Who can use this plugin?
After the September 2023 update only users with administrator privileges can use this plugin. If you’re not an admin you will get following error: “You do not have sufficient permissions to access this page”.
Why did you make this plugin?
This plugin is an enhanced version of the plugin Comment Blacklist Manager . We decided to create this enhanced version of the plugin, because we wanted to be able to add blacklists without using filters and directly from the WordPress administration. You can still use a filter to modify the blacklist sources if that is more convienient for you. And we also wanted to have more information about the plugin in SETTINGS / DISCUSSION; for example when the blacklist was updated and when it will be updated next time, when the blacklist sources were updated, etc.
What ideas is this plugin based on?
This plugin is based on the idea of the Comment Blacklist Manager plugin.
What is the default source of the blacklist?
The default source for the blacklist is “ wordpress-comment-blacklist ” (a simple solution for WordPress comment spam) from Grant Hutchinson .
If you don’t make any configuration this source will be used.
Can I use my own blacklist sources?
Of course you can. You can configure them in SETTINGS / DISCUSSION or use the filter cblm_sources . It’s easier to configure them using the WordPress adminsitration interface, but if you want more flexibility, you can use the filter.
Can I use a filter to add my own blacklist sources?
You can use the filter cblm_sources to add different source URLs. We decided to keep the same filter as used by “Comment Blacklist Manager” to make it easy to switch between both plugins.
Replace sources completely (setting of the sources in the administration will be overwritten)
add_filter( 'cblm_sources', 'rkv_cblm_replace_blacklist_sources' ); function rkv_cblm_replace_blacklist_sources( $list ) { return array( 'https://example.com/blacklist.txt', 'https://example.com/blacklist2.txt' ); }
Add another source to the sources configured in the administration
add_filter( 'cblm_sources', 'rkv_cblm_add_blacklist_source' ); function rkv_cblm_add_blacklist_source( $list ) { $list[] = 'https://example.com/blacklist3.txt'; return $list; }
The blacklist expects the same format as the “Comment Blacklist” in “Settings” / “Discussion”: One word or IP address per line.
Can I change the update schedule?
Yes you can change it using the ‘cblm_update_schedule’ filter. We decided to keep the same filter as used by “Comment Blacklist Manager” to make it easy to switch between both plugins.
The standard update schedule is set to update once every 24 hours.
add_filter( 'cblm_update_schedule', 'rkv_cblm_custom_schedule' ); function rkv_cblm_custom_schedule( $time ) { return DAY_IN_SECONDS; }
The return can be provided in seconds or using the WordPress time contstants in transients : 1. MINUTE_IN_SECONDS = 60 (seconds) 2. HOUR_IN_SECONDS = 60 * MINUTE_IN_SECONDS 3. DAY_IN_SECONDS = 24 * HOUR_IN_SECONDS 4. WEEK_IN_SECONDS = 7 * DAY_IN_SECONDS 5. MONTH_IN_SECONDS = 30 * DAY_IN_SECONDS 6. YEAR_IN_SECONDS = 365 * DAY_IN_SECONDS
Does Comment Blacklist Updater make changes to the database?
Yes. The plugin adds information to the database. When the plugin is uninstalled via the WordPress administration, these settings (options and transients) are deleted.
Settings that the plugin adds: 1. Option: blacklist_exclude 2. Option: blacklist_last_update 3. Option: blacklist_github_source_updated 4. Option: use_wordpress_comment_blacklist_splorp 5. Option: apa_another_blacklist_url
Transientes used by the plugin: 1. Transient: blacklist_update_process 2. Transient: blacklist_github_update_check
How can I remove Comment Blacklist Updater?
You can simply activate, deactivate or delete it in your plugin management section. The options and transients of the plugin are deleted when you delete it through the WordPress administation. If you want to keep the options delte the plugin folder (‘comment-blacklist-updater’) via FTP.
How can I check out if the plugin works for me?
Install and activate. Navigate to “Comment Blacklist” in “Settings” / “Discussion” and see if the blacklist has been updated. And then go to “Blacklist Source” to configure it. And from this moment on the amount of spam in the comment form and contact forms should be reduced.
After installing the plugin the “Settings” / “Discussion” page loads very slow
After updating the “Comment Blacklist” with the blacklists, the page load can slow down because of the large amount of data that has to be shown on the page in “Comment Blacklist”. The default blacklist from Grant Hutchinson has over 34.000 lines that have to be shown on the settings page. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about it.
I made some configuration changes and run a manual update and the new settings are lost
Please remember to SAVE the configuration changes before running a manual update. The manual update does not save changes. If you make configuration changes, SAVE and after saving run the manual update.
Why is the background color of your settings not the standard of WordPress?
As we add setting to the standard DISCUSSION page of WordPress we wanted to make clear which settings have been added by another plugin and also make reference to which plugin has added these settings. For us it’s important that everyone that installs the plugin can find easily the plugin that added these settings, even months after having installed it.
Are there any known incompatibilities?
Please don’t use it with WordPress MultiSite , as it has not been tested. Please don’t use it with the Comment Blacklist Manager plugin.
Which PHP version do I need?
This plugin has been tested and works with PHP versions 5.6 and greater and we recommend using PHP version 7.1 or higher. The plugin has been tested with PHP up to 7.3. WordPress recommends using PHP 7.3 . If you’re using a PHP version lower than 5.6 please upgrade your PHP version or contact your Server administrator.
Are there any server requirements?
Yes. The plugin requires a PHP version 5.6 or higher and we recommend using PHP version 7.1 or higher. The plugin has been tested with PHP up to 7.3. WordPress recommends using PHP 7.3 .
Do you make use of Comment Blacklist Updater yourself?
Of course we do. That’s why we created it. 😉
