Quick Start
Installation
Get the Private Comments plugin running on your WordPress site in just a few steps:
- Download: Download the latest plugin
.zipfile from the GitHub Releases page. - Upload: Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New.
- Install: Click the Upload Plugin button at the top, select the downloaded
.zipfile, and click Install Now. - Activate: Once the installation is complete, click Activate Plugin.
Activation & Configuration
The Private Comments plugin is designed to be "plug-and-play." Upon activation, it immediately begins filtering comment visibility across your entire site.
There are no additional settings pages or configuration menus required. The plugin automatically hooks into the WordPress comment query system to ensure privacy.
Visibility Rules
Once active, comment visibility is restricted based on user roles and ownership. Use the following table to understand who can view comments:
| User Role | Can See Own Comments? | Can See Others' Comments? | | :--- | :---: | :---: | | Administrator | Yes | Yes | | Post Author | Yes | Yes (on their own posts) | | Comment Author | Yes | No | | General Visitor | No | No | | Other Logged-in Users | Yes (if they authored one) | No |
Verifying the Setup
To verify that the plugin is working correctly:
- Post a Comment: Log in as a standard "Subscriber" or post a comment as a guest.
- Check Visibility: Open the same post in an Incognito/Private browser window where you are not logged in.
- Confirm: You should see that the comment you just posted is hidden from public view, even though it remains visible to you when logged in as the author or an administrator.
Technical Notes
- Public Interface: This plugin interacts directly with the
comments_clausesandwp_count_commentsWordPress filters. - Compatibility: Works with standard WordPress comment loops. If your theme uses a highly customized or third-party commenting engine (like Disqus or Facebook Comments), this plugin may not apply restrictions to those external systems.