How to Delete All Comments in WordPress

Now you’ve decided to delete all comments on your WordPress website because they are hurting your website’s reputation and search ranking.

Yesterday you were dealing with spam comments.

Today, It’s malicious links ravaging your comments section.

The offensive comments of last week are still there.

Sounds like you? Deleting all comments in WordPress is a smart step.

But before you do, try one of these various solutions that prevent comment spam or turn off WordPress comments.

This tutorial contains 4 different ways to mass delete all your WordPress website comments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Way to Delete all WordPress Comments?

Yes, there are several ways to delete all WordPress comments. One method is via your WordPress dashboard.

Another method is to use a WordPress plugin. Also, you can delete comments directly from your website Database. This tutorial will show you how to use each of these methods.

What’s the Best Way to Delete All WordPress Comment?

The best way to delete all WordPress comments varies based on preference.

For users who like the flexibility of plugins, using a plugin is the best.

If you don’t fancy another plugin on your site, deleting all comments via your WordPress dashboard is the best way.

Does Deleting a Post Delete all Comments for That Post?

No, deleting a post will not delete all comments for that post.

Posts and comments are stored in different locations on the Database. Deleting either does not affect the other.

After deleting a post, you still need to delete all the post comments in WordPress.

What You’ll Need to Delete all comments in WordPress

Here are a few things you’ll need before you can delete all comments in WordPress:

• WordPress Admin Role: Amidst the pre-defined roles of WordPress users. Only an Admin or super admin can delete all comments in WordPress.
• Chrome Web Browser: You can use other browsers, though. But Chrome is the best and also one of the most secure web browsers for tasks like this.
• Hosting Dashboard Access: You also need access to the web hosting platform where your website database is located.
• A WordPress Comment Removal Plugin: You can use several plugins to delete all comments in WordPress. Here are 3 of the best;
  • WP Bulk Delete
  • Delete All Comments of WordPress
  • Disable Comments Plugin

Method 1: Using WordPress Admin Dashboard to Delete All Comments in WordPress

The most direct method to delete all comments in WordPress is via the admin dashboard.

You don’t need to install any plugins, and you won’t have to deal with codes. Here are the steps:

Open your WordPress dashboard.

On the left panel, scroll down and select Comments.

Select all the comments by checking the box next to Author at the top.

Click on bulk action at the top of the page, select Move to Trash from the dropdown, and click the Apply button.

Done. All your WordPress comments have been deleted. Check your posts to confirm.

Method 2: Using Plugins to Delete All Comments in WordPress

Another easy method to delete all WordPress comments is to use a WordPress Comments removal plugin.

WP Bulk Delete is a free plugin that can get the job done fast.

This easy-to-use plugin deletes all the comments on your websites, including spam and trashed comments.

You first need to install the WordPress plugin.

Activate the plugin and follow the steps below.

Using WP Bulk Delete to Delete all WordPress Comments Step-by-Step.

Log in to your WordPress dashboard

On the left panel, hover over Tools and select Delete Comments from the resulting menu.

Check the box next to each of the Comment Status. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Delete Now button.

If you change your mind before deleting all comments, you can also use this plugin to select specific comments like spam, trashed, or pending comments.

The other two methods you are about to learn are not recommended for new users as they require tampering with your website Database.

Any mistake will break your website.

If you decide to use them, it’s advisable to have a WordPress database backup before proceeding.

Method 3: Running MySQL Query to Delete All Comments in WordPress

Log in to your web hosting account dashboard, Locate and click on Database.

Select your Database from the list, then click the Enter phpMyAdmin button.

On the top of your phpMyAdmin page, switch to the SQL tab and enter this code snippet In the field below it.

TRUNCATE `wp_commentmeta`;

TRUNCATE `wp_comments`;

Click the Go button at the bottom right corner of the box to execute the command.

Running this command will instantly delete all your WordPress comments.

Method 4: Using PHPmyadmin to Delete All Comments in WordPress

If you are not interested in writing any line of code whatsoever, here’s another method to delete all WordPress comments from within your Database.

Login to your hosting account dashboard. Click on Database.

Locate your Database and click the Enter PHPMyAdmin button next to it.

On the PHPMyAdmin page, under your database tables, check the box next to wp_commemt and wp_commentmeta.

Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the With selected field and select Empty from the resulting menu.

A dialogue will appear asking you if you want to execute the query. Select Yes to proceed.

Done. All your comments has been deleted. Check your post to confirm.

More Helpful WordPress Comments Tutorials

• How To Disable WordPress Comments: After deleting all comments on your site, you may want to prevent WordPress comments altogether. This tutorial will teach you how.
• How to Remove the Nofollow Tag From Comments: You can deal with links in comments by removing nofollow tags. Everything you need to know is this tutorial.

Wrapping Up

That’s all! As you can see, deleting all WordPress comments is an easy feat.

Now you have all it takes to get rid of WordPress comments without any fear of breaking your website. And if one doesn’t work for you, try another.

You can use a plugin, your admin dashboard, and even go inside your Database to delete all comments. The choice is yours.

Let us know in the comment section if you find this article helpful.