Modify Comment Parent WordPress Plugin

This WordPress plugin allows you to modify the comment parent for a given comment.

Why Would One Need This?

Sometimes when replying to a comment, I fail to reply and instead create a new comment. This prevents the comment thread from displaying properly. In the past, I’ve fixed this directly in the database. This plugin, allows me to fix it from the backend comment edit screen.

An Example of Needing to Change the Comment Parent

When commenting in response to another comment without using reply, which comment you are replying to can be ambiguous.

In this conversation it is ambiguous whether Chewbacca’s reply is to Jabba the Hut’s question about the distance to Taco Bell or Han Solo’s question about the time completing the Kessel Run. We know that a parsec is a unit of distance, not time, so Chewie is responding to Jabba. Had Chewie used reply when posting his comment, this would have been clearer and Han would never have bragged in A New Hope,

It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

Using this plugin, we can go back to the comment and set the Chewie’s comment parent ID to be Jabba’s comment making the conversation unambiguous.

Screenshot of the New Comment Parent Field

Other Options

There are other plugins with similar functionality, however they either worked differently than I prefer or included additional functionality. One of these other plugins may meet your needs better.

• Change Comment Parent allows you to modify the parent comment by clicking on the comments on the front-end.
• Yoast Comment Hacks includes many different pieces of comment related functionality, this is one of them.

Available at WordPress.org

Modify Comment Parent Plugin

Image Credit

Pixabay

Sal Ferrarello (@salcode)

Sal is a PHP developer with a focus on the WordPress platform. He is a conference speaker with a background including Piano Player, Radio DJ, Magician/Juggler, Beach Photographer, and High School Math Teacher. Sal can be found professionally at WebDevStudios, where he works as a senior backend engineer.