How to Install Disqus Plugin on Your Blog

Yesterday I discussed changing to Disqus. (unintended pun) Today is going to be how to switch to Disqus.

Set up Disqus

Visit Disqus.com You will need to register your site. You will be given a short name which you can edit but is unique to your blog. Now, since you probably want to manage your comments you will need to create your profile.

Settings

You can set up optional features for the way people can log in to comment on your blog. Media Attachment is automatically checked. Options are Facebook, OpenID, Twitter and Yahoo. These options also allow your commentators to display their comment on those sites. This allows for greater traffic. Checking the Akismet link will reduce spam. Reactions will add links to people recommending your post on Twitter, Friendfeed, Digg and many other sites. You can change these options later so do not worry.

Installation

Login to your WordPress. Scroll down to Plugins. Choose Add New and then type Disqus in your search. You want the Disqus Comment System. Click Install, again in the pop up and activate. You will see a must configure warning at the top of the page. Click the link. Use your Disqus login and then choose your short name you registered at Disqus. Now you have it installed.

Sync Comments

After installation it will take you to the Disqus comment page within your blog. This is the manage page, while is shows, you must manage at Disqus. This is a fault in Disqus, but it is still worth using. Click Advanced Options. You should have some long code in your API. Scroll down and export comments. This will sync your current comments with Disqus.

Back to Disqus.com

Choose overview from the link on the box on the right where your avatar image is. Next click comments. If you have more than one blog you will want to go to the right again and a little lower you will see “All Sites” choose which site on which you want to work. Here you can moderate comments, approve, delete etc. You could moderate all sites at once, but I prefer to know which comments are to which blog.

More Settings

Now choose the Settings tab in the left. If there is more than one blogger you will want to add them to the Moderator list. Next click to customization sub tab to change the appearance and layout. The general sub-tab will let you change the settings you used during the blog set up. Tools allows you to create a widget.

How is this easier?

While the initial set up is more work, after that you can just visit Disqus.com when you want. You can see comments on all blogs or one by one. You moderate your comments there, and with Disqus you have less moderation work to do. In addition with all the back traffic systems it helps build traffic to your website.

~ MJ Schrader