Add Disqus to your WordPress site

Disqus is a free service to create great online communities for your websites. If you are running a WordPress site or blog, you can add Disqus to your WordPress site to replace the default WordPress comment system. As one of the most successful discussion system, Disqus comment system can be found in millions of websites.

Why people like Disqus comments for WordPress?
Disqus discussion system has many advantages over the default comment system on WordPress sites. Following is just a short list of the benefits of using Disqus discussion system for WordPress.

• Reduce Spam Comments
• Enhance Site Performance
• Easier Comments Management
• Better Comment Subscription

Many WordPress sites administrators switch from the default WordPress comment system to Disqus mainy because Disqus can reduce spam comments on WordPress sites. Disqus uses its own anti-spam software to smartly combat comment spam. Started in 2007, Disqus anti-spam system has been learning over time and becomes increasingly accurate with thousands of webmasters’ moderation and users’ activities. Since Disqus will be the actual comments hosting service provider separated from your WordPress hosting, implementing Disqus on your WordPress site can greatly reduce your server load thus your WordPress site can load faster even when you have a lot of active WordPress comments. Disqus also have very intuitive interface where you can moderate comments, approve, delete, reply or edit comments. See how you can disable Disqus comments on WordPress posts or pages here, just as an example. Disqus has built-in feature to support users to subscribe any comments or discussion easily, so you do not need a WordPress comment subscription plugin at all.

How to Add Disqus to your WordPress site?

In order to use Disqus commenting to replace the default WordPress comment system, you need two things: a Disqus account and Disqus comment system plugin for WordPress. You can follow below instructions to register a site profile with Disqus, install and configure Disqus comment system plugin on your WordPress site. It is free, with no cost. It’s easy, even for non-techies.

Step 1. Create Disqus site profile

Go to https://disqus.com/ to sign up an account, it is totally free. Then create a site profile with Disqus from this link, https://disqus.com/admin/create/. You will need to choose site name for your website profile with Disqus, Disqus URL and your website category, see below screenshot.

Step 2. Install Disqus Comment System WordPress plugin

Log on your WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins >> Add New, search Disqus or Disqus comment system to find the plugin and install it on to your WordPress site which you like to add Disqus discussion system to. See below screen capture.

Step 3. Install Disqus Comment on WordPress

Once you have installed the Disqus plugin for WordPress, you need to integrate your Disqus account with your WordPress site. Go to WordPress Dashboard >> Comments >> Disqus, then follow the onscreen tips to install Disqus comment on WordPress. Firstly you have to sign into your Disqus account using your username or email and password within the WordPress admin panel.

Once you have connected your Disqus account with WordPress site. You will be prompted to select your Disqus website profile to integrate into your WordPress site. See below figure.

Now click Next button and follow on-screen tips to finish installing Disqus comments system on WordPress site or blog.

Step 4. Enable Disqus Comment on WordPress

By default the Disqus Comment on WordPress will be disabled. You have to manually enable Disqus comment on WordPress from the WP admin control panel. Go go Comments >> Disqus >> Plugin Settings, then click Enable button to activate Disqus Comment on WordPress site.

Now the Disqus commenting system is up and running on your WordPRess site. Your website visitors can now leave messages to you or discuss on any of your WordPress post or pages through Disqus.

Adding Disqus to your WordPress site Extra Tips

If you already have comments and discussions on the WordPress site or blog, after adding Disqus to WordPress, you may want to import the WordPress comments into Disqus comments. Again, head to WordPress Dashboard >> Comments >> Disqus >> Plugin Settings >> Import and Export. You can click Export Comments button to export WordPress comments to Disqus. Your existing WordPress comments will be imported  into Disqus commenting system. The comments will be displayed below the original WordPress posts or pages, but in different styles. Previous WordPress comments will be hidden and Disqus comments show up under your posts and pages.

In the future, if you like to roll back from Disqus comments to WordPress comments, you can make use of the Sync Disqus with WordPress option to sync comments which will download your Disqus comments and store them locally in WordPress site.