If you’ve had a WordPress blog up and running for a while, you’ve probably noticed a mix of trackbacks and real comments, especially in posts and pages that link back to your blog from other posts. Also, since nofollow links count as backlinks , bidirectional links are meaningless.
# Disable Self-Ping Trackbacks on WordPress
Some people really like the WordPress feature that allows you to send ping messages from your website to the same location as you write a post. This allows them to track related posts. Some people don't like this behavior because it clutters the comments. This plugin can disable pings and trackbacks from within your blog.
**> Plugin link: **no-self-ping | Plugin search: “No Self Ping”
Completely Disable Trackbacks on WordPress
Go to WordPress Dashboard > Settings > Discussion
Turn off Allow link notifications (pingbacks and trackbacks) from other blogs .
# Remove all existing references using plugin
There used to be a way where you could search for " [...] " and it would return all the trackbacks on your blog. However, it stopped working for a while and I had to look for a new solution for this. That's when I stumbled upon a WordPress plugin called "Remove Pingback-Trackback Comments" which still works despite not having been updated for 2 years.
After installing and activating the plugin, go to Tools > Remove Pingbacks-Trackback Comments and configure the settings. Here is a screenshot before the cleanup:
Before clicking on “Make Changes” , it is best to make a complete backup of your WordPress database. This step is recommended since the changes will be made on the database.
Here is a screenshot of the plugin in use. It removes all the pingbacks that were cluttering my WordPress comments section.
Once you are done, you can disable and delete your WordPress plugins. Another step that is recommended after this is to optimize your WordPress database. This will speed up your blog database and will improve the overall loading time of your WordPress blog.
Do you think disabling trackbacks and pingbacks is a good idea? Or should we allow trackbacks to show our appreciation for people who link to our blog posts? Let us know.
Here are some recommended WordPress articles you should read next:
- Post Planner Review: An Upgraded Facebook Marketing App
- Best WordPress Automatic Backup Plugins (2025)
- Best WordPress Ad Management Plugins to Help You Earn More Money
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