Disable Trackbacks and Pingbacks in WordPress Easily
Explanation
Trackbacks and pingbacks are ways for blogs to communicate with each other, but they can sometimes be a nuisance. If you want to stop them on your WordPress site, here's a simple way to do it.
For New Posts:
- The code automatically sets new posts to have trackbacks and pingbacks turned off. This means any new content you publish won't accept these notifications.
For Existing Posts:
- It also updates all your existing posts to stop accepting trackbacks and pingbacks. This is done by changing the settings in your database to 'closed' for all posts.
By adding this code, you ensure that both new and old posts on your site won't receive any trackbacks or pingbacks, keeping your comments section cleaner and more focused on genuine interactions.
Code
<?php
// Function to disable trackbacks and pingbacks in WordPress
function wp_dudecom_disable_trackbacks_pingbacks() {
// Disable trackbacks and pingbacks for new posts
add_filter('wp_insert_post_data', 'wp_dudecom_remove_pingbacks_trackbacks', 10, 2);
// Disable trackbacks and pingbacks for existing posts
add_action('init', 'wp_dudecom_disable_existing_pingbacks_trackbacks');
}
// Function to remove trackbacks and pingbacks from new posts
function wp_dudecom_remove_pingbacks_trackbacks($data, $postarr) {
if ($data['post_type'] == 'post') {
$data['ping_status'] = 'closed';
}
return $data;
}
// Function to disable trackbacks and pingbacks for existing posts
function wp_dudecom_disable_existing_pingbacks_trackbacks() {
global $wpdb;
$wpdb->query("UPDATE $wpdb->posts SET ping_status = 'closed' WHERE post_type = 'post'");
}
// Hook the function to WordPress
add_action('after_setup_theme', 'wp_dudecom_disable_trackbacks_pingbacks');
?>Instructions
File Location: Add the following code to your theme's functions.php file or in a custom plugin file if you prefer to keep theme updates separate from functionality.
Prerequisites:
- Access to your WordPress site's file system, either via FTP or a file manager in your hosting control panel.
- Basic understanding of how to edit PHP files.
Implementation Steps:
- Backup your site: Before making any changes, ensure you have a backup of your site. This is a good practice to prevent data loss.
- Access your theme's files: Navigate to
wp-content/themes/your-active-theme/and locate thefunctions.phpfile. - Edit the file: Open the
functions.phpfile in a text editor. - Add the code: Copy and paste the provided code snippet at the end of the
functions.phpfile. - Save the changes: Save the file and upload it back to your server if you are using FTP.
- Verify the changes: Log in to your WordPress admin panel and create a new post to ensure trackbacks and pingbacks are disabled. Also, check existing posts to confirm they no longer accept trackbacks and pingbacks.
By following these steps, you will successfully disable trackbacks and pingbacks on both new and existing posts, helping to maintain a cleaner comments section.
If you need assistance with this implementation or require more advanced functionality, consider reaching out to the experts at wp-dude.com for professional help.