How-To Geek
How-To Geek Software: WordPress Comment Moderation Notifier
Many people like myself don’t completely trust the various WordPress spam filters and elect to moderate all comments before they show up on the actual site, which ends up flooding your email with moderation notices.
In my quest to keep a clean inbox, I’ve created a small application that notifies me directly on my desktop when new comments come in to the moderation queue. It accesses the WordPress XML-RPC API by means of a small WordPress plugin that I’ve created.
First, screenshots… notice the icon in the system tray. You can quickly launch your comment moderation page via the right-click menu.
When there are new comments, you’ll see this little message pop up, and then the icon will change to some random icon alert icon I found somewhere. If you click on the text it will take you to the moderation page.
The settings page is about as simple as it gets. Just enter in the base url of your blog and it’ll figure out the right path to xmlrpc. (unless you’ve renamed xmlrpc.php, in which case this won’t work at all)
The password is encrypted and stored in the xml file in the same directory. Don’t assume this is entirely secure, however. Remember that all XML-RPC utilities are insecure unless you are using SSL or something like that.
Naturally, I don’t guarantee anything with this software, and am not responsible if it breaks windows, melts all the spinach in your freezer, or dyes your hair green.
I will be releasing the source code to this utility shortly, since it was based partially on the open source Google Reader Notifier.
Technical Note
The WordPress plugin implements a new XML-RPC method called geek.getCommentModerationCount. This method could be called by any other language that can handle XML-RPC, so the WordPress plugin could be used by itself.
This means somebody could easily write an application for Linux or OS X to call the same method. (hint) It would even be possible to implement other WordPress functions this way, through a plugin.
Take a look at the WordPress plugin for the details, it’s very simple.
WordPress Support Plugin Installation (Required)
The WordPress plugin should be copied to your wp-content/plugins/ folder in your WordPress installation, and then activated in the Plugins panel. I’ve tested with WordPress 2.0 and WordPress MU.
Notifier Installation
Unzip the file and put it into a directory where you’d like to keep it. If you want it to run on startup, you’ll have to create a shortcut to it in your startup folder.
Once you launch the application, you can configure the settings and it should work.
System Requirements
.NET 2.0 Framework
Support
Leave feedback in the comments. If you have issues with this application, you can always ask your question on the forum.
Got Feedback? Join the discussion at discuss.howtogeek.com
Comments (49)
Programmer by day, geek by night, The Geek, also known as Lowell Heddings, spends all his free time bringing you fresh geekery on a daily basis. You can follow him on Google+ if you'd like.
- Published 08/6/07
That sounds awesome!
Next thing you know, they’ll be asking for it’s use with multiple blogs…
Nice tool. Extremely useful. I’m going to recommend it to my clients. Another thumbs up, Geek!
I like it now. But it’s possible to be annoying later with all the spam and stuff.
I could certainly see it going two ways– the way BillyG sees it (since I have multiple blogs) and having the option to be notified of all new comments. Though the latter would be annoying to bigger blogs, the smaller ones that get comments infrequently would certainly benefit. And for the bigger ones, just knowing that there are X comments since the last update could be worthwhile.
Great, but small question is will it support multiple blog?
Do you plan to make Mac OS X version ?
Edwood,
I’d definitely be interested in making a Mac OS X version, but I don’t have my hands on a Mac at the moment, so there’s only a couple of options:
1) Somebody can use the WordPress XML-RPC API that I explained above to make a new version.
2) Somebody can buy me a Mac.
=)
Nice lads, Thanks a lot!
The Geek
I think that the solution n°1 is the best, but I don’t know MAC OS programmer..
For the MAC, I know a man who can help you.. I seems that he is called Steve J. ;)
Thank for your answer ! ;)
Hi,
Great work.
But I have a question… What about creating a xml file to generate a rss feed updated by new comment waiting for moderation ? Then you can mix it with twitterfeed to be notified by sms ..
What would be the easier way to do that ?
Really useful tool. But I have 3 blogs :(
The only way for now is usage gmail as admin mailbox and gmail notifier.
You are on the right way!
Great little program. Is there a way to use multiple blogs with the one instance of it running on the PC?
Can you open up the code so people can develop a Linux version? :)
Chris:
Drop me an email… I’ll send you a copy.
Great idea! I whipped up a script that will work with your plugin on Mac OS X. It’s up on my website at
http://scompt.com/archives/2007/11/10/wordpress-comment-moderation-notifier-for-osx
Edward:
Awesome! I’m gonna test it out shortly here..
Cool stuff, I have just tested it and it worked very well… Thanks alot!
This is great and all, but a Mac version would be splendid.
Any proxy support for connections?
Love it! However I manage 6 blogs and it would be good to have the ability to monitor all from the same installed app!
wow! excellent job and hope it will work for me..
thanks man
Hi,
Great work!
Like other commenter’s I would like a option for multiblog.
What I would appriciate even more, is a localization option.
A lot of my Danish users wouldn’t use this if it isn’t in Danish.
One more little thing, could be really nice with at nicer looking icon :)
Again nice work!
Thanks
I’ve submitted a ticket to include the XML-RPC getCommentModerationCount method in WordPress:
http://trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5341
I just added multiple blog support to my script and the notifications on Linux. They still need to be tested though. Check it out here:
http://scompt.com/archives/2007/11/12/wp-comment-notification-take-two
Excellent tool I love it…
Thanks
This is a new creative idea for WP.
Thanks a lot for the nice tool
Very useful plugin. I search for somethink like this by google, and i found it here=]
I could certainly see it going two ways– the way BillyG sees it
Just start to use it and it’s wonderfull. Thanks!
How many connection proxy supports?
Cheers for the tool mate.
Does this work on 2.5 and can i add multiple blogs
Thanks.
I search for somethink like this by google, and i found it here ?;)
It would be great if we could also moderate the comments aswell from the desktop, without the need to go to the wp-comments moderation comments.
Hi guys,
I just reviewed your wordpress comment moderation notifier plugin over at my site (see link). It is excellent, and a heck of a great idea.
Keep them coming.
Cheers,
Ron
Thanks. it very help for me.
Hey, this is a great Tool,
you write,
“I will be releasing the source code to this utility shortly ………”
but I can not found the source code on this side?
greeting
Thunder-man
Nice, thank for this one!
Thanks. it very help for me
nice, really nice!
Thanks for the valuable information. Very useful for me.
Thanks, this might be what I’m looking for. I’d love a little program that just pops up and tells me when I have new comments… particularly non-spam ones. We’ll see!
tancks.
This Post Helped me
Good Time
That’s an awesome way of doing it. It’s always nice to be able to approve comments right after they are submitted. Now I just need to figure something like this out for the Mac.
Greetings,
It’s a very good idea indeed! However it’s not working on any of my wordpress sites (all on different hosts, all version 2.8.5.).
I guess it has something to do with the comment moderation url. In WP 2.8.5. the url is:
http://example.com/wp-admin/edit-comments.php
but the link your program uses is different:
http://example.com/wp-admin/moderation.php
Don’t know.. Please advise.
Cheers,
almost every webmaster uses this great tool…..these days…the notification ping is a must tool if you are having..a. wordpress running on it..
Great plug-in for my favorite WordPress engine!
Nice tool, going to add it to my blog.. thanks.
Thanks for the information. The article was very informative and I enjoyed reading it.I am going to try this software myself.will there be any followup?