Dealing with comment spam on a WordPress site can be annoying. However, there are several methods you can use to prevent or greatly reduce the amount of comment spam you receive. For many organizations, managing spam is an essential component of website maintenance and day-to-day WordPress management.

One common approach to manage comment spam in WordPress is by using plugins like Akismet. Akismet automatically checks comments against their database of known spam to prevent your site from publishing malicious content. It has been the go-to plugin for most users ever since it was released in 2005. The basic plugin is free and there is a paid version for commercial and other professional sites.

However, if you’re still dealing with an excessive number of spam comments even after activating Akismet, consider implementing these additional strategies:

1. Set up comment moderation: You can configure your settings so that you have to manually approve all comments before they get published on your site. To set up moderation, navigate to Settings > Discussion and check the boxes for ‘Comment must be manually approved’ and ‘Comment author must have a previously approved comment’.
2. Implement a CAPTCHA: CAPTCHAs can be frustrating for some users, but they do work well at blocking automated comment spammers.
3. Use blacklists: In your discussion settings, you can also set up a list of words, names, URLs, etc., that if found in a comment will mark it as spam.
4. Limit links: Most spam comments include multiple links which will help them stand out when being reviewed.
5. Blocking IP addresses: Although this should be used sparingly as it can block legitimate users. You might need to do this if a specific person or bot is spamming your comments section. To block an IP, navigate to Settings > Discussion and add the IP addresses you wish to block in the ‘Comment Blocklist’ box.

By implementing these strategies, you should be able to greatly reduce or even eliminate the amount of comment spam you’re dealing with on your WordPress site.

This resource serves as a comprehensive guide for combating comment spam on WordPress blogs and websites. It covers various strategies, tools, plugins, and best practices to protect against and mitigate the impact of unwanted comments and spam.