Description
EchoThread is a lightweight, privacy-first comment system — a modern Disqus alternative 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 (~37 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.
- 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
- Create a free account and a site at echothread.io.
- Install and activate this plugin.
- Go to Settings ThreadBridge Comments for EchoThread, paste your shortname and API key.
- 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 for how the hosted service handles comment data.
Installation
- Upload the
threadbridge-comments-for-echothreadfolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install via Plugins Add New. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen.
- Visit Settings ThreadBridge Comments for EchoThread and enter your site shortname and API key from your EchoThread dashboard.
- Save. Comments appear on your posts according to the placement you chose.
FAQ
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Do I need an EchoThread account?
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Yes — create one free at echothread.io. The plugin needs your site’s shortname and public API key.
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Is the API key safe to expose?
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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.
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Will this slow down my site?
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No. The widget is ~37 KB gzipped, loads asynchronously from a CDN, and never blocks page rendering. The plugin adds no other assets.
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Can I migrate my existing WordPress or Disqus comments?
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Yes. Export your WordPress comments from Tools Export (WXR), then import them in your EchoThread dashboard. Disqus XML exports are also supported.
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Does the plugin track my visitors?
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No. The plugin adds no analytics, no cookies, and no third-party trackers.
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How do I show comments somewhere specific?
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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
“ThreadBridge Comments for EchoThread” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “ThreadBridge Comments for EchoThread” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
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.