Override WordPress Comment Deadline Settings

Many WordPress users elect to automatically close comments on older posts in order to keep the constant deluge of spam at bay. This method works, but it comes with a couple of drawbacks. The option, found under the Settings → Discussion screen, is essentially an an all-or-nothing choice on older posts.

The comment deadline setting is an unsparing guillotine that drops after a set number of days to cut off discussion, without regard for any conversations still in progress. The reality is that not all older content automatically becomes irrelevant after a set number of days. Certain posts may take months or even years to get found in the vast sea of content on the web. Moreover, some posts may not gain traction or ignite conversation until well after they were originally published.

The Override Comment Deadline plugin was created to offer authors a little more flexibility to leave comments open on select posts after the deadline set in the discussion settings. It adds a new metabox to the post edit screen where you can check a box to keep comments open.

Scott Nelle, Application Developer at Union Street Media, created the plugin to do one simple thing- to keep comments open indefinitely on select posts. There’s no settings screen or anything else that needs to be configured. However, you will need to have assigned a number of days for automatically closing comments in the discussion settings in order for the plugin to be effective.

Many large blogs are turning off comments because of the time-consuming tasks of moderation and spam management. With the help of Override Comment Deadline, you can still close the door to hordes of spam on older, less relevant posts, while keeping comments open on posts where the conversation is still going strong.

If you have a strong readership surrounding your blog, the comments can oftentimes be more important than the original post. They become a treasure trove of information and interaction that transform your blog into a community, as opposed to just a soapbox. If you want the option to keep the conversation going on your most important posts, install the Override Comment Deadline plugin from WordPress.org.