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Akismet filters spam in supported WordPress comments, forms, and other submitted content. To use it, install the Automattic plugin, connect an API key through the setup path for your WordPress version, and choose how filtered items should be handled. It does not block spam user registrations or prevent fraudulent orders, so it should not be treated as a general security or anti-fraud tool.

What Akismet protects—and what it does not

Akismet is an Automattic plugin backed by a hosted spam-filtering service. It evaluates supported user-submitted text, including comments and compatible form submissions. Its documented integrations also cover uses such as pingbacks, forum posts, and WooCommerce product reviews. Coverage depends on the integration: a form plugin must be compatible and configured for Akismet.

Two important limits affect WordPress site owners:

  • Akismet does not check spam user registrations, according to Akismet’s scope documentation.
  • Filtering WooCommerce product reviews does not prevent fraudulent orders. Order fraud requires a separate solution.

Use Akismet for supported content spam, not as a bot-registration blocker, security suite, or payment-fraud filter.

How to install and activate Akismet

  1. In WordPress Admin, go to Plugins → Add New, search for Akismet, confirm the plugin author is Automattic, then install and activate it. The WordPress.org plugin listing identifies the official plugin.
  2. Connect the plugin using the instructions for your WordPress version below.
  3. If you want to filter a contact form, confirm that your form plugin supports Akismet and follow that integration’s setup instructions. Akismet lists integrations including Contact Form 7 with Flamingo and Gravity Forms; compatibility should not be assumed for every form plugin. See its integration list.

WordPress 7.0 or later

Open Settings → Connectors, select Akismet Anti-spam, choose Set up, enter your API key, and save. This is the documented connector route for WordPress 7.0 and later.

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Older WordPress versions

Open Settings → Akismet Anti-spam and connect an API key. If Jetpack is active, the Akismet menu appears under Jetpack → Akismet Anti-spam. During setup, you can enter an existing key, obtain one, or connect through a qualifying Jetpack plan. Check the current Akismet activation instructions if the labels differ in your installation.

What the API key does and how to protect it

The API key identifies your Akismet account and authenticates requests from your site. Treat it as a secret: do not publish it in a post, support forum, screenshot, or public code repository. If you think it has been exposed, contact Akismet support. If you lose it, Akismet says it can resend the key; use its API key help rather than sharing it publicly.

Choose how Akismet handles filtered comments

Akismet’s settings include options to show approved-comment counts beside authors, choose whether filtered spam is silently discarded or placed in the Spam folder, and display a privacy notice below comment forms. For a cautious start, send filtered items to Spam and review the queue regularly. That gives you an opportunity to catch messages that should not have been filtered; it is a workflow recommendation, not a claim about a particular detection rate.

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If a legitimate comment is in Spam, review it and follow Akismet’s instructions for unblocking false positives. If spam gets through, use the plugin’s moderation or reporting controls to mark it as spam; integrations can submit spam and legitimate (“ham”) examples through the documented developer guidance.

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Which Akismet plan fits your site?

Eligibility, site count, and monthly checks are key distinctions. The following prices and allowances were displayed on Akismet’s pricing page on October 4, 2026; they are point-in-time figures and may change.

Plan Commercial eligibility Sites Monthly spam checks Price and billing basis
Personal Personal, non-commercial sites Not stated on the pricing page Not stated on the pricing page Pay what you can
Pro Commercial use permitted One site per plan 500 From $9.95 per month, billed yearly
Business Commercial use permitted Multiple sites 5,000 $49.95 per month, billed yearly
Enterprise Commercial use permitted Multiple sites Not stated Custom pricing

Plan details and prices are from Akismet’s pricing page, checked October 4, 2026. Its API key guide describes Pro as one site per plan and Business and Enterprise as supporting multiple sites with a shared monthly call limit. A spam check is an evaluation of a comment, form submission, or other content. Confirm live account terms—particularly for nonprofits or other special cases—before choosing a plan.

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Understand and manage monthly usage

A check is used when Akismet evaluates content. If multiple sites use the same key, their usage is pooled according to Akismet’s usage guidance. That means a busy site or unnecessary comment and pingback activity can affect the shared monthly total.

  • Review usage and account statistics if your total changes unexpectedly; a traffic spike or attack can generate additional checks.
  • Disable comments or pingbacks where you do not use them, and close comments on older posts that no longer need them.
  • Use WordPress moderation and disallowed-key controls to manage unwanted submissions.

Akismet describes how repeated monthly overages can affect requests, but the consequences depend on account terms. Check your account’s current limits before changing plans.

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Troubleshoot common Akismet problems

The plugin will not connect

Confirm that the API key is valid, the site is connected, and your WordPress version’s setup route was followed. For forms, verify that the specific plugin integration is supported and configured. Akismet’s support index includes connection and debugging help.

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A legitimate comment was filtered

Check the Spam folder and use Akismet’s unblocking instructions to restore the comment and report the false positive.

Spam was not caught

Mark the missed item as spam using the plugin’s moderation or reporting path. Akismet’s developer documentation describes how integrations submit spam and legitimate content to inform filtering.

Usage is higher than expected

Check account statistics, consider whether traffic or an attack caused more submissions, and disable comment or pingback activity you do not need. If several sites share a key, account for pooled usage.

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Privacy notice and technical compatibility

The plugin can display a privacy notice beneath comment forms. That setting only displays the notice; it does not establish that your site’s privacy practices meet applicable legal requirements. The appropriate wording and obligations depend on your site and jurisdiction.

Compatibility and release details can change. When checked on October 4, 2026, the WordPress.org listing showed Akismet version 5.7.2, released August 19, 2026, compatibility with WordPress 5.8 or higher, testing up to WordPress 7.1.2, and PHP 7.2 or higher. Verify the live plugin listing against your site’s current WordPress and PHP versions before installing or troubleshooting.

The listing reported more than 5 million active installations at that time. That is a WordPress.org installation count, not an independent measurement of Akismet’s accuracy. No independent performance statistic or detection-accuracy figure is established by these sources.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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