If your blog accepts comments, it will get spam: links to shady sites, fake compliments, and bot messages. Akismet is the most popular anti-spam plugin for WordPress. It checks every comment and form submission against its spam database and filters out the junk automatically.
Akismet is made by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, and it may already be installed on your site.
Is Akismet Free?
| Plan | Price | For |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Name your price (pay what you can) | Personal, non-commercial blogs |
| Pro | From $9.95/mo (billed yearly) | One commercial site |
| Business | $49.95/mo (billed yearly) | Unlimited sites |
Prices from Akismet’s pricing page at the time of writing. The Personal plan is meant for non-commercial sites. If your site shows ads, sells products, or promotes a business, Akismet expects you to use a commercial plan.
How to Set Up Akismet
Step 1: Install and activate the plugin
Go to Plugins. If Akismet Anti-spam is listed, click Activate. If not, go to Plugins > Add New, search for Akismet, then install and activate it.
Step 2: Get an API key
- Go to Settings > Akismet Anti-spam (or click the Set up your Akismet account button).
- Click Get started and choose a plan on akismet.com.
- For a personal blog, choose Personal and move the price slider to what you can pay.
- Create or log in to your account and complete sign-up. Akismet emails you your API key.
Step 3: Connect the key
Back in Settings > Akismet Anti-spam, paste the API key and click Connect with API key. You can also connect automatically if you are logged in to the same WordPress.com account.
Step 4: Choose your settings
- Show the number of approved comments beside each commenter: optional.
- Strictness: choose to silently discard the worst spam, or always put spam in the Spam folder for review.
- Privacy: show a notice under the comment form that Akismet processes comments. This helps with privacy laws like GDPR.
Free Alternatives to Akismet
Antispam Bee is a free, privacy-friendly plugin that blocks spam without sending data to an outside service. It is a good option for commercial blogs that do not want to pay for Akismet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Akismet really free?
The Personal plan lets you choose what to pay, including a very low amount, for non-commercial personal sites. Commercial sites need a paid plan.
Does Akismet work with contact forms?
Yes. It works with popular form plugins like Contact Form 7, Jetpack Forms, and others.
Where do spam comments go?
To Comments > Spam. Akismet deletes spam older than 15 days automatically.
Do I need Akismet if I turn off comments?
Not for comments, but it can still protect your contact forms from spam.
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