This question comes up over and over. I guess it’s because WordPress include Akismet in their version 2 but you can’t actually activate it without the WordPress API Key.
Here’s what you do for that API
- Go to www.wordpress.com
- Sign up for an account there. They make you take up a blog on wordpress.com but don’t worry about it, you don’t have to use it
- Once logged in, go to the menu in the top-left of the page My Account > Edit Profile
- Staring you in the face should now be your API key above your personal details. You can use this on all your non-wordpress hosted blogs to enable Akismet
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Finally – a solution that is easy to understand and implement!
My question is whether you can use that API key on an external blog for other plugins, besides just Aksimet. I have a stats plugin that requires an API and I was wondering if the API key is location specific, or if I can simply use the number that I get from opening a new WP account and then just close it…
Any Tips?
As far as I remember you can use it on any of your sites. I installed Akismet on 3 or 4 on different domains using the one key. Also, I don’t believe the key is plugin specific. I haven’t tried to close the WP account that I opened to get the key but I imagine that might scupper things.
I have also used the API key on different domains.
Intresting informations, thx.
Hi,
Its great to hear of a key that you can use over and over.
Thanks
George
That seems easy but I don’t understand why the would make you sign up but never care if you use it.
I had never taken the time to look this up until I came across your post. I was more worried about finding a way to delete my 2300 spam comments. Thanks for this info. I will activate this and hopefully not have to deal with so many spam comments.
It’s so easy though! But yeah, I have to admit I had a bit of trouble when I was first trying to look for it. I later realized when I log into the WP site, I could just click on my username in the top right to get there.
That seems easy but I don’t understand why the would make you sign up but never care if you use it.
Akismet now comes with all the new wordpress blogs, and I belive that that you don’t need an API key to activate it. I think they just wanted to know who was using there program, but now that its so popular I think they just assume anyone who is using a wordpress blog is going to use it.
You do not need an API key anymore unless you have a commercial blog or extremely high traffic. Everything else just comes automatic with a free wordpress account.
I’m glad it’s not just me that found it difficult to locate the API key. With Akismet so popular (should be activated by default!) I’m suprised the key isn’t easier to find!