Markdown Comments for WordPress®

Allow users to write comments in Markdown format and automatically convert them into safe, semantic HTML on the frontend.

Features

• Enables Markdown formatting in WordPress comments
• Parses common syntax: **bold**, *italic*, `code`, [links](url), headings, and lists
• Clean, minimal, and secure output
• Adds optional help text under the comment box
• Admin setting to enable/disable Markdown support

How It Works

Once activated, the plugin:

1. Adds a checkbox setting under Settings → Discussion to enable/disable Markdown comments.
2. Displays a small hint below the comment textarea so users know they can use Markdown.
3. Parses comment content using a custom Markdown parser before rendering.
4. Strips conflicting WordPress formatting like wpautop and wptexturize.
5. Outputs safe, sanitized HTML using wp_kses_post().

Installation

1. Upload the plugin to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory or install via the Plugins screen.
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Visit Settings -> Discussion and check "Enable Markdown for Comments".

Supported Markdown Syntax

Syntax	Example	Output
Bold	**bold** or __bold__	bold
Italic	*italic* or _italic_	italic
Inline Code	`code`	code
Links	[text](https://example.com)	text
Headings	# H1, ## H2, ...	<h1>, <h2>, ...
Unordered Lists	- Item / * Item / + Item	<ul><li>Item</li></ul>
Ordered Lists	1. First 2. Second	<ol><li>...</li></ol>
Paragraphs	Line breaks	Proper <p> tags

Security & Performance

• Uses esc_html() and wp_kses_post() to sanitize all output.
• Does not load external libraries — no JavaScript Markdown libraries, no front-end dependencies.
• Lightweight and fast — designed to work out of the box on most WordPress sites.

Developer Notes

• You can customize the comment formatting logic by editing markdown_comments_parse_markdown() and markdown_comments_apply_inline_formatting().
• The plugin does not allow raw HTML input in comments, keeping comment sections secure and clean.
• For advanced Markdown needs (e.g., tables, blockquotes), consider integrating a full Markdown parser (e.g., Parsedown) - but this plugin intentionally keeps it minimal for performance and security.

Plugin Details

Key	Value
Plugin Name	Markdown Comments for WordPress®
Version	1.0.0
Author	Robert DeVore
License	GPL-2.0 or later
Plugin URI	GitHub Repo
Requires PHP	7.4+
Requires WP	5.5+

FAQ

Q: Can users still use HTML in comments?
A: Only safe HTML output generated by Markdown is allowed. Raw HTML input is stripped for security.

Q: Does this support replies or threaded comments?
A: Yes. It works with any comment — top-level or nested.

Q: Will this affect existing comments?
A: Only if Markdown is enabled — and only when those comments are rendered. It doesn’t permanently alter comment data in the database.

Roadmap

• Add support for blockquotes (>)
• Toggle for displaying Markdown helper hint
• Extendable filters/hooks for developers

Contributing

Pull requests and suggestions welcome! Feel free to fork the repo and submit improvements. For issues, use the GitHub issue tracker.

LICENSE

Markdown Comments for WordPress® is licensed under the GPL 2.0 or later.

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