Help

Intro

What is HTML Comment Box?
HTML Comment Box is a website comments solution. As a widget, it can be pasted directly into your website's html. The comment box code provides an easy way for web designers & developers to put a simple comment box on their a web page in order to receive comments from visitors. Comments are currently accepted "anonymously", meaning anyone can leave a comment on your page. However, you can delete any undesirable comments you receive by becoming a moderator. A friend of mine is going to have a great example comment box on his site, WOW Warrior.

Why would I put HTML Comment Box on my website?

  1. Because building your own working comment box is pretty hard.
  2. Because you can get feedback from your visitors and find out what they really want.
  3. Because it's a very easy way to get user generated content.
  4. Because it's free and frequently updated.
  5. Because you can!

How To

  1. How do I use HTML Comment Box?
    If you know basic HTML this is very straight forward. First you copy the code in the big text box at the top of this site's homepage. Now, you need to be able to access the HTML source code for you web page. In site builders / editors, there is typically a tab or button that says "HTML". You must paste the copied code into the HTML code of your website. The position of the code determines where on the page your comment box shows up. If you're unsure, I'd suggest getting someone who knows HTML to help you.
  2. How do I change the color, size, font (etc.) of my comment box?
    You can do this with CSS just like the rest of your website. See the CSS guide.
  3. How do I moderate (delete) comments?
    NOTE: some users have reported trouble deleting comments when using MS Internet Explorer. Use firefox for best results.
    Part 1: Sign into Google before copying the code.
    Where you copied the HTML code for the comment box, there is an "options" section. Inside there is a link to "log in" to your Google account. After signing in to Google, copy the HTML code for the comment box. Paste it into your site's HTML.
    Part 2: Delete the undesirable comment.
    You can find an "admin" link which shows up next to the comment box on your site. After clicking "admin", you'll be able to delete comments by clicking a little [x] link to the left of them.
  4. How do I change the options if I've already copied it previously.
    Just re-copy the code from this site's homepage with the desired options checked, and paste the new code over your old code (which you copied previously), replacing it.
  5. How do I get rid of the "by HTML Comment box" link?
    Go here and follow the instructions. Removing the link costs $5, payable via paypal. Once you've paid, any comment box you create will not have the link.

FAQ

  1. If I make changes to my website will I lose my existing comments?
    No.
  2. If I change the URL of my website will I lose my existing comments?
    Yes.
  3. If I re-copy the htmlcommentbox code will I lose my existing comments?
    Only if you become the moderator (or quit being one). The other options don't affect your existing comments.
  4. What can be submitted in the comments box?
    Currently, only a very limited set of html tags are supported. <b> (bold) <i> (italic) <u> (underline)
  5. There is no captcha! Will I get bot spam?
    There has not been much trouble with bot spam so far because reading HTML Comment Box requires javascript, which most bots don't understand. If spam becomes a big problem in the future, I'll implement a captcha.
  6. Can I change the text in the comment box box form (ie, into another language) ? Some fields in the comment box can be changed in the advanced settings.
  7. Can I have more than one comment box per page? The short answer is "no". The long answer is it's technically possible, but probably harder than just writing your own comment boxes (in PHP or what have you).

Common problems

  1. I can't moderate (delete) comments:
    Please ensure you are logged in to Google before you copy the code. This is vital because when you are logged in the code changes, making you the Moderator. Also, try using firefox. IE is reported to have issues deleting comments sometimes. Finally, HTML comment box requires that you enable cookies in your web browser. In firefox, you can do this by going to
    tools -> options -> security (tab) -> "Accept third-party cookies". You may have to select "Use custom settings for history" in order to see this option.
  2. My comment box looks "messed up" in some way:
    There are a couple possibilities. First try copying the most recent code from the homepage into your HTML, replacing your old one. If this fixes the problem, I apologize for the backwards incompatibility.
    The other possiblility is the comment box is conflicting with your website's CSS. You can probably make your box look better using the techniques from the CSS guide.
If you are still having problems, please report them in the comments box at the bottom of this page.

Technical Stuff

  1. Comments are Identified by URL
    The comments are saved for each unique page (URL), so in the case where 2 URLs map to the same page, you may see different comments depending on the URL.
  2. Javascript is required
    HTML Comment Box requires your visitors to have javascript enabled. You may wish to include the following code along with the main HTML Comment Box code to alert visitors who don't have javascript:
    
              <noscript>
                You do not appear to have javascript enabled. Please enable it in order to see the comments.
              </noscript>
  3. Google App Engine!
    HTML Comment Box was built using Google App Engine.
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