Free resource
Comment section launch checklist.
A reusable checklist to launch a comment or engagement space cleanly, without the usual mess. It works whether you are a newsroom turning readers into registrations or a brand opening a space for your community. Copy it, share it, run it.
The checklist
Before launch
- Set goals and KPIs: define what success looks like (registrations, return visits, comments per article, retention of participants vs non-participants).
- Decide sign-in: connect your own accounts via SSO (OAuth 2.0 / JWT) so each comment becomes a registration you own, or use a built-in login if you have no account system yet.
- Avoid the double login: a subscriber should comment in one click, with no mandatory second account.
- Write moderation rules: choose what is allowed, and plan hybrid moderation where automation handles roughly 85% of cases and your team reviews the rest.
- Publish community guidelines: a short, public charter readers can see before they post.
- Get GDPR and DSA in order: keep reader data first-party and EU-hosted, sign a GDPR Article 28 processor agreement, and keep DSA-ready moderation logs.
- Choose placement: pick where the space appears (under articles, on a dedicated page, in a section) and on which content it goes live first.
Launch
- Start with one section: open a single, well-trafficked section or topic instead of the whole site at once.
- Seed prompts: open each thread with a clear question or prompt so the first readers know exactly what to contribute.
- Brief the team: make sure editors and moderators know the rules, the tools, and who responds in the first days.
After launch
- Measure registrations and retention: track sign-ups from the widget and whether participants come back more than non-participants.
- Iterate: adjust prompts, moderation thresholds, and placement based on what the data shows in the first weeks.
- Expand the formats: once the basics work, add structured debates and consultations to lift quality and retention beyond a flat comment thread.