{"id":30670,"date":"2012-11-14T22:41:58","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T17:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=30670"},"modified":"2026-10-13T13:41:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:11:26","slug":"stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop Akismet from Auto-Deleting Comments (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Is Akismet auto delete throwing away real comments? Akismet can delete comments without you ever seeing them. Like most WordPress bloggers, I assumed Akismet sent every suspected spam comment to the Spam folder for review. Then I discovered a setting that lets Akismet silently discard the &#8220;worst&#8221; spam. Occasionally that includes real comments from readers. Here is how to stop <strong>Akismet auto delete<\/strong> in 2026, so you can review every comment it catches.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64058\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Stop Akismet from auto deleting comments\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/stop-akismet-auto-delete.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> In WordPress, go to <strong>Settings &gt; Akismet Anti-spam<\/strong> (or Jetpack &gt; Akismet). Under <strong>Strictness<\/strong>, choose <strong>&#8220;Always put spam in the Spam folder for review&#8221;<\/strong> instead of &#8220;Silently discard the worst and most pervasive spam so I never see it&#8221;. Save changes. Remember that spam is still removed automatically after 15 days, so check the Spam folder regularly.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae7cf9f6e50c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae7cf9f6e50c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Why_Akismet_auto_deletes_comments\" >Why Akismet auto deletes comments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#How_to_stop_Akismet_from_auto_deleting_comments\" >How to stop Akismet from auto deleting comments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Other_Akismet_settings_worth_checking\" >Other Akismet settings worth checking<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Review_spam_quickly\" >Review spam quickly<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Too_much_spam_to_review\" >Too much spam to review?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Does_Akismet_delete_comments_permanently\" >Does Akismet delete comments permanently?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Can_I_recover_comments_Akismet_discarded\" >Can I recover comments Akismet discarded?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/11\/stop-akismet-auto-delete-spam-comments\/#Is_Akismet_still_free\" >Is Akismet still free?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Akismet_auto_deletes_comments\"><\/span>Why Akismet auto deletes comments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>On busy blogs, Akismet catches thousands of spam comments a day. To save you time, its &#8220;silently discard&#8221; option deletes the most obvious spam immediately instead of filling your Spam folder. That is convenient, but no filter is perfect. A genuine reader comment with lots of links or unusual wording can be thrown away without a trace.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_stop_Akismet_from_auto_deleting_comments\"><\/span>How to stop Akismet from auto deleting comments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Log in to your WordPress dashboard.<\/li>\n<li>Open <strong>Settings &gt; Akismet Anti-spam<\/strong>. If you use Jetpack, you may find it under <strong>Jetpack &gt; Akismet<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Find the <strong>Strictness<\/strong> setting.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Always put spam in the Spam folder for review<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Save changes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Akismet_settings_worth_checking\"><\/span>Other Akismet settings worth checking<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Comments:<\/strong> show the number of approved comments beside each comment author, which helps you spot trusted regulars.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Privacy:<\/strong> display a notice under your comment form that comments are processed by Akismet, which helps with GDPR.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Statistics:<\/strong> see how much spam Akismet blocks and how accurate it has been on your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Review_spam_quickly\"><\/span>Review spam quickly<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Open <strong>Comments &gt; Spam<\/strong> once or twice a week and skim for real names and on-topic replies.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Not Spam<\/strong> on genuine comments. Akismet learns from this.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Empty Spam<\/strong> when you are done.<\/li>\n<li>Akismet deletes spam older than 15 days automatically, so do not leave it too long.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>See how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/08\/moderate-wordpress-comments-quickly\/\">moderate WordPress comments quickly<\/a>, and keep the Trash tidy by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/automatically-empty-wordpress-trash-daily\/\">emptying WordPress trash automatically<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Too_much_spam_to_review\"><\/span>Too much spam to review?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If the Spam folder is overwhelming, stop bots before they reach Akismet. A honeypot plugin or Cloudflare Turnstile blocks most automated spam, leaving Akismet to handle the rest. Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2014\/09\/4-best-wordpress-plugins-to-stop-comment-spam\/\">best plugins to stop comment spam<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Akismet_delete_comments_permanently\"><\/span>Does Akismet delete comments permanently?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Only if &#8220;silently discard&#8221; is on, or after spam has sat in the Spam folder for 15 days.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_recover_comments_Akismet_discarded\"><\/span>Can I recover comments Akismet discarded?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Silently discarded comments are never saved, which is why reviewing spam is safer.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Akismet_still_free\"><\/span>Is Akismet still free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Free for personal, non-commercial sites. Commercial sites need a paid plan.<\/p>\n<p>Have you ever found a real comment in your spam folder? Tell us in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Akismet auto delete throwing away real comments? Akismet can delete comments without you ever seeing them. Like most WordPress&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,17],"class_list":["post-30670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","tag-tutorials","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30670"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65463,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30670\/revisions\/65463"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}