WordPress Comments Plus Plugin

When we were developing the new version of WPMU.org, we figured we wanted to allow readers to comment using either their Facebook, Twitter, Google or WordPress IDs – and so we developed Comment Plus.

And now it’s all yours!

Here’s how it works:

Activate the plugin
Setup your Facebook & Twitter Apps (it’s easy :)
Your readers can now use their ID from either service to comment

Comments via Facebook, Twitter, Google or WordPress

And here’s why it’s cool:

This plugin effectively allows you to combine comments from all these different services, rather than picking just one
If users choose Facebook or Twitter, comments are by default posted to their own accounts, extra exposure for you!
Fully integrated with subscribe by email with Facebook and Google
Works beautifully with any theme (and if you have any issues we’ll sort you right up!)

On a technical front, this plugin should be a doddle, just plug and play.

However, if you do have any issues, you can just specify the hooks you’d like the plugin to use – easy – and if you have any trouble with that we’ll be there 24/7/365 to help you out!

It really is the ultimate comment management system – tested, improved and worked out on our own core site… you can be sure it’ll exceed your expectations.

For help with installing plugins please refer to our Plugin installation guide.

1. Install the Comments Plus Plugin.

2. Navigate to Plugins and activate the plugin:

You can activate on a site by site basis (via Plugins in the site admin dashboard) or network activate it (via Plugins in the network admin dashboard) on Multisite
You would NOT network activate this plugin if any of your sites use domain mapping.

To Configure:

Visit the Plugin configuration page at Settings > Comment Plus to set up.

You can configured for your entire network when network activated via Settings > Comments Plus in the network admin dashboard
All Comments Plus Add Ons are activated on a site by site basis via Settings > Comments Plus in the site admin dashboard

Facebook App Info

You must make a Facebook app to start using Comment Plus.

The Facebook app is required so commenters can grant permission for your website to authenticate against their Facebook login.

Creating a Facebook app is really easy!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the Facebook developers app page (you’ll need to log in using your Facebook account).

2. Once logged in clicked on Go To App and then Create New App.

3. Give your app name and click Continue.

TIP – Best to use a name people who comment on your site can identify with as this is what they’ll see when they click to login with Facebook.

4. Enter the security check and click Submit (if your Facebook account has not been verified you will need to verify it by adding a mobile phone number or credit card).

5. Add your App domain.

6. Click on Website, add your Site URL and click Save Changes

Tip: Click on Edit Icon if you want to upload your own icon.

7. Now go to Settings > Comment Plus, add your App ID and App Secret under Facebook App info and click Save Changes.

Select ‘I want to use this app on all subsites too’ if network activated and want to use on all sites.
DO NOT select ‘I want to use this app on all subsites too’ if any sites are using Domain mapping.

Twitter App Info

You must make a Twitter app to start using Comment Plus.

The Twitter app is required so commenters can grant permission for your website to authenticate against their Twitter login.

Creating a Twitter app is really easy!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the Twitter developers app page (you’ll need to log in using your Twitter account).

2. Add a Name, a Description, webs site, callback URL and then click Create Your Twitter application.

TIP – Best to use a name and description people who comment on your site can identify with as this is what they’ll see when they click to login with Twitter.

3. Now click on Create my access token.

4. Next click on Settings tab.

5. Select Read and Write and then click on Update this Twitter application’s settings.

6. Now go to Settings > Comment Plus, add your Consumer key and Consumer Secret under Twitter App info and click Save Changes.

Select ‘I want to use this app on all subsites too’ if network activated and want to use on all sites.
DO NOT select ‘I want to use this app on all subsites too’ if any sites are using Domain mapping.

General Settings

WordPress branding and options allows you to change the default WordPress logo to your network logo.

‘Do not show Comments With…’ lets you control which comment login options are included.

Comment Plus add-ons

All Comments Plus Add Ons are activated on a site by site basis via Settings > Comments Plus in the site admin dashboard. You’ll only see these add ons options here; they aren’t displayed on the settings page in the network admin dashboard.

Here’s a quick overview of the add-ons:

Alternative Facebook Initialization – use if you have Facebook javascript initialization conflicts with other plugins.
Custom Comments Template – use if comment plus isn’t working with your theme. This add-on will attempt to use a known working comments template instead of your theme’s default one.
Facebook featured post image – used to force featured images to always show next to posts on Facebook
Social Discussion – Synchronizes the relevant discussion from social networks in a separate tab on your page.
Fake Twitter email – use if you are having comment approval issues with WordPress due to Twitter not allowing access to users emails.
Link to Twitter profile – forces the plugn to always use Twitter profile URLs as websites for your Twitter commenters, regardles of their Twitter profile settings.
Mention me – Adds a pre-configured Twitter username to all messages posted to Twitter.