Last week I discussed the various comment systems we can choose from. There’s CommentLuv, Disqus, the default system, and a few others. In that post, I included a survey, asking you which system you prefer. Most of you said Disqus. With one issue. That you can’t have it on Blogger.
Well, friends, I’m here to share some good news with you.
You CAN have Disqus AND CommentLuv on Blogger!
And I’m going to tell you how.
Before you make any changes to templates, HTML, CSS, what have you, ALWAYS backup your site!
Adding Disqus or CommentLuv to WordPress
Unfortunately, you cannot add Disqus or CommentLuv to a free WordPress.com site at this time (So, my Blogger friends, you are extra lucky in this regard). However, if you have a self-hosted WordPress.org site, all you have to do is install the plugin for whichever comment system you want and activate it. For Disqus, there are a few extra steps since you have to set up an account with them. That’s it, though, no fancy tutorial needed.
CommentLuv Plugin
Disqus Website
Add Disqus to Blogger
Adding Disqus to Blogger is fairly simple. A few clicks here, a few clicks there, and you’re done! Disqus also has the option of syncing old comments from Blogger so that you don’t lose all those amazing conversations you’ve had! This should only take you 5 minutes to set up. Easy-peasy!
1. Sign-up for a Disqus account
2. Set Up Disqus on a New Site – Enter your site name, choose a Disqus URL, click NEXT
3. Choose your Platform – Obviously, pick Blogger.
You will then be taken to a SETUP INSTRUCTIONS page. The steps are:
4. Add Disqus Widget – Just click the button to add! Then save your template.
Congrats! You now have Disqus on your Blogger blog!
But wait, you may want to do a few things before continuing.
Import existing Blogger comments into Disqus – This is super easy and is also one of the steps on the INSTRUCTIONS page. You do this from WITHIN Disqus. Go to Tools > Import to Disqus > Blogger > Select One-Time Import > Allow Disqus access to your blog > Select which blog you want to sync > It syncs all comments, and you’re done!
Remove Blogger comment system from your blog – From your Blogger dashboard, go to Settings > Posts and Comments > Comment Location > Select “Hide”. This will make it so that only Disqus shows up on your posts. *Doing this may remove old comments. Since I do not have comments on my test blog, I can’t be 100% sure. If after you’ve already synced old comments, then did this step and the comments disappeared, just skip this step.
You MAY have to update your blogger template – If you are operating on an older Blogger template, you may need to update it to allow Internet Explorer 8 and higher users to be able to comment with Disqus on your site. Here are the instructions IF you have to do this.
Add CommentLuv to Blogger
In order to get CommentLuv on Blogger, you have to use a third-party website: IntenseDebate. Unfortunately, there is no way around this at the moment. Also, CommentLuv does not have the option of syncing old comments, so make sure you only apply this to NEW posts. Also, also, this method will take about 10 minutes to set up.
1. Create an account with IntenseDebate
2. Verify Email – You’ll have to first verify your email address. Just go to your email, click the link provided within the Verification Email and you’ll be able to continue with the installation.
3. Continue with Installation – Once you verify your email, you’ll be taken to a step-by-step setup guide. The steps are:
4. Specify URL – Enter in your blog’s URL
5. Choose Platform – This should automatically be chosen for you once you enter your URL, but just in case, choose Blogger
6. Install – Follow the instructions on the Installation page in IntenseDebate
Once you upload your template to IntenseDebate, new HTML is given to you for your blog. Copy that code, go to Blogger and edit your template by clicking EDIT HTML. Paste the entire code (to replace the current HTML).
*Reminder: IntenseDebate does not have a sync feature like Disqus. So, if you don’t want to lose all your comments, I recommend you choose to display only on NEW posts!
7. Configure – Back on IntenseDebate, at the bottom of the “Blogger Template Install”, click “Go and configure this IntenseDebate account”. In the left sidebar, choose Plugins, scroll down until you find CommentLuv, click Activate.
CONGRATS! You now have CommentLuv on your Blogger blog!
That’s it! Both systems CAN be used on Blogger – it just takes a few extra steps. It’s well worth it if you are not happy with your current comment system. Although they aren’t quite as pretty as the plugins offered to self-hosted WordPress users, they get the job done!
Was this post helpful?
Let me know if you tried either method and if they worked for you!
Also, feel free to ask me any questions!
40 Comments
Very comprehensive- nice post. I’ll keep in mind as I’ve mulled adding Disqus for a while. Interesting that you can use with blogger but not WordPress free- I mean I know wordpress.org self hosted is better but I didn’t know wordpress free couldn’t do Disqus. Another reason to go self hosted if I ever do switch to WP.
Free WordPress users really get the crap end of the stick with this one. At least, I couldn’t find a legit and safe method of getting either on a free WordPress site. I’m all for self-hosted. I went straight to it, I skipped the free blog altogether. I think it’s worth it (unless you’re barely on and don’t care too much about your own blog xD ). Glad this post was helpful!
LOVE LOVE LOVE – I wish this had been around when I wanted to integrate Disqus in – I lost all my previous comments because I had no idea how to import!
AH! NO! That’s unfortunate! Well, spread the news so anyone else looking to switch won’t encounter the same issue 🙂 I’m glad you found this helpful even if you can’t implement it 🙂
I tried adding Disquis to my blog, and it looks like it got rid of the comments. I honestly don’t know what happened. I still had the standard Google/Blogger commenting system. So I tried to remove the Blogger commenting system (like the extra step said), and now I can’t see the commenting system. I’m going to turn the comments back from hidden, but I wanted to know if you had ever heard of anything like that before? Or did I just really do it wrong?
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you already sync your old comments? Hiding the standard comment system MAY hide comments – since I don’t have any “old” comments on my test site so if you already synced your comments and it still hid them, I would just leave it visible.
Ya, I believe that I synced them right. I was going to try to sync them again today, but for some reason I can’t find the tools button. For some reason I can’t even see the new comments on my blog. I’ll get an email saying that I have a new comment, but I can’t find it on my blog/Google+. Weird. I was wondering if maybe Disquise is still hiding comments? I even checked my Disquise profile and it says that I have no comments. Have you ever heard of anything like this?
In regards to Google+ comments, this is from the Disqus website:
“When Google+ comments are enabled, Disqus cannot load. You will need to disable G+ comments before Disqus will appear in Blogger – from your Blogger dashboard, click the “Google+” tab and unselect the “Use Google+ Comments” option.”
Try disabling Google+ and see if that makes Disqus your main comment system.
When I visit your Top Ten Tuesday post from last week, I can see the Google+ comments displayed. Which comments are you having a hard time seeing?
As for the syncing, it may already be too late to sync older comments. Also, it seems that Disqus is having issues with Blogger Syncing. You can read more about that here.
Please note, I’m not sure if disabling Google+ will get rid of the comments you have received through that system.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask 🙂
I love Disqus! I’ve had it for a while now, and I’m so glad that I switched to it. It’s faster, and the comments look so much more organized now.
Me too! It’s SO much easier to keep track of conversations. Also, they last longer! I have some conversations that have just kept going and going for weeks hahah xD
It really is, especially with the emails that show you all the replies. I never checked up on the emails from Blogger because they were just too much to deal with.
yeah! You can even respond from email, so that is very convenient. I don’t think the extra step of making an account is really that much trouble compared to the benefits 🙂
Thanks for this Molly! I love disqus but it’s been acting up on mine, so I’ve just switched over to commentluv… Now to see if that behaves a bit better 🙂
That’s unfortunate! I love Disqus. Hopefully CommentLuv behaves! xD
So maybe CommentLuv is not behaving? Uh-oh… Thanks for letting me know you can’t comment on it! I’ll sort it out – hopefully 😉
I noticed that I can’t seem to comment on any blogs with Intense Debate. So I’ll look into it on my end. Maybe it’s me lol
Ahh that’s so weird! Let’s blame Intense Debate instead? haha
I looked into it and I can’t seem to find anything. I’m logged into my IntenseDebate and WordPress accounts so it should work. Do you have Comment as Guest enabled?
The only information I found was this. I also sent a message to their support with my problem. So we’ll see if it’s something weird on my end or something off with their integration? Maybe it has to do with my browser? I don’t know. So just know that I am reading your content but can’t comment lol :/
I do – that’s really weird. I’ve been having difficulties commenting on wordpress sites the last few days so it’s strange that it’s happening so ubiquitously! Agghh technology.
Haha thank you for putting so much effort in it – hopefully we’ll get it sorted. At least I can still comment on yours ;))
Hmm, weird. Seriously, technology is annoying.
And of course! I want to be able to comment! xD I’ll just comment about your posts in these conversations until I figure it out lol
SO…when I tried to comment yesterday I was trying to say that I will totally read with you this weekend. I also need to follow you on the other social media sites. I don’t know how I haven’t yet! and you need to let me know what you think of ATBP, Throne of Glass and Shadow and Bone!
Ugh. Technology. I couldn’t figure out how to print out an A0 poster the other day (one of those massive ones!) for an assignment and I had to flirt with the IT guy to get him to fix it for me…
Ahaha yay! That’s so exciting! Omg, yes – I always forget to add people on all the social media but then there’s so many..! I’m 50 pages into ToG now and it’s pretty exciting! Trying to finish it tonight 😉 And then ATBP and Grisha! So many good books <3
Oh man, at least it got fixed lol
I added you on IG! So, check! Did you end up finishing ToG?
I had to flirt for 30 minutes! It took a lot of effort! 😉
YAY! And I did – I stayed up all night reading… Oops. And now I just NEED the second book so badly!
OMG YAY! I loved the book too! I hav the second one but haven’t read it yet. When you get it, let me know and we can read it together! 😀
I’m actually really tempted to go and buy it tomorrow… That sounds fab! Let’s do it!
YES! Buddy reads! I love those 🙂 Let me know!
I ordered it (and the third one…) instead! So I should have them tomorrow or Friday! Yaaay!
For some reason, I can’t comment on your blog :/
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I am trying to reinstall Disqus on my site (I used to have it but somehow it got messed up). But everytime I click “add widget” (like on your #4 step), I get an error message. It says “Required field must not be blank.” Do you know what I should do?
Hi, Kelcie! I’ll try my best to help but that is odd!
Are you logged into your Disqus account? Did you fill out your Blog Name and your unique Disqus URL?
As I don’t have Blogger, I made this tutorial using a test Blogger site, so I don’t know all the issues that can be encountered. If you have an older Blogger template, you may need to update that before proceeding.
If you still are having issues, let me know! I’ll try to look into it further for you 🙂
Best tutorial ever!!! I did it in just 5 minutes and I shared your link on twitter, there are many girls/bloggers out there that had difficulties installing disqus. Thank you 🙂
That’s awesome! I’m so glad to hear that! 😀
Nice blog post, Thanks for sharing this useful information..
Thanks I have follow it to install in my Blogger. Disqus showed up on my post. How to get it to show up on my page as well?
I will be releasing the comments of one of my blog today, I’ll start by testing the disqus, but then I also want to test the commentluv
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Nice post, it’s funny to see how in the past couple of years, some of these are still highly used and relevant.
This sounds like a good one. I absolutely love books like this and there are so many around that it can be difficult to find the good ones. Thank you for sharing ♥
Hello Molly. I wish this post had been around when I wanted to integrate Disqus in – I lost all my previous comments because I had no idea how to import! This is gold!