How to Handle and Block Haters & Mean Commenters on Your WordPress Blog

Posted on July 3, 2017June 16, 2025 by Auri Duham by Auri Duham

Today’s post is especially useful for new WordPress bloggers who are just starting out in the blogging world.

By now, you probably already know that you have full control over the comments on your blog. While it’s helpful to have a clear comment policy, the real power lies in your hands—you get to decide who can comment, what gets published, and how comments are handled.

You can delete, edit, approve, or reject any comment you don’t want on your blog.

✅ Why Is This Control So Important?

As a blogger myself, I understand how exposed our lives can become once we start sharing our stories online. For some reason, this openness often invites criticism—especially when others disagree with what we post.

Now, criticism comes in two forms:

Constructive criticism from kind readers who genuinely want to help. These can be insightful and even helpful.
Destructive criticism from haters and internet trolls whose only intention is to hurt, provoke, or belittle. These are the ones we need to manage wisely.

Let’s talk about the haters for a moment.

Believe it or not, most haters are not strangers. They could be fake friends, exes, former colleagues, distant relatives—basically people who know us in real life. Others may know us through our blog or social media presence. And then, of course, there are the trolls—people who roam the internet looking for fights.

If you’re a blogger, chances are you’ve already dealt with them. And if not? Just wait—it’s only a matter of time.

I’m writing about this today because someone recently left a very judgmental comment on my blog about my personal life. And I thought… hey, this would make a GREAT blog topic! 😄

We can receive 100 compliments and feel amazing, but one nasty comment can ruin our mood. That’s human nature. But remember this: you have every right to moderate your comment section. You don’t owe anyone a platform on your blog.

Also keep in mind—many haters live for your reaction. They thrive on the attention. So by responding, you might just be giving them what they want.

✅ How To Deal With Haters & Control Comments On WordPress

Here are several ways to take control of your blog’s comment section:

1. Manually Delete or Mark Comments as Spam

Head over to the WordPress Admin > Comments panel.

From there, you can:

Delete or edit comments manually
Mark them as spam

Once a comment is marked as spam, all future comments from that person will automatically be redirected to your spam folder. Whether or not you choose to read them is up to you—but honestly, why bother?

If someone leaves a poorly written comment and you don’t agree with their opinion, you can simply delete it. Don’t give it a second thought.

2. Require Commenters to Register

This method isn’t ideal for growing your blog, but if you’re serious about control, you can require users to register before they can comment.

Here’s how:
Go to WordPress Admin > Settings > Discussion
Check the box. “Users must be registered and logged in to comment.”

Want to reverse it later? Just uncheck that box.

3. Block Specific Commenters in WordPress

Every comment in WordPress contains behind-the-scenes information like:

IP address
Name
Email
Website URL

You can find this info in your Comments panel, and if you’re using a web hosting service, you can also track it via your cPanel email account (make sure the admin email is the one linked to your hosting).

Once you’ve collected the details:

Go to Settings > Discussion in your WordPress Admin
Scroll to Comment Moderation and Comment Blacklist
Paste the info (email, name, IP, keywords, etc.) into the boxes

Comments matching items in the Moderation list will be held for approval
Comments matching items in the Blacklist will be marked as spam instantly

You can also add keywords (like profanity or slurs) that you don’t allow on your blog—just one phrase per line.

4. Block IP Addresses Through Web Hosting

This is a more serious step—it blocks users from even visiting your blog.

To do this:

Go to cPanel > Security > IP Address Deny Manager
Enter the IP address you want to block

Keep in mind: IP addresses can be faked or changed, so this isn’t foolproof, but it’s still a useful tool.

If you’re curious about where the IP address is coming from, you can also look it up online using IP tracking tools. But again, don’t get too invested in this unless necessary.

5. Block Their Email or Social Media

If you know their email address, you can block them from contacting you again.

Example:

Yahoo Mail: Go to Settings > Block Addresses, type in their email, and hit Block
Gmail and other platforms also allow blocking

The same goes for social media. Don’t hesitate to block or mute accounts that spread negativity. They might create new fake accounts, but hey—blocking can be quite satisfying! 😄

Final Thoughts: Take the High Road

As you grow older (and wiser), you’ll realize that not everything deserves your energy or reaction.

Haters will always be haters. They’ll find any reason to dislike you, criticize you, and try to bring you down. That’s what they do—it’s their full-time hobby.

But here’s the truth: Maybe they’re hurting. Maybe they’re just craving attention.
Maybe they envy your life, your confidence, or your joy. Or maybe… they simply have nothing better to do.

Whatever the reason—let them be.

You don’t need to waste time proving your haters wrong. Take the high road. Be better. Rise above. Don’t lower yourself to their level.

Yes, everyone has the right to an opinion—but you have the right to not engage. Don’t give them the reaction they’re looking for. Most of them thrive on attention, especially the negative kind.

Ironically, these haters?
They’re actually some of your most loyal followers. 😏
They keep coming back. They read every post. They stalk every update.
And guess what? They’re boosting your blog traffic with every click.

So protect your peace.
You became a blogger so your voice could be heard—not theirs.
Don’t let trolls suck the joy out of something you love.

But also, don’t tolerate toxicity.

You have every right to keep your blog a safe, inspiring, and positive space.

So blog happy, and blog safe. 💛