Akismet is a spam protection plugin, which prevents most comment spam from getting to your site. The plugin is already installed on your site but you need to get a key and activate it before you can use it. It is not a priority you do this but unless you do your admin pages will show the notification “Akismet is almost ready.”
Quick Steps
- Click on enter your Akismet API key link in the yellow box notification area at the top of your page
- Click on Get your key link in the olive green box
- You can get a free Akismet key from here
- Copy the key you will receive in email and paste it in your Akismet Configuration page
- Check the box for automatically discard spam comments on posts older than a month (optional) and click the Update options button
Details
Akismet is a third-party plugin created for WordPress; it is your best protection against spam but you have the option to use it or not. Akismet is free for personal use; if your website is generating more than $500/mo revenue, you are asked to purchase a commercial API key. To learn more about how it works, check out Akismet FAQ page.