Community Comments

Link: https://support.brilliantdirectories.com/support/solutions/articles/12000075521

This is a Free Add-On and Enabled on All Websites

Overview

The Community Comments Add-On adds native comments to Post Type detail pages. Logged-in, active members can leave comments on the website's content, reply to other members' comments, and (when enabled) like or dislike other members' comments.


This add-on removes the need for a third-party solution, such as Disqus, and keeps the whole experience on the website.


Enabling the Add-On

  1. Go to Interactions » Post Comments.
  2. Click Comment Settings in the top right corner of the page.


Interactions menu open on Post Comments, with Interactions, Post Comments and the Comment Settings button numbered 1 to 3.


The Post Comment Settings window opens:

  1. Enable Post Comments On Website? turns comments on or off for the entire website.
  2. Select Post Types That Will Allow Comments chooses the post types that show a comments section. Type in Filter Post Type By Keyword to narrow a long list.
  3. Default Title Text for Comments Section is the heading shown above the comments section of posts.
  4. Maximum Character Limit of Each Comment sets the longest comment a member can submit. 1,000 characters is the maximum limit.


Post Comment Settings with the site-wide on/off switch, the post type list, the default title and the character limit numbered 1 to 4.


Each post type selected above gets its own tab under Settings, so every post type can be configured separately. Click a tab to review its settings, then click Save Changes (or Save at the bottom of the window) when finished.


Settings tabs for each enabled post type: Article, Classified, Coupon and Discussion.


In-Depth Look at the Post Comment Settings

These settings appear on each post type's tab. The numbers in the screenshots match the numbered sections below.


Article post type settings numbered 1 to 5, from Use Alternate Title through Display Comment Count on Post Detail Page.


Article post type settings numbered 6 to 10, ending with Enable Likes/Dislikes set to Likes & Dislikes and Sort Comments by Most Likes by Default checked.


1. Use Alternate Title for This Comment Section

Replaces the default comments section title with a different title for this post type only. Leave it unchecked to use the Default Title Text for Comments Section. This is where the title appears on the post:


The comments section title, Comment Below!, highlighted on a post.


2. Moderate Comments Before Being Published

Comments require admin approval before they appear on the post. After submitting a comment, the member sees a message that the comment is pending approval:


Message shown after submitting a comment on a moderated post: Thank You. Your Comment has been submitted and is pending approval.


Pending comments are approved or declined in Interactions » Post Comments, explained in the Backend/Admin Functionality section below.


The message wording can be changed in Settings » Text Labels by searching for the variable comments_pending_approval:


Text Labels search for comments_pending_approval, showing the search box and the editable message.


3. Display Comment Count on Search Result Pages

Shows the number of comments next to each post in the post type's search results:


A post in the Articles search results with its comment count icon highlighted.


4. Display "Follow Comments" Button

Shows a Follow Comments button above the comment box. A member who follows a post receives an email notification linking to each new comment, similar to private chat email notifications.


The Follow Comments button above the comment box.


Clicking the button opens the notification options. More details are in the "Follow" Comments Notifications section below.


Follow Comments menu open with Any New Comments and Only Replies to My Comments.


Once a member follows the post, the button reads Following Comments and adds the Stop Following Comments option, which turns notifications off again.


Following Comments menu with the Stop Following Comments option highlighted.


5. Display Comment Count on Post Detail Page

Shows the number of comments on the post itself. Select where it appears:

  • No - Hide Comment Count
  • Yes - Above Post: a comment count icon next to the post's Save and Print buttons.
  • Yes - Above Comments Section: a count label under the comments section title.
  • Yes - Above Post & Comment Section: both.


Above the post:


Comment count icon shown above the post next to the Save and Print buttons.


Above the comments section:


Comment count label shown under the comments section title.


6. Enable Star Rating with Initial Comment

If enabled, members can select a 1-5 star rating with their initial comment. This setting appears only when the Star Ratings For Posts add-on is active. Its sub-settings (Users Can Only Rate a Post One Time, Display Star Rating on Search Result Pages and Display Star Rating on Post Detail Page) are explained in Star Ratings For Posts.


7. Allow Users to Edit Their Comments

When enabled, members see an edit (pencil) icon on their own comments.


Pencil edit icon on a member's own comment.


Max. Days to Edit limits how long after posting a comment can be edited. Leave it blank or enter 0 for no limit.


8. Allow Users to Delete Their Comments

When enabled, members see a delete (trash) icon on their own comments. Deleting a comment also deletes its replies, and the likes and dislikes on them.


Trash delete icon on a member's own comment.


Max. Days to Delete limits how long after posting a comment can be deleted. Leave it blank or enter 0 for no limit.


9. Enable Likes/Dislikes

Lets logged-in members like or dislike comments from other members. Select one of:

  • Disabled (the default): no like or dislike buttons are shown.
  • Likes Only: each comment shows a thumbs-up button with its count.
  • Likes & Dislikes: each comment shows thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons with their counts.


On the post, every comment and reply shows its like and dislike counts (1). A solid thumb marks the vote the viewing member has already cast (2).


Like and dislike buttons with counts on two comments; the second shows the solid thumb of the viewing member's like.


How voting works:

  • A member clicks the thumbs-up to like a comment or the thumbs-down to dislike it. Each member has one vote per comment: clicking the other thumb switches the vote, and clicking the same thumb again removes it.
  • Members cannot vote on their own comments. Their own comments show the counts with dimmed buttons that cannot be clicked.
  • Visitors who are not logged in see the counts, and clicking a thumb opens the login window.
  • Only active members can vote.


A member's own comment showing like and dislike counts with dimmed buttons.


Liking a comment and then sorting by Most Likes:



10. Sort Comments by Most Likes by Default

When checked, the post's comments load sorted by Most Likes instead of oldest first. This only applies while Enable Likes/Dislikes is set to Likes Only or Likes & Dislikes. Visitors and members can still pick another order from the sort menu.


Showing Member Badges on Post Comments

If the Member Badges Add-On is enabled on the website, the commenter's badges display next to their name:


Arrow pointing to the member badge icon next to a commenter's name.


Filter Post Comments via Keyword Search

Type any word in Search Comments to filter the comments. Only comments containing the word stay listed, with the word highlighted.



Available Sort Order Options for Comments

The sort menu next to Search Comments offers Oldest, Newest First, most replies, plus Star Rating (Best) and Star Rating (Worst) when the Star Ratings For Posts add-on is active. When Enable Likes/Dislikes is on for the post type, it also offers:

  • Most Likes: comments with the most likes first.
  • Most Dislikes: comments with the most dislikes first. This option appears only with Likes & Dislikes.

Comments with the same number of likes or dislikes are listed oldest first.


Comment sort menu listing all options, with the new Most Likes and Most Dislikes highlighted.


Backend/Admin Functionality

All comments are managed in Interactions » Post Comments. The bar above the list holds these tools:


Post Comments filter bar numbered 1 to 6: Bulk Change Status, Post Type, Filter Status, Overall Rating, Member Name or ID, Keyword or Title.


1. Bulk Change Status

Tick the checkboxes of several comments, choose Accepted, Pending, Declined or Delete, then click Apply.

2. Post Type

Comments can be filtered by post type.

3. Filter Status

Comments can be filtered by status: Accepted, Pending or Declined.

4. Overall Rating

Comments can be filtered by star rating. This is useful when the Star Ratings For Posts add-on is enabled.

5. Member Name or ID

Comments can be filtered by the commenter's name or member ID.

6. Keyword or Title

Comments can be filtered by a keyword in the comment or by the post title. Click Search to apply the filters.


Individual Actions within each Comment

Each comment in the list has its own controls:


One comment in the admin list with Actions, member information, Change Status, Post Title, View All Comments and Edit numbered 1 to 6.


  1. Actions: View Comment opens the comment on the post (accepted comments only), and Delete removes it.
  2. Member information: the commenter's name and member ID. Its menu links to Account Details, View Live Profile, Quick Edit, Login as Member and Email Member.
  3. Change Status: sets the comment to Accepted, Pending or Declined. The current status shows next to it.
  4. Post Title: opens the post where the comment was submitted.
  5. View All Comments: lists every comment submitted on the same post.
  6. Edit: edits the comment's text.


Actions Drop-down


A comment's Actions menu open with View Comment and Delete.


Individual Status Change

Choose a new status in Change Status. A confirmation asks before the status changes: click Continue to apply it or Cancel to keep the current status.



Edit the Comment

Click Edit, change the text, then click Save Changes (or Cancel to discard the edit).


Admin edit box for a comment's text with Save Changes and Cancel.


NOTE: Members must be active to post a comment. If a member whose account is not active tries to comment, an error message explains that the account must be active:


Error shown to an inactive member who tries to comment: Your account is not Active. Please activate your account to submit a comment.


"Follow" Comments Notifications

When Display "Follow Comments" Button is enabled, members choose how to be notified by email:

  • Any New Comments: an email for every new comment on the post.
  • Only Replies to My Comments: an email only when someone replies to the member's own comment.
  • Stop Following Comments: turns notifications off. This option appears once the member is following the post.


Each choice asks for confirmation before it is saved:


Confirm Selection dialog asking to get email notifications for any new comments.


Confirm Selection dialog asking to stop email notifications for comments on this post.


A comment held for moderation does not send a notification when it is submitted. The system email sent to followers can be edited:

  1. Go to Emails » Email Templates.
  2. Search for post-comment-reply-notification.
  3. Open the template from its Actions menu.


Email Templates filtered to post-comment-reply-notification, with the menu link, the search and the template card numbered 1 to 3.


More information: How to Edit Email Templates