Comment Hooks

Last updated: February 12, 2026

Actions and filters for customizing the WordPress comment system.

Query Hooks

Actions

`pre_get_comments`

Fires before comments are retrieved.

do_action_ref_array( 'pre_get_comments', array( &$query ) );

Parameters:

$query (WP_Comment_Query) – Query instance (by reference).

Example:

add_action( 'pre_get_comments', function( $query ) {
    // Exclude specific author from all comment queries
    if ( empty( $query->query_vars['author__not_in'] ) ) {
        $query->query_vars['author__not_in'] = array();
    }
    $query->query_vars['author__not_in'][] = 123;
} );

`parse_comment_query`

Fires after comment query vars are parsed.

do_action_ref_array( 'parse_comment_query', array( &$query ) );

Filters

`comments_pre_query`

Short-circuits the comment query.

$comment_data = apply_filters_ref_array( 'comments_pre_query', array( $comment_data, &$query ) );

Parameters:

$comment_data (array|int|null) – Return non-null to bypass query.
$query (WP_Comment_Query) – Query instance.

Return: Array of comments, count, or null to continue.

Example:

add_filter( 'comments_pre_query', function( $data, $query ) {
    // Return cached results for specific queries
    if ( $query->query_vars['post_id'] === 42 ) {
        return get_transient( 'cached_comments_42' );
    }
    return null; // Continue with database query
}, 10, 2 );

`comments_clauses`

Filters the SQL query clauses.

$clauses = apply_filters_ref_array( 'comments_clauses', array( compact( $pieces ), &$query ) );

Parameters:

$clauses (array):
- fields – SELECT clause
- join – JOIN clause
- where – WHERE clause
- orderby – ORDER BY clause
- limits – LIMIT clause
- groupby – GROUP BY clause
$query (WP_Comment_Query) – Query instance.

Example:

add_filter( 'comments_clauses', function( $clauses, $query ) {
    global $wpdb;
    // Add custom join
    $clauses['join'] .= " LEFT JOIN {$wpdb->usermeta} ON user_id = {$wpdb->usermeta}.user_id";
    return $clauses;
}, 10, 2 );

`the_comments`

Filters retrieved comments.

$comments = apply_filters_ref_array( 'the_comments', array( $comments, &$query ) );

`found_comments_query`

Filters the query for found comment count.

$found_query = apply_filters( 'found_comments_query', 'SELECT FOUND_ROWS()', $query );

Comment Retrieval Hooks

`get_comment`

Filters a comment after retrieval.

$comment = apply_filters( 'get_comment', $comment );

Parameters:

$comment (WP_Comment) – Comment object.

Comment Submission Hooks

Actions

`preprocess_comment`

Filters comment data before processing.

$commentdata = apply_filters( 'preprocess_comment', $commentdata );

Parameters:

$commentdata (array) – Comment data including author info, content, post ID.

Example:

add_filter( 'preprocess_comment', function( $commentdata ) {
    // Add custom data
    $commentdata['comment_meta'] = array(
        'submitted_url' => $_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'],
    );
    return $commentdata;
} );

`check_comment_flood`

Fires before flood check.

do_action( 'check_comment_flood', $ip, $email, $date, $wp_error );

`comment_duplicate_trigger`

Fires when duplicate comment detected.

do_action( 'comment_duplicate_trigger', $commentdata );

`wp_insert_comment`

Fires after comment inserted to database.

do_action( 'wp_insert_comment', $id, $comment );

Parameters:

$id (int) – Comment ID.
$comment (WP_Comment) – Comment object.

`comment_post`

Fires after comment inserted via wp_new_comment().

do_action( 'comment_post', $comment_id, $comment_approved, $commentdata );

Parameters:

$comment_id (int) – Comment ID.
$comment_approved (int|string) – 1, 0, ‘spam’, or ‘trash’.
$commentdata (array) – Comment data.

Example:

add_action( 'comment_post', function( $id, $approved, $data ) {
    if ( $approved === 1 ) {
        // Send notification for approved comments
        do_action( 'my_new_comment_notification', $id );
    }
}, 10, 3 );

Filters

`pre_comment_approved`

Filters comment approval status.

$approved = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_approved', $approved, $commentdata );

Parameters:

$approved (int|string|WP_Error) – 1, 0, ‘spam’, ‘trash’, or WP_Error.
$commentdata (array) – Comment data.

Example:

add_filter( 'pre_comment_approved', function( $approved, $data ) {
    // Auto-approve registered users
    if ( ! empty( $data['user_id'] ) && $data['user_id'] > 0 ) {
        return 1;
    }
    return $approved;
}, 10, 2 );

`duplicate_comment_id`

Filters duplicate detection.

$dupe_id = apply_filters( 'duplicate_comment_id', $dupe_id, $commentdata );

Return: Empty value to allow duplicate.

`wp_is_comment_flood`

Filters flood detection result.

$is_flood = apply_filters( 'wp_is_comment_flood', false, $ip, $email, $date, $wp_error );

`comment_flood_filter`

Filters flood check timing.

$flood = apply_filters( 'comment_flood_filter', false, $time_lastcomment, $time_newcomment );

`comment_flood_message`

Filters flood error message.

$message = apply_filters( 'comment_flood_message', __( 'You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down.' ) );

Comment Content Filters

`pre_comment_author_name`

Filters author name before saving.

$author = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_author_name', $author );

`pre_comment_author_email`

Filters author email before saving.

$email = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_author_email', $email );

`pre_comment_author_url`

Filters author URL before saving.

$url = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_author_url', $url );

`pre_comment_content`

Filters comment content before saving.

$content = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_content', $content );

`pre_comment_user_ip`

Filters author IP before saving.

$ip = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_user_ip', $ip );

`pre_comment_user_agent`

Filters user agent before saving.

$agent = apply_filters( 'pre_comment_user_agent', $agent );

Comment Update Hooks

`edit_comment`

Fires after comment is updated.

do_action( 'edit_comment', $comment_id, $data );

`wp_update_comment_data`

Filters comment data before update.

$data = apply_filters( 'wp_update_comment_data', $data, $comment, $commentarr );

`comment_save_pre`

Filters comment content before update.

$content = apply_filters( 'comment_save_pre', $content );

Comment Status Hooks

Actions

`wp_set_comment_status`

Fires after status is set.

do_action( 'wp_set_comment_status', $comment_id, $status );

`transition_comment_status`

Fires when status changes.

do_action( 'transition_comment_status', $new_status, $old_status, $comment );

`comment_{$old_status}_to_{$new_status}`

Dynamic hook for specific transitions.

do_action( "comment_{$old_status}_to_{$new_status}", $comment );

Example hooks:

comment_unapproved_to_approved
comment_approved_to_spam
comment_spam_to_approved
comment_approved_to_trash

`comment_{$new_status}_{$comment_type}`

Dynamic hook for status + type.

do_action( "comment_{$new_status}_{$comment_type}", $comment_id, $comment );

Example hooks:

comment_approved_comment
comment_unapproved_pingback
comment_spam_trackback

Trash/Spam Actions

`trash_comment` / `trashed_comment`

do_action( 'trash_comment', $comment_id, $comment );
do_action( 'trashed_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

`untrash_comment` / `untrashed_comment`

do_action( 'untrash_comment', $comment_id, $comment );
do_action( 'untrashed_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

`spam_comment` / `spammed_comment`

do_action( 'spam_comment', $comment_id, $comment );
do_action( 'spammed_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

`unspam_comment` / `unspammed_comment`

do_action( 'unspam_comment', $comment_id, $comment );
do_action( 'unspammed_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

Comment Deletion Hooks

`delete_comment`

Fires before comment is deleted.

do_action( 'delete_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

`deleted_comment`

Fires after comment is deleted.

do_action( 'deleted_comment', $comment_id, $comment );

Comment Display Hooks

Template Filters

`comments_template`

Filters path to comments template.

$include = apply_filters( 'comments_template', $theme_template );

`comments_array`

Filters comments before display.

$comments = apply_filters( 'comments_array', $comments, $post_id );

`comments_template_query_args`

Filters query args in comments_template().

$args = apply_filters( 'comments_template_query_args', $args );

Comment Author Filters

`get_comment_author`

Filters returned author name.

$author = apply_filters( 'get_comment_author', $author, $comment_id, $comment );

`comment_author`

Filters author name for display.

echo apply_filters( 'comment_author', $author, $comment_id );

`get_comment_author_email`

Filters returned author email.

$email = apply_filters( 'get_comment_author_email', $email, $comment_id, $comment );

`get_comment_author_url`

Filters returned author URL.

$url = apply_filters( 'get_comment_author_url', $url, $comment_id, $comment );

`get_comment_author_link`

Filters author link HTML.

$link = apply_filters( 'get_comment_author_link', $link, $author, $comment_id );

Comment Content Filters

`get_comment_text`

Filters comment text before retrieval.

$text = apply_filters( 'get_comment_text', $text, $comment, $args );

`comment_text`

Filters comment text for display.

echo apply_filters( 'comment_text', $text, $comment, $args );

`get_comment_excerpt`

Filters comment excerpt.

$excerpt = apply_filters( 'get_comment_excerpt', $excerpt, $comment_id, $comment );

Comment Link Filters

`get_comment_link`

Filters comment permalink.

$link = apply_filters( 'get_comment_link', $link, $comment, $args, $cpage );

`get_comments_link`

Filters post comments link.

$link = apply_filters( 'get_comments_link', $link, $post );

Comment Class Filters

`comment_class`

Filters CSS classes for comment.

$classes = apply_filters( 'comment_class', $classes, $css_class, $comment_id, $comment, $post );

wp_list_comments Filters

`wp_list_comments_args`

Filters wp_list_comments() arguments.

$args = apply_filters( 'wp_list_comments_args', $args );

`comment_reply_link`

Filters reply link HTML.

$link = apply_filters( 'comment_reply_link', $link, $args, $comment, $post );

`comment_reply_link_args`

Filters reply link arguments.

$args = apply_filters( 'comment_reply_link_args', $args, $comment, $post );

`cancel_comment_reply_link`

Filters cancel reply link HTML.

$link = apply_filters( 'cancel_comment_reply_link', $link, $url, $text );

Comment Form Hooks

Actions

`comment_form_before`

Fires before comment form.

do_action( 'comment_form_before' );

`comment_form_top`

Fires at top of form, inside form tag.

do_action( 'comment_form_top' );

`comment_form_before_fields`

Fires before comment form fields.

do_action( 'comment_form_before_fields' );

`comment_form_after_fields`

Fires after comment form fields.

do_action( 'comment_form_after_fields' );

`comment_form`

Fires at bottom of form, before closing tag.

do_action( 'comment_form', $post_id );

`comment_form_after`

Fires after comment form.

do_action( 'comment_form_after' );

`comment_form_comments_closed`

Fires if comments are closed.

do_action( 'comment_form_comments_closed' );

Filters

`comment_form_default_fields`

Filters default form fields.

$fields = apply_filters( 'comment_form_default_fields', $fields );

Example:

add_filter( 'comment_form_default_fields', function( $fields ) {
    // Add phone field
    $fields['phone'] = '<p class="comment-form-phone">
        <label for="phone">Phone</label>
        <input id="phone" name="phone" type="tel" />
    </p>';
    return $fields;
} );

`comment_form_defaults`

Filters form default arguments.

$defaults = apply_filters( 'comment_form_defaults', $defaults );

`comment_form_fields`

Filters all form fields.

$fields = apply_filters( 'comment_form_fields', $fields );

`comment_form_field_{$name}`

Filters individual form field.

$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_field_comment', $field );
$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_field_author', $field );
$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_field_email', $field );
$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_field_url', $field );
$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_field_cookies', $field );

`comment_form_logged_in`

Filters logged-in message.

$message = apply_filters( 'comment_form_logged_in', $message, $commenter, $user_identity );

`comment_form_submit_button`

Filters submit button HTML.

$button = apply_filters( 'comment_form_submit_button', $button, $args );

`comment_form_submit_field`

Filters submit field wrapper.

$field = apply_filters( 'comment_form_submit_field', $field, $args );

Comment Count Hooks

`get_comments_number`

Filters comment count for a post.

$count = apply_filters( 'get_comments_number', $count, $post_id );

`wp_count_comments`

Filters comment count stats.

$count = apply_filters( 'wp_count_comments', array(), $post_id );

`pre_wp_update_comment_count_now`

Short-circuits comment count update.

$new = apply_filters( 'pre_wp_update_comment_count_now', null, $old, $post_id );

`wp_update_comment_count`

Fires after comment count updated.

do_action( 'wp_update_comment_count', $post_id, $new, $old );

Cookie Hooks

`comment_cookie_lifetime`

Filters cookie expiration.

$lifetime = apply_filters( 'comment_cookie_lifetime', YEAR_IN_SECONDS );

`wp_get_current_commenter`

Filters current commenter data.

$commenter = apply_filters( 'wp_get_current_commenter', $commenter );

Notification Hooks

`notify_moderator`

Filters whether to notify moderator.

$notify = apply_filters( 'notify_moderator', $notify, $comment_id );

`notify_post_author`

Filters whether to notify post author.

$notify = apply_filters( 'notify_post_author', $notify, $comment_id );

Pagination Hooks

`get_page_of_comment`

Filters calculated comment page.

$page = apply_filters( 'get_page_of_comment', $page, $args, $original_args, $comment_id );

`get_page_of_comment_query_args`

Filters query args for page calculation.

$args = apply_filters( 'get_page_of_comment_query_args', $args );

Miscellaneous Hooks

`get_default_comment_status`

Filters default comment status for post type.

$status = apply_filters( 'get_default_comment_status', $status, $post_type, $comment_type );

`comments_open`

Filters whether comments are open.

$open = apply_filters( 'comments_open', $open, $post_id );

`pings_open`

Filters whether pings are open.

$open = apply_filters( 'pings_open', $open, $post_id );

`comment_max_links_url`

Filters link count for moderation.

$count = apply_filters( 'comment_max_links_url', $count, $url, $comment );

`wp_get_comment_fields_max_lengths`

Filters field max lengths.

$lengths = apply_filters( 'wp_get_comment_fields_max_lengths', $lengths );

Comment Hooks

Query Hooks

Actions

pre_get_comments

parse_comment_query

Filters

comments_pre_query

comments_clauses

the_comments

found_comments_query

Comment Retrieval Hooks

get_comment

Comment Submission Hooks

Actions

preprocess_comment

check_comment_flood

comment_duplicate_trigger

wp_insert_comment

comment_post

Filters

pre_comment_approved

duplicate_comment_id

wp_is_comment_flood

comment_flood_filter

comment_flood_message

Comment Content Filters

pre_comment_author_name

pre_comment_author_email

pre_comment_author_url

pre_comment_content

pre_comment_user_ip

pre_comment_user_agent

Comment Update Hooks

edit_comment

wp_update_comment_data

comment_save_pre

Comment Status Hooks

Actions

wp_set_comment_status

transition_comment_status

comment_{$old_status}_to_{$new_status}

comment_{$new_status}_{$comment_type}

Trash/Spam Actions

trash_comment / trashed_comment

untrash_comment / untrashed_comment

spam_comment / spammed_comment

unspam_comment / unspammed_comment

Comment Deletion Hooks

delete_comment

deleted_comment

Comment Display Hooks

Template Filters

comments_template

comments_array

comments_template_query_args

Comment Author Filters

get_comment_author

comment_author

get_comment_author_email

get_comment_author_url

get_comment_author_link

Comment Content Filters

get_comment_text

comment_text

get_comment_excerpt

Comment Link Filters

get_comment_link

get_comments_link

Comment Class Filters

comment_class

wp_list_comments Filters

wp_list_comments_args

comment_reply_link

comment_reply_link_args

cancel_comment_reply_link

Comment Form Hooks

Actions

comment_form_before

comment_form_top

comment_form_before_fields

`pre_get_comments`

`parse_comment_query`

`comments_pre_query`

`comments_clauses`

`the_comments`

`found_comments_query`

`get_comment`

`preprocess_comment`

`check_comment_flood`

`comment_duplicate_trigger`

`wp_insert_comment`

`comment_post`

`pre_comment_approved`

`duplicate_comment_id`

`wp_is_comment_flood`

`comment_flood_filter`

`comment_flood_message`

`pre_comment_author_name`

`pre_comment_author_email`

`pre_comment_author_url`

`pre_comment_content`

`pre_comment_user_ip`

`pre_comment_user_agent`

`edit_comment`

`wp_update_comment_data`

`comment_save_pre`

`wp_set_comment_status`

`transition_comment_status`

`comment_{$old_status}_to_{$new_status}`

`comment_{$new_status}_{$comment_type}`

`trash_comment` / `trashed_comment`

`untrash_comment` / `untrashed_comment`

`spam_comment` / `spammed_comment`

`unspam_comment` / `unspammed_comment`

`delete_comment`

`deleted_comment`

`comments_template`

`comments_array`

`comments_template_query_args`

`get_comment_author`

`comment_author`

`get_comment_author_email`

`get_comment_author_url`

`get_comment_author_link`

`get_comment_text`

`comment_text`

`get_comment_excerpt`

`get_comment_link`

`get_comments_link`

`comment_class`

`wp_list_comments_args`

`comment_reply_link`

`comment_reply_link_args`

`cancel_comment_reply_link`

`comment_form_before`

`comment_form_top`

`comment_form_before_fields`

`comment_form_after_fields`

`comment_form`

`comment_form_after`

`comment_form_comments_closed`

`comment_form_default_fields`

`comment_form_defaults`

`comment_form_fields`

`comment_form_field_{$name}`

`comment_form_logged_in`

`comment_form_submit_button`

`comment_form_submit_field`

`get_comments_number`

`wp_count_comments`

`pre_wp_update_comment_count_now`

`wp_update_comment_count`

`comment_cookie_lifetime`

`wp_get_current_commenter`

`notify_moderator`

`notify_post_author`

`get_page_of_comment`

`get_page_of_comment_query_args`

`get_default_comment_status`

`comments_open`