Moderating Comments
Use the row menu or bulk actions to moderate comments. Each action requires its listed permission and is recorded in the audit trail.
#Action reference
| Action | Permission | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Approve / Publish | edit comments |
Publishes the comment. |
| Unpublish | edit comments |
Hides the comment and returns it to pending. |
| Reject | edit comments |
Rejects and unpublishes the comment. |
| Mark as Spam | report comment spam |
Flags and unpublishes the comment. Can notify services such as Akismet when Submit Moderator Results is enabled. |
| Mark as Ham | report comment spam |
Clears an incorrect spam flag. Previously published comments are republished; others return to pending. |
| Check for Spam | check comment spam |
Runs the configured spam guards again. |
| Delete | delete comments |
Removes a single comment. Visitors cannot see it, but a moderator can restore it. See What "Delete" does. |
| Restore Comment | delete comments |
Restores a deleted comment. |
| Delete With Replies | delete comments |
Removes the comment and its reply subtree. The action is reversible. |
| Edit | edit comments |
Opens the comment editor. |
Check Pending for Spam checks each pending comment that has not already been checked.
#Moderation status in the comment editor
Saving the editor applies the selected status:
| Status | Effect |
|---|---|
approved |
Publishes the comment and clears the spam flag. |
pending |
Unpublishes the comment. |
rejected |
Unpublishes the comment and clears the spam and ham flags. |
spam |
Unpublishes the comment and marks it as spam. |
#What "Delete" does
Use Delete for one comment or Delete With Replies for the full branch. Both hide comments from visitors and can be reversed with Restore Comment.
The Control Panel does not permanently delete comments. Use the identity and retention commands when permanent removal is required. Permanent deletion also removes replies and cannot be reversed.
#Control Panel replies on closed threads
Control Panel replies follow these closure rules:
- Per-entry
comments_closedflag: blocks inline replies. - Automatic close period: not enforced in the Control Panel. Moderators can reply to threads closed automatically by date; the public form continues to reject submissions.
#Audit trail
The audit trail records the moderator, action, time, and relevant action details. View it:
- In the Control Panel: open a comment and scroll to the audit history.
- Through the moderation API:
GET /api/meerkat/comments/{id}/history, with authentication andview comments.
#Bulk actions
Select rows in the table to open the bulk action toolbar. Available actions include Publish, Unpublish, Reject, Mark Spam, Mark Ham, Check for Spam, Delete, Restore Comment, and Delete With Replies.
Actions appear only when the selection and the user's permissions allow them.