How to use the Comments addon in Publio

2026-03-11

The Comments addon lets visitors leave comments on your website while you stay in control of moderation.

You enable it in chat, place it on the right page, and manage everything from simple commands.

1. Turn comments on

Send:

/setup_comments

You can also ask naturally:

Add comments to my website.

Publio will enable the addon and either place the comments section automatically or ask where it should go.

A clear request looks like:

Add the comments section below the guestbook text on my homepage.

Image placeholder: chat showing /setup_comments and the placement reply.

2. Decide if comments should be moderated

You have two modes:

  • auto_publish: comments appear immediately
  • manual_review: comments stay pending until you approve them

To require approval first, use:

/comments_moderation_on

To publish new comments immediately, use:

/comments_moderation_off

You can also say it naturally:

Please make comments moderated.

Image placeholder: comparison graphic showing auto-publish vs manual review.

3. Check pending comments

To see how many comments are waiting, send:

/comments_pending

To open the moderation inbox, send:

/comments_inbox

Publio replies with a secure inbox link for your site.

From there you can review, approve, reject, and filter comments.

4. What visitors see

Once the comments section is on a page, visitors can submit their name, message, and email if your current settings require it.

If moderation is off, approved comments can show up right away.

If moderation is on, visitors submit normally but the comment stays pending until you review it.

Image placeholder: frontend screenshot of the comments form and published comments list.

5. Style the comments section

If you want the comments box to match the rest of the page better, use:

/comments_style

Or give the instruction directly:

/comments_style make the submit button softer and the cards cleaner

That tells Publio to change the managed comments styling instead of editing random page elements.

6. Practical ways to use comments

Comments work especially well for:

  • Guestbooks
  • Testimonials pages with public replies
  • Community updates
  • Blog pages where you want discussion

If you want a more controlled lead-capture flow instead of public comments, use a contact form instead.

7. A simple moderation routine

If you want low-maintenance comments, this routine works well:

  1. Turn moderation on.
  2. Check /comments_pending once or twice a day.
  3. Open /comments_inbox and approve the good ones.
  4. Switch to auto-publish later if spam stays low.

One thing to remember

Comments are easiest when you decide the moderation rule first.

If your site also has articles, pair this with How to use the Blog addon in Publio so visitors can both read and respond.