Review a comment's relevance, intent and links before classifying it as spam. Genuine criticism, a short question or imperfect language should not be treated as abuse merely because it is inconvenient or unusual.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Read the comment in context
Open the associated article and determine whether the submission responds to its subject. Look for repeated generic praise paired with unrelated commercial links, copied text appearing across many posts, or attempts to direct visitors to suspicious destinations.
Check the whole submission rather than only the author's name or first sentence. Avoid visiting a suspicious link unnecessarily; the visible domain and surrounding context may already be enough to identify an irrelevant promotion.
02 Choose the appropriate action
- Approve relevant comments that meet the site's published discussion policy.
- Keep uncertain submissions pending while a moderator reviews them.
- Mark genuine unsolicited spam as Spam so the classification reflects its nature.
- Use Trash for an ordinary unwanted comment when it is not properly described as spam.
- Remove or redact accidentally exposed private information through an appropriate documented process.
03 Handle criticism and support questions
A customer describing a problem can be legitimate feedback even when it is strongly worded. Apply the same moderation standards consistently. Move account-specific troubleshooting to an appropriate support channel without asking the customer to post credentials, order details or other private information publicly.
Do not change a comment's meaning to make it more favourable. If editing is necessary for policy reasons, follow the site's transparent editorial approach.
What if a spam filter misclassifies genuine feedback?
Check the spam queue periodically, particularly after changing filters or anti-spam services. Restore false positives and identify the rule or plugin responsible. A tool's label is useful evidence, not a substitute for every human decision.
If a wave of submissions overwhelms the queue, record common patterns and use targeted controls. Avoid blocking a whole shared network or deleting all recent comments without review. Keep the moderation process proportionate to the site and make sure legitimate readers retain a clear way to contact the team when their contribution does not appear.