Manual Installation
Manual Installation
There are two primary methods to install the Private Comments plugin manually. Choose the method that best suits your workflow.
Option 1: WordPress Admin Dashboard (Upload)
This is the most common method for users who have access to the WordPress administration area.
- Download: Navigate to the Releases page and download the latest
private-comments.zipfile. - Upload: Log in to your WordPress site and go to Plugins > Add New.
- Choose File: Click the Upload Plugin button at the top. Select the downloaded
.zipfile from your computer. - Install: Click Install Now.
- Activate: Once the upload is successful, click the Activate Plugin button.
Option 2: Manual Installation via FTP/SFTP
Use this method if you prefer using an FTP client or if your server environment restricts file uploads via the dashboard.
- Download and Extract: Download the latest release from GitHub and extract the contents of the
.zipfile on your local machine. You should have a folder namedprivate-comments. - Connect: Open your preferred FTP client (e.g., FileZilla, Cyberduck, or WinSCP) and connect to your web server.
- Navigate: Locate your WordPress root directory and navigate to the plugins folder:
path/to/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/ - Upload: Transfer the extracted
private-commentsfolder into the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate:
- Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Locate Private Comments in the list and click Activate.
Verification and Usage
The Private Comments plugin is designed to be "plug-and-play." There are no complex configuration menus or API keys required.
To verify the installation:
- Ensure the plugin status is Active in the Plugins menu.
- Post a comment as a standard user.
- Log out or view the post in an Incognito/Private window as a guest. The comment should not be visible.
- Log in as an Administrator or the Post Author to confirm the comment is visible only to authorized roles.
Configuration
Currently, this plugin does not require any additional configuration. It automatically hooks into the WordPress comments_clauses and wp_list_comments filters to restrict visibility globally across your site.