Title: Comments – EchoThread Author: cigan1 Published: June 13, 2026 Last modified: August 28, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/assets/banner-772x250. png?rev=3571383) ![](https://ps.w.org/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/assets/icon-256x256.png? rev=3571383) # Comments – EchoThread By [cigan1](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cigan1/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread.1.2.0.zip) * [Details](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/#description) * [Reviews](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/#reviews) * [Installation](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/#installation) * [Development](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/) ## Description **EchoThread** is a lightweight, privacy-first comment system — a modern [Disqus alternative](https://echothread.io) that doesn’t sell your readers’ data or inject ads. This plugin drops EchoThread into any WordPress theme with no code: enter your site key, choose where comments appear, and you’re live. It’s a thin wrapper around the hosted EchoThread widget (~55 KB gzipped, loaded async from a CDN). All storage, rendering, moderation, and spam filtering happen in the hosted service, so the plugin adds **no tracking, no database tables, and no page-weight beyond the widget script**. #### Why EchoThread * **Privacy-first** — no ad tech, no third-party trackers, no data resale. GDPR- friendly. * **AI / ML spam filtering** — machine-learning moderation catches AI-generated comment spam that keyword filters miss. * **Real moderation controls** — a per-site restricted-word list, ban or trust individual commenters in one click, and auto-close discussions on older posts. * **Threaded replies & reactions** — a modern discussion UX, not a flat list. * **Fast** — one async script, zero render-blocking, no jQuery. * **Free tier** — get started without a credit card. * **Disqus migration** — import your existing comments via WXR so no conversations are lost. #### How it works 1. Create a free account and a site at [echothread.io](https://echothread.io/register?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=plugin&utm_campaign=readme). 2. Install and activate this plugin. 3. Go to **Settings EchoThread Comments**, paste your **shortname** and **API key**. 4. Choose placement — _Replace the theme comments_ (recommended), _Append below content_, or _Manual_ via the `[echothread]` shortcode. That’s it. Comments render on your posts immediately. #### Privacy This plugin loads `https://cdn.echothread.io/widget.js` on singular posts/pages where comments are enabled. The widget communicates with the EchoThread API to load and post comments. The plugin itself sets no cookies and collects no personal data. See the [EchoThread privacy policy](https://echothread.io/privacy) for how the hosted service handles comment data. ## Screenshots [⌊The whole setup: paste your shortname and API key, choose where comments go, save. No code, no database tables.⌉⌊The whole setup: paste your shortname and API key, choose where comments go, save. No code, no database tables.⌉[ The whole setup: paste your shortname and API key, choose where comments go, save. No code, no database tables. [⌊EchoThread on a post — threaded replies, emoji reactions, and one-tap Google or GitHub sign-in. No ads anywhere in the thread.⌉⌊EchoThread on a post — threaded replies, emoji reactions, and one-tap Google or GitHub sign-in. No ads anywhere in the thread.⌉[ EchoThread on a post — threaded replies, emoji reactions, and one-tap Google or GitHub sign-in. No ads anywhere in the thread. [⌊The hosted moderation queue: ML spam filtering flags the junk before readers see it, and you can approve, reject, ban, or trust a commenter in one click.⌉⌊The hosted moderation queue: ML spam filtering flags the junk before readers see it, and you can approve, reject, ban, or trust a commenter in one click.⌉[ The hosted moderation queue: ML spam filtering flags the junk before readers see it, and you can approve, reject, ban, or trust a commenter in one click. [⌊The same thread on a phone — the widget is responsive out of the box and inherits your theme's light or dark mode.⌉⌊The same thread on a phone — the widget is responsive out of the box and inherits your theme's light or dark mode.⌉[ The same thread on a phone — the widget is responsive out of the box and inherits your theme’s light or dark mode. ## Installation 1. Upload the `threadbridge-comments-for-echothread` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`, or install via **Plugins Add New**. 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** screen. 3. Visit **Settings EchoThread Comments** and enter your site **shortname** and ** API key** from your EchoThread dashboard. 4. Save. Comments appear on your posts according to the placement you chose. ## FAQ ### Do I need an EchoThread account? Yes — create one free at echothread.io. The plugin needs your site’s shortname and public API key. ### Is the API key safe to expose? Yes. The API key is a public, embeddable credential designed to live in page HTML. It only lets visitors load and post comments on your registered site; it cannot access or change your account. ### Will this slow down my site? No. The widget is ~55 KB gzipped, loads asynchronously from a CDN, and never blocks page rendering. The plugin adds no other assets. ### Can I migrate my existing WordPress or Disqus comments? Yes. Export your WordPress comments from **Tools Export** (WXR), then import them in your EchoThread dashboard. Disqus XML exports are also supported. ### Does the plugin track my visitors? No. The plugin adds no analytics, no cookies, and no third-party trackers. ### How do I show comments somewhere specific? Set placement to **Manual** and add the `[echothread]` shortcode wherever you want the thread to appear. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “Comments – EchoThread” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ cigan1 ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cigan1/) [Translate “Comments – EchoThread” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.2.0 * Renamed to “Comments – EchoThread”. Same plugin, same settings, same slug — the old name hid what it actually does. The settings screen now lives under **Settings EchoThread Comments**. * The feature list now mentions the moderation tools that shipped alongside it: a per-site restricted-word list, per-commenter ban/trust, and auto-closing discussions on older posts. #### 1.1.0 * Fixed: “Replace the theme comments” now works on block themes. Block themes render a comments block instead of calling the classic comments template, so on every default theme since Twenty Twenty-Two the recommended placement silently did nothing and the native comments stayed put. * Fixed: on classic themes the widget no longer breaks out of the content column. The replacement template re-declares the comment area’s wrapper, so themes that constrain comment width keep constraining it. * Tested up to WordPress 7.1. #### 1.0.0 * Initial release: settings page (shortname, API key, placement, theme, accent color), replace/append/shortcode placement, async widget loading, WXR migration guidance, multisite-safe uninstall. ## Meta * Version **1.2.0** * Last updated **15 hours ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 5.8 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.1** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/) * Tags * [comment moderation](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/comment-moderation/) [comments](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/comments/)[privacy](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/privacy/) [spam protection](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/spam-protection/)[threaded comments](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/threaded-comments/) * [Advanced View](https://frp.wordpress.org/plugins/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ cigan1 ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cigan1/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/threadbridge-comments-for-echothread/)