.

How do I change my WordPress theme?

Refer to the ‘Change Your Theme‘ page for complete details.

How do I change a retired plugin?

The best approach is to find a new plugin that provides similar functionality. You can search the WordPress plugin repository or other trusted sources for alternatives. 

Conclusion:

  • Many users often blame WordPress for blog-related issues, which are frequently due to user error or outdated software on their devices.
  • WordPress has introduced a new feature that allows users, even on the free plan, to check if their WordPress version, plugins, and theme are up to date.
  • To check for updates, navigate to Dashboard – Updates in your blog’s dashboard. If everything is updated, great!
  • However, if you’re using retired themes or plugins, you won’t receive support or fixes for any issues that arise.
  • Unsupported themes can lead to security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues with newer updates, a lack of support, performance problems, and the omission of key features.
  • To determine if your theme is still supported, navigate to Appearance – Themes in the dashboard.
  • If it’s retired, consider switching to a supported theme or plugin for better performance and security.

Have you ever faced issues with outdated themes or plugins on your WordPress blog? How did you go about resolving them? Which themes are you currently using, and have you checked if they are still supported? Do you have any WordPress tips to share with others?

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I’m getting tough with non-engaging comments. Comments such as ‘Nice post’ are marked as spam.

The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

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How to Fix Commenting Issues on WordPress Email Notifications: A Simple Solution

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts58 Comments

If you receive email notifications from WordPress about new blog posts, you might face difficulties leaving comments on certain blogs.

When I attempt to leave a comment, I receive an error message.

Image of an error message that appears when trying to leave a comment on WordPress.
The error message.

This issue only impacts comments made when opening posts from email, not those via the WordPress Reader or the bell icon in the notification centre of my blog.

The issue still exists at the time of this post. However, I have found that comments go through when replying to the You can also reply to this email to leave a comment message (see the image below).

Image highlighting the 'You can also reply to this email to leave a comment' link on a new post notification from WordPress.
Leave your comment via the ‘You can also reply to this email to leave a comment’ link.

You’ll see that it’s like replying to an email rather than leaving a comment on the post, so press the reply button to the email, draft your comment and click the send button. When you check the post, you’ll see your comment unless it’s waiting for approval by the blogger for which you’re leaving the comment.

I recently came across this message. I’m unsure how long it’s been appearing in WordPress emails, whether WordPress has temporarily added it to email notifications to address the issue, or whether it’s a permanent fix. Next time I talk with WordPress, I’ll ask them and update this post.

The important thing is that this method of leaving comments works, so there’s no longer a need to remember to copy comments before submitting them.

Update: See the below response from a staff member at WordPress to me.

An image of a comment from a member of staff at WordPress about the problem involving not be able to leave comments via the WordPress new blog post notification email.
WordPress is working on the problem that is causing some comments to fail.

I inquired with WordPress about whether the text ‘You can also reply to this email to leave a comment at the bottom of their notifications is a recent addition. They confirmed that this specific wording is new; however, the ability to leave comments by replying to emails has been available for a long time.

Update 2

WordPress has now resolved this problem. I’m no longer seeing the error message.

However, if you still get the ‘Sorry, this comment could not be posted’ message when leaving comments, please contact WordPress.

Is this commenting problem affecting you? Please feel free to ask any questions by leaving a comment.

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Turn This Setting On To Stop Seeing Too Much Spam On Your WordPress Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts51 Comments

Is your WordPress blog getting too much spam?

Do you want to free up the time it takes you to filter through spam looking for genuine comments?

Turn this setting on now.

Light blue image with the words 'Turn This Setting On To Stop Seeing Too Much Spam On Your WordPress Blog' in white text.
Does your blog get too much spam? Turn this setting on.
  • On your blog’s dashboard, go to Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam.
Image highlighting Jetpack - Akismet Anti-spam on the dashboard of a WordPress blog
Click Jetpack – Akismet Anti-spam
  • On the page that opens, look for the Settings box. Under Spam Filtering, ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it’ is selected.
Image highlighting the 'Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it' setting on WordPress.
Ensure ‘Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it’ has been selected.
  • Click the ‘Save changes‘ button.

You’ll now see much less spam in your blog’s spam folder.

Obviously, you can continue to review all spam, but this can be very time-consuming if your blog gets a lot of spam.

On average, I now see less than 10 spam comments per week in my spam folder. It used to be hundreds. Turning this setting on has helped.

On the same page, you can also see how much good work the Akismet anti-spam software has done in capturing spam comments on your blog. Here’s a snapshot of my blog.

Image showing the stats of how much spam has been blocked on Hugh's Views And News.
How much spam has been blocked on your WordPress blog?

Akismet has caught over 308,000 spam comments since I started blogging in February 2014!

Occasionally, spam comments will get through, but you can help WordPress by marking them as spam. Likewise, if a genuine comment ends up in the spam folder by mistake, mark it as ‘not spam.’

Something else you may find interesting is that WordPress now deletes spam that is over 15 days old in the spam folder, so you no longer have to do it! Another win! Thank you, WordPress.

Don’t stress about spam!

I’ve come across some bloggers who allow spam to stress them. This does nothing but spoil the enjoyment blogging brings.

If your blog receives too much spam, turn on the setting outlined in this post. You’ll soon see a vast decrease in the amount of spam you see.

How do you deal with spam on your blog?

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How Easy Is It To Follow Your Blog? How To Add A Subscribe Button To All Your WordPress Posts

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts59 Comments

Sometimes, I struggle to find a subscribe or follow button on blogs. I came across one recently where there wasn’t one. I spent ages looking and even left a comment asking how to subscribe to receive more posts, but the host didn’t reply to my comment!

But I’m delighted that WordPress now makes adding a subscribe (to my blog) button to all your posts (past and future) even more effortless. And the best part is that once you switch on this setting, you won’t have to do it again.

Light blue image with the words 'How Easy Is It To Follow Your Blog? How To Add A Subscribe Button To All Your WordPress Posts' in white text.
Is it easy for visitors to follow your blog?

Where and how to switch on the Subscribe Block button.

  • On the dashboard of your blog, go to Settings – Newsletter.
  • On the Newsletter settings page, look for ‘Add the Subscribe block at the end of each post,’ and slide the button to the ‘on’ position.
Image highlighting the 'Add the subscribe block at the end of each post' button on WordPress.
Slide the button to the ‘on’ position.
  • Click the ‘Save Settings’ button.

That’s it! The ‘Subscribe’ block will appear on all of your posts (past and future), making it easy for anyone visiting your blog to follow you.

This is what the block looks like if you’re already subscribed to the blog or have just signed up.

Image showing the Subscribe block once you've subscribed to a blog on WordPress
You’re following my blog. Thank you.

How easy is it for a new visitor to follow or subscribe to your blog?

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Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader? This Is Why You Should Use It.

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts91 Comments

I don’t use the WordPress Reader nearly as much as I should.

I get email notifications when new blog posts are published by the bloggers I follow. This makes sense as I only follow around 55 blogs, most of which publish no more than a few times a week.

Am I missing out on not using the WordPress Reader? I think so, yes! But why?

Light blue image with the words 'Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader?' in white text.
Tell me why you use or don’t use the WordPress Reader.

One of the reasons I stopped using the WP Reader was that when I was following over 500 blogs, I felt like a hamster constantly running around a wheel in my endless battle to reach the top of the reader. I never reached the top, so I thought I was missing out!

However, I occasionally use the WordPress Reader to search for posts on subjects I enjoy reading. In my opinion, this is where the WordPress Reader is at its best!

For example, I recently entered the word ‘WordPress’ into the reader search bar and was presented with a long list of blog posts in which ‘WordPress’ had been used as a category or tag (this shows how important categorising and tagging your posts is).

But before I discuss some of the search results, let me first say that, unlike some bloggers who seem to think WordPress has deleted the ‘Reader,’ the WP Reader has moved.

Where is the WordPress Reader?

If you’re using a desktop computer, the WP Reader is now located in the top right corner of your blog. Look for the pair of spectacles icon.

Image highlighting the WordPress Reader icon and where to find it.
The WordPress Reader icon has changed and moved.

Click on it, and you’ll be taken to the WordPress Reader.

On mobile phones and tablets (using the Jetpack app), the WP Reader icon (spectacles) is located at the bottom of the screen.

What I found in the search results!

I was delighted to see some of my posts appear in the search results. However, I was more interested in the posts from blogs I don’t currently follow.

One of those posts that grabbed my attention was from Mitch, who blogs at The Power Of Story. Mitch’s post, ‘What’s Up WordPress?‘, was about the sudden ups and downs of his blog’s number of subscribers/followers. Indeed, I’ve noticed the same thing happening with my blog.

Image showing the ups and downs of subscriber/follower numbers on WordPress

My subscriber/follower stats have become like a fairground rollercoaster ride. Some days, I lose a lot of subscribers/followers, and then the numbers suddenly return, although not the same subscribers.

I did some digging and found that WordPress are now actively deleting spam blogs and blogs run by spambots. That’s a good thing, especially since I’ve been manually unsubscribing them for many months. WordPress is unsubscribing these blogs for me, although I will unsubscribe any I find myself.

Have you noticed your subscriber/follower numbers going on a rollercoaster ride recently?

Another post that grabbed my attention from the results page was from Kevin, who blogs at Chef Kevin Ashton. Kevin’s post, titled ‘The Thorny Issue Of WordPress Likes.’ touched on a subject I’ve often written about – the ‘like’ button!

Love it or hate it, the ‘like’ button is something just about every WordPress user and visitor will use. However, Kevin touched on the subject of ‘guilt’ by not using it, especially when he doesn’t have enough time to visit and read blogs.

I’ve been there, Kevin. Many bloggers feel guilty or stressed about not clicking ‘like’, visiting blogs that follow them, or leaving comments. Yet, in my opinion, nobody really cares that you can’t always visit their blog. I’ve discovered that leaving one engaging comment occasionally that shows you read the post is much more appreciated than leaving short, non-engaging comments just to prove you visited. However, you may not have read their post.

I’ve written many posts about blogging guilt and stress. In my last post on the subject, ‘Stressed Or Feeling Guilty About Blogging? Please Read This Post. Let’s Keep Blogging Fun,’ many readers spoke up about how bad they feel when they don’t have the time to read blogs, click ‘like,’ and leave comments, often resulting in blogging feeling like a chore rather than something that should be enjoyed.

Nobody should ever feel obliged to read posts, click the ‘like’ button or leave comments. Keep blogging fun.

How do you deal with blogging stress or guilt?

The happy and sad sides of blogging!

It was also lovely to see blog posts celebrating milestones on WordPress in the results. From celebrating 15 years of blogging on WordPress to publishing their 100th post and some folks being notified that their blogs had achieved half a million visits, these posts brought a smile to my face.

Of course, posts complaining about how bad WordPress is and the problems bloggers are having also appeared in the results. Although I only read a few, most of the reported issues were related to WordPress’s changes, and the author often confirmed in the comments section that the issue(s) had now been resolved.

Personally, I’m pleased that WordPress does make changes. If they left things alone, the platform would quickly become outdated and dull, as would all our blogs. WordPress would lose many paying customers, and we’d all lose our blogs if they went out of business. I used to hate change but learned that adapting to it is much less stressful than fighting it

Are you encountering any issues with WordPress? My recent post, ‘WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly,’ may be of some help.

Are your blog posts appearing on the WordPress Reader?

I always check that my blog posts appear in the WordPress reader. To do this, I follow my blog and check the reader immediately after publishing a post. If it’s not there, I know there’s a problem.

There are several reasons why your posts may not appear in the WordPress Reader. The main reason is that you add too many categories and tags to a post. WordPress allows up to 15 categories and tags combined. Your post could be marked as spam and won’t appear if you add more, so ensure you do not add more than 15 tags and categories (combined).

There may also be technical reasons why your posts don’t show in the reader. If you don’t see your posts, contact WordPress. They’ll be able to help.

That’s it for today. I’ll share other interesting posts when I do more searches on the WordPress Reader.

Why Do You Use The WordPress Reader?

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5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts25 Comments

If you missed my recent post, 7 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Deciding Whether To Follow A Blog, you won’t have seen the fantastic discussions in the comments section that raised many questions.

One of those questions was, ‘How do I Unsubscribe From A WordPress Blog I’m No Longer Interested In Reading?’

Not sure why you should unfollow a blog? Read the post for the answers.

Light blue image with the words '5 Easy Ways To Unfollow A WordPress Blog' in white text.
It’s easy to unfollow a blog on WordPress.

For this post, I’m using a desktop computer.

1. From The WordPress Reader

Ensure you are viewing posts from the WordPress Reader.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

2. From A Post

Open the post from the WordPress Reader.

Right-click on the post title and click ‘Open in a new tab.’

Click the ‘Subscribe‘ button in the screen’s floating action bar in the lower right corner.

You’ll now be unsubscribed from following that blog.

3. From An email Notification

If you get email notifications of new posts, click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link in the email.

Image highlighting the 'Manage your email settings or unsubscribe' link on a WordPress new post notification email.
Click the ‘Manage your email settings or unsubscribe’ link

On the new page that opens, click the ‘unsubscribe‘ button.

4. From the ‘Manage’ subscriptions list on the WordPress Reader

From the ‘manage‘ section of the blogs you’re following, click on the ‘Manage‘ link (next to ‘Subscriptions‘).

Image highlighting the 'Manage' link in the WordPress Reader page
Click the ‘Manage’ link.

A list of all the blogs you’re following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow and click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

5. From a WordPress Web Address

Ensure you are signed into WordPress.

Type or click on the following URL address https://wordpress.com/following/edit

A list of all the blogs you are following will show.

Click the three horizontal dots (meatball menu) next to the blog you want to unfollow.

Click the ‘Unsubscribe‘ button.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.

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WordPress Problems: Don’t Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts84 Comments

Do you encounter problems using WordPress? Are your posts not aligning correctly, or are you unable to leave comments on certain blogs? What’s causing these problems? Is it WordPress, or are you or your device causing them?

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress Problems: Don't Panic! How To Solve Issues Quickly' in white text
Don’t panic when WordPress causes you problems. The problem could be you!

Like any online website, the WordPress platform experiences problems. Bugs occur. They can often cause havoc for users. Sometimes, things don’t go to plan when new updates are released.

But what causes these problems, and how can they be fixed?

Case 1 – Your posts are not displaying correctly.

A few years ago, a reader informed me that my blog posts were not displaying correctly.

I checked my blog and couldn’t see any problems. I used another device and couldn’t see any issues.

I contacted the WordPress Happiness Engineers. They assured me that from what they saw, there were no problems with how my blog posts were displaying. They even sent me screenshots and some short video clips showing me what they were seeing at their end.

But I was still not happy.

I decided to write and publish a post about the problem.

I asked my followers to check some of my blog posts and let me know if there were any problems with how they were displaying. Over 100 people came to my call for help. Only one person said there was a problem with how my posts were displayed, and this was the person who reported the problem to me.

It turned out that the problem wasn’t my blog or WordPress. The problem was the device belonging to the reader who reported the issue.

I asked them to make sure their device had the latest updates. They never informed me that my blog was displaying incorrectly again.

Case 2 – I can’t leave comments on certain blogs.

I recently saw a post from a blogger who said he had problems leaving comments on certain blogs.

He named the blogs so they knew who they were and apologised, saying that his comments were being cut off as he wrote them.

He asked if anybody else was having the same problem when leaving comments.

By the time the responses came in (and all were saying ‘No’), he’d gone to another device. He tried leaving comments on the same blogs. They all worked, and he came back and apologised.

The problem was caused by the device he was using. He updated the device’s software and also tried using another internet browser, and his comments worked.

Case 3 – When was the last time you cleaned your house?

Some of my WordPress data and stats were not displaying. ‘Have you tried clearing your browser history, cookies and cache on your computer?” somebody asked?

I did the clear-out, and the data all showed up.

Like your home, your blog device needs some housekeeping to keep it working correctly.

Case 4 – Have you tried the most popular advice when things go wrong?

A user contacted me saying they could not leave comments or ‘likes’ on any blog posts. She was using the Jetpack app on her mobile phone.

I told her to try signing out of the Jetpack app, delete it, reinstall it and sign in again.

Problem solved.

Case 5 – Has the blog theme you’re using been retired?

Another WordPress user was experiencing many problems with her blog. Her posts were not aligning correctly, and some readers contacted her to say they couldn’t leave comments. The sharing buttons at the end of her posts were also not working. There were also other issues like certain tools no longer working.

She contacted WordPress, which informed her that her blog theme was retired and was no longer supported. The advice was to change her theme. She didn’t want to change the theme; she liked it. She tried working around the problems. That worked for a while. Then, the issues worsened, and she eventually gave up on her blog.

The WordPress platform wasn’t the problem. The device she was using wasn’t the problem. She was the problem for refusing to change to a theme that WordPress supported.

If your theme has been retired, you will find this notice on the theme’s info page:

Image showing the message 'This theme has been retired' on WordPress
Has your WordPress theme been retired?

When a theme is retired, it no longer appears in the list of themes at Appearances – Themes or at Appearance – Theme Showcase if using the Classic Editor.  

But, if the theme is already active on your site, you can continue to use it. Some retired themes will usually stay available for the lifetime of your site or blog without any issues. However, if you continue using a retired theme, you should note the following:

  • A retired theme no longer receives WordPress updates or new features. This includes security updates that protect your blog from spammers and hackers.
  • A retired theme should continue functioning on your site. However, WordPress does not guarantee that it will always work well with its ever-evolving software.
  • You may lose access to certain features like sharing and reblog buttons, blocks, writing tools and clicking the ‘like’ button.

If you still use a retired theme, you will likely encounter problems at some point. Visitors to your blog may also experience problems viewing it correctly or engaging with you.

How do I change my WordPress theme?

Some bloggers are terrified of changing the theme of their WordPress blog. It can seem like a daunting task.

Once upon a time, changing your WordPress blog theme was a nightmare. I recall the first time I changed the theme of my blog. It took a whole weekend to finish.

But changing the theme of your WordPress blog is now easy and quick. WordPress provides full details on how to do it on the ‘Change your theme‘ page.

Have you checked the WordPress forum?

A user experiencing problems with their WordPress blog does not necessarily mean that other users are experiencing the same problems. Sometimes, problems can be exclusive to one blog (as in some of the above cases).

The WordPress forum page is great for determining if problems affect other users. Here, you can report issues and check what other issues users are experiencing.

Another way to find out if other users are experiencing the same problems with their WordPress blog is to ask them (as I did in Case Number One). Sometimes, issues can be theme-related. Once reported and provided the theme has not been retired, WordPress quickly fixes theme-related problems.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

  • Like any website, the WordPress platform will suffer from bugs and problems.
  • While some problems are widespread, many problems can be caused by a user’s device when blogging, especially if the device is old and does not have the latest updates installed.
  • If you can access another device, try using it to determine whether the problem is only related to one device or a certain web browser.
  • Some problems are related to themes. If a theme has been retired, consider changing to one WordPress support.
  • Changing your blog theme is now easier and quicker.
  • You can check if other bloggers are experiencing the same problems you’re having with your blog by asking them, posting on the WordPress forum, or doing both.
  • Consider that any issues lie outside of WordPress first before blaming them solely.
  • Ensure all devices you use to blog have the latest updates.
  • Report issues and problems to WordPress. They may not know about issues unless you report them.

Are you experiencing any problems using WordPress? Have you checked if the issues are sitewide or only affecting you? How do you deal with issues using the WordPress platform?

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WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts38 Comments

WordPress has managed to do it once more! It’s relocated a setting I frequently use, seemingly without informing anyone about it.

Light blue image with the words 'WordPress: How To Close Comments: What You Need To Know' in white text.
Turning comments off is simple to do. But WordPress has moved the settings!

During a recent post-drafting session, I attempted to disable comments on a post. I encountered difficulty locating the ‘Discussion‘ setting, which is the usual place for enabling or disabling comments on individual posts.

Why turn comments off?

I consistently close comments whenever I share another blogger’s post or a guest post I’ve written on another blog. This strategy ensures that new comments appear on the original post, consolidating the discussion in one place rather than being split between two posts. Kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

Some bloggers also choose to close comments on older posts as a proactive measure. This practice became popular when WordPress faced a significant spam issue. Specific posts received hundreds of spam comments daily, making it challenging for bloggers to sift through the spam in their WordPress folders to find authentic comments that can sometimes end up there.

The installation of the updated Askimet anti-spam software in 2023 has led to a significant improvement in the spam situation. Thanks to Askimet’s enhanced functionality, the previously prevalent issue of hundreds of visible spam comments daily has been effectively curtailed to just a few a week. Consequently, there is no longer a necessity to close comments on these posts.

Where has the ‘Discussion’ setting gone?

The ‘Discussion’ setting used to be located at the bottom of the settings box of a post.

Image highlighting where on WordPress the 'Discussion' setting used to be.
The ‘Discussion’ setting used to sit under ‘Tags.’

Now, the discussion setting has been conveniently relocated to a more prominent position at the top of the post settings panel rather than at the bottom. This new placement, coupled with the clear indication of whether comments on a post are open or closed, significantly enhances the ease and user-friendliness of managing comments and pingbacks.

Changing the discussion setting is straightforward. Click on ‘open‘ or ‘closed‘ to make the change.

Image highlighting where a WordPress post's 'Discussion' setting is now located.
The ‘Discussion’ setting is now further up the ‘draft post’ section of a post.

This simple, user-friendly system also allows you to control comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks.

Image highlighting where to enable or switch off pingbacks and trackbacks on a WordPress post.
This is where to turn on or switch off pingbacks on your WordPress posts.

Pingbacks and trackbacks are methods for alerting other blogs that you have linked to them. However, they only work when the blog you’re linking to has enabled pingbacks and trackbacks and you do not link to a blog’s home page. My post, ‘The Power Of Pingbacks: How To Create One‘, has more details.

Do you disable comments on posts? If so, which posts? Do you have any questions about the ‘Discussion’ setting on WordPress? Please leave them in the comments box.

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How To Use This New Easy Feature For Your Blog’s Settings On WordPress.

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts38 Comments

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?

Light blue image with the words 'How To Use This New Easy Feature For Your Blog's Settings On WordPress' in white text.
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.

Image highlighting the new blog settings feature on WordPress
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.
Image highlighting the kebab settings and new menu on the new blog settings feature on WordPress
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

  1. 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.

Image highlighting where to edit your WordPress blog's icon, title 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.

Image showing the 'Privacy' settings on a WordPress blog
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.

Any questions? Leave them in the comments section.

Did you enjoy this post? Then you may also like –

Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.

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Exploring Multiple Avenues: How to Contact WordPress for Support: 6 Best Ways

Published on by Hugh W. Roberts44 Comments

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a novice blogger, there might come a time when you need assistance or have questions about your WordPress site.

Have you ever had to contact WordPress? What’s your preferred method and experience of contacting them?

Light blue image with the words 'Exploring Multiple Avenues: How to Contact WordPress for Support: 6 Best Ways' in white text.
What’s your preferred method to contact WordPress?

During the ten years I’ve been blogging, I’ve contacted WordPress many times for support with my blog. I’ve always received good support from them.

From reporting bugs to getting answers to my questions and getting deals on renewing my WordPress plan, they’ve always been helpful and friendly.

But does the level of support vary depending on which WordPress plan you have?

Fortunately, WordPress offers various channels for users to seek help and find solutions to their queries. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can contact WordPress for support.

WordPress Support Forums

The forums cover various topics, from general troubleshooting to specific plugins or theme-related queries.

This is my preferred way of contacting WordPress as their staff (Happiness Engineers) get involved in your query, as do other blogging community members.

Users worldwide share their knowledge and assist each other in the forums. You can post your questions, describe your issues, and receive helpful responses from experienced WordPress users, moderators, and WordPress staff.

I’ve helped bloggers out with their queries and questions on the forums.

Next time you have a question or a problem with your blog, give the Forums a go. I’ve had great success with them. And who knows? It may be me who responds to your question or query.

Click the following link to go to the WordPress.Com Forums.

Official WordPress How-To Documentation

Before reaching out for help, the official WordPress how-to documentation is worth checking out.

These comprehensive resources provide detailed information about WordPress features, settings, and troubleshooting tips.

Many common issues have step-by-step solutions outlined in these guides, making it an excellent self-help option.

Click the following link to go to the Official WordPress How-To Documents.

WordPress Support via Email

For more personalised assistance, you can contact WordPress support via email. The official WordPress support email address can only be accessed by completing a form – Contact Us.

When reaching out through email, be sure to provide detailed information about your issue, including the name of your blog, which WordPress plan you are on, which WordPress theme you use, which device you are using, and details of the device’s operating system.

The more details you provide, the easier it is for the support team to understand and address your problem.

Social Media Channels

WordPress is active on various social media platforms, including X and Facebook.

You can follow official WordPress accounts and use these platforms to ask questions or seek assistance. Community members and WordPress developers often actively monitor these channels and may respond to your queries.

I’ve spoken with WordPress staff on X and have found them professional, helpful and friendly. After talking to them on X, I even got a discount code for renewing my WordPress plan.

WordPress on X.

WordPress on Facebook.

Live Chat Support

This can be a quick way to get real-time assistance.

If you’re lucky enough to have a WordPress plan that offers Live Chat, it’s an instant way of getting help from a staff member at WordPress, although I have found that Live Chat isn’t always available.

Although I’ve always had much success with Live Chat, it can sometimes be time-consuming.

As well as having details of your blogging problem or question, give details of which device and operating system you are using. Screenshots of errors or bugs are also helpful and help resolve issues quickly.

To find out if your WordPress plan has Live Chat, click the question mark icon in the top right of your screen and click the ‘Still need help‘ button, and you’ll see a list of options available to you.

Image showing where to access Live Chat on WordPress
Live chat is great for getting an instant response from WordPress.

Users with a free or starter WordPress plan or those on a monthly subscription cannot access Live Chat.

Hire a WordPress Developer

Hiring a WordPress developer might be the best solution for complex issues or customisation requirements. However, this could be an expensive option.

If you do go down the route of this option, I’d recommend you ask around first to find out if anybody can recommend a computer savvy who knows their way around the WordPress platform. Asking the blogging community is always a good option.

If you want to hire a member of the WordPress staff to sort out problems with your blog, contact them via email at support@wordpress.org.

WordPress isn’t always at fault, but sometimes they are.

You only have to look at the WordPress Forums to see that some problems are caused by users rather than WordPress. They’re usually not following the correct procedures or do not understand how something works.

I recently saw a user blame WordPress because they could not add images to their posts. It turned out that they’d never reduced the size of the images they were downloading into their media library; hence, they’d run out of media space.

Some bloggers also give out incorrect information to other bloggers. I had to step in when one blogger said everyone had to be logged into WordPress to leave comments on any WordPress blog. That is not true, and I corrected them explaining that all bloggers can choose via their blog settings whether or not readers had to be logged into WordPress to be able to leave a comment.

So, WordPress are not always at fault.

Of course, the WordPress platform will have bugs like any online site and platform, but WordPress will only know about them if you report them. Don’t sit back and hope that somebody else will do the job.

Sometimes, problems can be related to just one blog.

I recently had a problem with my blog, which only seemed to be affecting me. I stopped getting email notifications of new comments being left on my blog posts.

From the moment I reported the problem, the WordPress staff I spoke with on the Forums were not only accommodating and kept me updated, but they finally got to the bottom of what was causing the problem and fixed it.

My blogging friend Colleen Chesebro also reported problems around some Full Site Editoring themes. WordPress has since withdrawn some of the themes without any notice to users. They’d launched these themes too soon without proper testing, so sometimes, WordPress can be at fault.

However, I hear that current changes to the FSE Themes make them easier to use and install. I think the very least WordPress could have done was give notice first to those using the FSE themes they were going to withdraw.

For now, I’m sticking with my Classic theme, which WordPress still supports (along with over 50 other Classic themes).

Finally, whenever contacting WordPress, please be friendly. Treat them how you expect them to treat you. Being angry, impatient or nasty does nobody any good.

Conclusion:

WordPress has built a robust and supportive community that caters to users of all skill levels. Whether you prefer community-driven forums, official documentation, or personalised support via email, various channels are available to help you navigate any WordPress-related challenges.

By exploring these options, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience as you build and manage your WordPress blog.

What’s your experience with reporting problems to WordPress? What methods do you use to report problems? Are you currently experiencing any issues with WordPress? If so, what are they and have you reported them to WordPress? Share your experiences in the comments section.

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