How to Remove Links in WordPress Comments (Stop Clickable Spam Links)

In 2013 I noticed that even comments with plain-text URLs showed up as clickable links on QuickOnlineTips, because WordPress automatically turns web addresses into links. One line of code in functions.php made thousands of published spam links unclickable instantly. It still works in 2026. Here’s how to remove links in WordPress comments, plus a few extra options.

Quick answer: Add remove_filter('comment_text', 'make_clickable', 9); to your theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin to stop WordPress auto-linking URLs typed in comments. To remove the Website field and author links too, use the small filters below or an anti-spam plugin that strips links. Back up before editing code.

1. Remove links in WordPress comments text (stop auto-linking)

remove_filter('comment_text', 'make_clickable', 9);

URLs stay visible as plain text but are no longer clickable. This affects all comments, spam or not, but not the comment author link. See the make_clickable() reference (external site) for details.

2. Remove the Website field from the comment form

add_filter('comment_form_default_fields', function ($fields) {
  unset($fields['url']);
  return $fields;
});

Spammers lose their main reason to comment: a link to their site.

3. Remove existing author links

add_filter('get_comment_author_url', '__return_empty_string');

Author names display without links, including on old comments.

4. Strip HTML links from comment text

Commenters can still type <a> tags. A plugin or a pre_comment_content filter can strip them, and moderation rules can hold any comment with links (Settings > Discussion > hold comments with 1 or more links).

Keep it safe

• Use a child theme or a code snippets plugin so updates don’t remove your code.
• Keep a backup and FTP access in case of a typo.
• WordPress already adds rel=”nofollow ugc” to comment links, but spam can still hurt readers.

More spam defences: best plugins to stop comment spam, ban spammer IPs and close comments on old posts automatically.

FAQ

Does removing comment links help SEO?

It reduces spammy outbound links and makes your site less attractive to spammers.

Will this delete any comments?

No. Comments stay; only links are disabled.

Can I allow links from trusted commenters?

Not with these simple filters; you’d need a plugin with role-based rules.