How to Disable HTML in WordPress Comments (Quick + Easy Method)

WordPress allows certain HTML tags in the comments section, like <a>, <em>, and <strong>. While these tags can be useful for commenters, they are often misused by spammers.

Spam comments usually contain HTML links and bold text to push unwanted content. Many of these comments are generated by bots, filling your site with clutter.

Luckily, disabling HTML in your comments can help stop this type of spam. By removing the ability to use HTML, you create a cleaner, safer space for users to interact.

We understand that this might sound very technical. But don’t worry – there’s no need to dive into complex coding or configurations. With a beginner-friendly code snippet plugin like WPCode, you can disable HTML in your WordPress comments section with ease.

In this guide, we will show you how to quickly disable HTML in WordPress comments. This simple change can protect your site and improve your visitors’ experience.

Why Should You Disable HTML in WordPress Comments?

When people post comments, they can add links, bold text, italics, and other elements to their message. This sounds harmless, but it’s not always a good thing.

Allowing HTML means users can format their comments, but it also leaves the door open for abuse. Bots and scripts are often programmed to post comment spam using HTML tags, making the comments section messy and unsafe.

So, disabling HTML can help block these unwanted posts and keep your site secure.

This means that someone can still post something like:

I really loved your post! <em>It changed my life!</em> Visit <strong>my blog</strong> for amazing tips!

Or a very random string like this:

<a><em><strong>

The comment will still show up, but the HTML tags will not be functional.

This simple feature gives you more control over the type of content shared on your website. It also makes managing your site easier and keeps your readers safe from unwanted or harmful comments.

Now, let’s see how you can disable HTML in WordPress comments.

Disabling HTML in WordPress Comments

Typically, people will tell you that the method for disabling HTML in WordPress comments involves a bit of coding. They say you’ll need to open your theme’s functions.php file and add a custom code snippet.

However, this isn’t the most beginner-friendly method, and you risk breaking your site by modifying your functions.php file.

That’s why we recommend using a code snippet plugin like WPCode.

WPCode lets you safely add custom CSS, PHP, HTML, and more to WordPress. You can simply paste a snippet into its editor and activate it with one click.

So, let’s install and activate the WPCode plugin. You can start out with the free version, as it supports custom code snippets. If you need help, then you can follow our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll want to head over to Code Snippets » + Add Snippet.

This will take you to the code snippet library.

Since we’re going to use a custom snippet, you can hover over the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)’ and click the ‘+ Add Custom Snippet’ button.

On the next screen, WPCode will ask you to choose a code type.

In this case, you’ll want to choose ‘PHP Snippet’. Simply click on the relevant box to select the PHP code type.

You should now arrive at the code editor.

From here, you can first add a title for your custom code snippet. Let’s make sure you use a clear name, as it will help keep everything organized. For example, we are using ‘Disable HTML in Comments.’

Next up, in the ‘Code Preview’ box, you can add the following custom code snippet:

add_filter( 'preprocess_comment', function( $incoming_comment ) {
	$incoming_comment['comment_content'] = htmlspecialchars( $incoming_comment['comment_content'] );
	$incoming_comment['comment_content'] = str_replace( "'", ''', $incoming_comment['comment_content'] );
	return $incoming_comment;
});

add_filter( 'comment_text', function( $comment_to_display ) {
	$comment_to_display = str_replace( ''', "'", $comment_to_display );
	return $comment_to_display;
});

Here’s what it looks like in the editor:

From here, all you have to do is run the code.

To do this, you can switch the toggle from ‘Inactive’ to ‘Active’ and click the ‘Save Snippet’ or ‘Update’ button.

And that’s it!

Now, you can test commenting on your own blog post using HTML tags and see how it appears on the front end.

Here’s what it looks like on our demo site:

Bonus Tip: How to Disable Auto Linking of URLs in WordPress Comments

If you want to boost your site security even further, then it’s a good idea to disable auto-linking of URLs in WordPress comments.

WordPress automatically converts text URLs in comments into clickable links. This auto-linking doesn’t change your database but is displayed in the admin area and comments section.

While some commenters may have genuine reasons for pasting links, some others might have malicious intent with their direct URLs.

Spammy URLs can pose security risks. Some of these links might lead to harmful sites or scams, which could compromise your visitors’ safety. By keeping your comment section clean and free of these direct URLs, you help ensure a better experience for everyone on your site.

The good news is that you can use WPCode to do this easily and safely. For step-by-step instructions, you can see our guide on how to disable auto-linking of URLs in WordPress comments.

That’s all. We hope this article has helped you learn how to disable HTML in WordPress comments. Next up, you might want to explore our expert picks of the best plugins to improve WordPress comments and our guide on how to display the most commented posts in WordPress.

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