Comments can make a site feel like a conversation instead of a broadcast. Your Discussion settings are where you decide who gets to join in, what they have to share first, and how much of it lands in your inbox.

## Before you start

- An account that can manage your site's settings
- A rough idea of how open you want your comment section to be

## Steps

### Step 1: Open your Discussion settings

In the admin menu on the left, hover over **Settings** and click **Discussion**. Every comment option lives together on this one screen.

![Open your Discussion settings](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTk0OSwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--09951a41d2dee4172ca43d941aff5db917081acf/block_open-discussion-settings.png)

### Step 2: Decide whether new posts take comments

Under **Default post settings**, tick **Allow people to submit comments on new posts**. With it left unticked, your new posts publish with comments switched off and you can open them up later, post by post.

![Decide whether new posts take comments](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAwMTEsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--a8995dab6346a7eca8e5b21fdf669a183430b7eb/block_choose-who-can-comment.png)

### Step 3: Ask commenters for a name and email

Under **Other comment settings**, tick **Comment author must fill out name and email** so nobody can comment anonymously. If you'd rather keep the conversation to people who have signed up, tick **Users must be registered and logged in to comment** as well.

![Ask commenters for a name and email](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAwMDksInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--b52a2275e6fcebbe8e30cc202cba95a66977397b/block_ask-commenters-for-details.png)

### Step 4: Close comments on your older posts

Tick **Automatically close comments on old posts**, then type a number into **Close comments when post is how many days old**. Once a post passes that age it stops accepting new comments, which quietly shuts the door on spam on posts you wrote months ago.

![Close comments on your older posts](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAwMTIsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--f00dfe17e8deea8290865d052c436d3ea68c960c/block_close-comments-on-old-posts.png)

### Step 5: Shape how replies and pages work

Tick **Enable threaded (nested) comments**, then pick a depth from **Number of levels for threaded (nested) comments**. If your comment sections tend to run long, tick **Break comments into pages** and set a **Top level comments per page** number.

![Shape how replies and pages work](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTk1MywicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--06163196e36086172217b0da9f6fc217173e219f/block_thread-and-page-comments.png)

### Step 6: Choose which comment emails reach you

Under **Email me whenever**, tick **Anyone posts a comment** if you like knowing the moment someone replies, and **A comment is held for moderation** if you want to catch spam as it arrives.

![Choose which comment emails reach you](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAwMTAsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--905f4f36601fe3fd057701585e43c257533b3b71/block_choose-comment-emails.png)

### Step 7: Decide whether comments wait for you

Under **Before a comment appears**, tick **Comment must be manually approved** to read every comment before it goes live. Tick **Comment author must have a previously approved comment** instead if you'd rather let your regulars post straight away.

![Decide whether comments wait for you](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6MTAwMDgsInB1ciI6ImJsb2JfaWQifX0=--d9f46e0fb4b43802c95599d6578ff0a3847c4829/block_approve-before-comment-appears.png)

### Step 8: Save your changes

When everything looks right, click **Save Changes** at the bottom of the screen. None of your new settings take effect until you do.

![Save your changes](https://wordpress.supportpages.io/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6OTk2MiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--fbca0db550df43931dfe79c9769d56f03534a717/block_save-changes.png)

## Tips

- Individual posts can override these settings, and anything you change here only applies to posts you create from now on.
- Tick **Show comments cookies opt-in checkbox, allowing comment author cookies to be set** if you'd like visitors to choose whether their details are remembered for next time.

## Summary

You've set the ground rules: who can comment, what they need to provide, and how their words reach you. Come back to these settings whenever your comment section needs a different tone.