Editable Comments for Products Independent of WordPress

This plugin creates a fully independent comments system for products that can be added alongside product reviews using WooCommerce.

Key Features

Core Functionality:

• Custom Post Type: Dedicated ‘product_comment’ post type for complete separation from blog comments
• WooCommerce Integration: Seamless integration with product pages via custom tab
• Image Uploads: Support for multiple image uploads with captions
• Tagging System: Custom tag management with active/inactive status
• Moderation System: Approve, reject, or mark comments as pending
• Author Information: Capture name, email, and website for each comment
• Migration Tool: Import old comments from previous plugin versions or WordPress comments system

Interactive Features:

• Like System: Users can like comments with IP tracking to prevent duplicates
• Views Tracking: Track image views with nonce verification
• Lightbox Gallery: Click images to view in full-size lightbox with navigation
• Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly comment display and interactions
• Thumbnail Hover Effects: Smooth hover animations for image thumbnails

Admin Management:

• Comprehensive Admin Interface: Full admin panel for managing product comments
• Bulk Actions: Approve, reject, or delete multiple comments at once
• Quick Edit: Inline status editing from the admin list view
• Search & Filtering: Search by content, filter by status or product
• Export Functionality: Export comments to CSV format
• Image Management: Add/remove images and captions in admin edit screen with WordPress media library integration
• Tag Management: Create, edit, activate/deactivate, and delete tags
• Form Customization: Customize form text, headings, and button labels
• Product Links: Direct links to view or edit the associated product from comment admin
• Batch Migration: Control migration speed with configurable batch sizes (1-100 comments per batch)

Technical Features:

• AJAX Integration: Smooth interactions without page reloads
• Nonce Security: Proper security verification for all AJAX actions
• Performance Optimized: Efficient database queries and caching
• SEO Friendly: Proper meta data and structured content
• Customizable Styling: Extensive CSS classes for theme customization
• Database Migration: Intelligent migration system that preserves all comment data including product associations

How It Works

Frontend Experience:

• Customers see a “Comments” tab on product pages showing approved comments
• Comment form allows text, multiple image uploads, and tag selection
• Images display in a responsive grid with lightbox functionality
• Users can like comments and view image statistics
• Smooth hover effects and modern UI elements

Moderation Workflow

• Comments are submitted as pending and require admin approval
• Admins can approve, reject, or edit comments through the admin panel
• Bulk actions allow efficient management of multiple comments
• Product links provide quick access to associated products

Content Management:

• Tag system allows categorization of comments
• Image management includes captions and lightbox display
• Form settings allow customization of user-facing text
• WordPress media library integration for image management

Admin Interface:

• Dedicated admin menu for Product Comments
• List view with sortable columns and filtering
• Individual comment editing with meta boxes
• Tag management system with CRUD operations
• Migration tool for importing old comments

Migration System:

• Detects old comments from previous plugin versions
• Preserves all comment data including images, captions, tags, and likes
• Batch processing to handle large numbers of comments safely
• Product ID preservation from both meta fields and comment_post_ID
• Duplicate detection to prevent re-migration

= Benefits Over Traditional Comments =

• Complete Separation: Product comments don’t interfere with blog comments
• Enhanced Features: Image uploads, tagging, likes, and views tracking
• Better Performance: Direct database queries for faster loading
• WooCommerce Native: Designed specifically for WooCommerce products
• Scalable Architecture: Handles large numbers of comments efficiently
• Interactive Elements: Like system and views tracking increase engagement
• Professional Presentation: Lightbox gallery and responsive design
• Migration Support: Easy transition from old comment systems
• Admin Efficiency: Streamlined management with product links and batch operations

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/product-comments directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
3. Configure the plugin through Product Comments > Form Text settings
4. Set up tags through Product Comments > Product Tags
5. If migrating from an old system, use Product Comments > Migrate Old Comments
6. Visit any WooCommerce product page to see the new Comments tab

== Configuration ==

Form Settings (Product Comments > Form Text):

• Customize tab title, form heading, and submit button text
• Add content that appears before the comment form
• Set redirect URL after comment submission

Tag Management (Product Comments > Product Tags):

• Create and manage comment tags
• Activate/deactivate tags for use
• Edit tag names and descriptions
• Delete unused tags

Migration Tool (Product Comments > Migrate Old Comments):

• Detect old comments from previous plugin versions
• Set batch size for migration (1-100 comments per batch)
• Preserve all comment data including product associations
• Safe migration with duplicate detection

Admin Features:

• Bulk approve/reject comments
• Quick edit status from list view
• Search and filter comments
• Export comments to CSV
• Manage individual comment images and tags
• Direct links to associated products

== Shortcode Usage ==

The plugin provides powerful shortcodes to display product comments and images anywhere on your site.

[product_comment_images]

Display a gallery of product comment images with filtering, lightbox, and interactive features.

Basic Usage:

[product_comment_images]

Advanced Usage with Parameters:

[product_comment_images product_id="123" limit="20" columns="4" show_tags="true" show_views="true" filter="true" orderby="date" order="DESC"]

Available Parameters:

• product_id (string) – Specific product ID to show comments for. If empty, shows all product comments.
• limit (number) – Maximum number of comments to display. Default: 20
• columns (number) – Number of columns in the grid layout. Default: 4
• orderby (string) – Sort order: ‘date’ (default), ‘title’, ‘author’
• order (string) – Sort direction: ‘DESC’ (default), ‘ASC’
• show_tags (boolean) – Display comment tags. Default: ‘true’
• show_views (boolean) – Display view count badges. Default: ‘true’
• filter (boolean) – Show tag filtering controls. Default: ‘true’
• debug (boolean) – Show debug information. Default: ‘false’

Examples:

Show all product comment images:

[product_comment_images]

Show comments for specific product with 3 columns:

[product_comment_images product_id="456" columns="3"]

Show recent comments with custom limit:

[product_comment_images limit="10" orderby="date" order="DESC"]

Show comments without tags or filtering:

[product_comment_images show_tags="false" filter="false"]

Frequently Asked Questions

= How is this different from WooCommerce reviews? =

This plugin creates a separate comment system specifically for product discussions and user-generated content, while WooCommerce reviews remain for product ratings and reviews. They serve different purposes and can coexist.

= Can users upload multiple images? =

Yes, users can upload multiple images per comment, and each image can have its own caption.

= How does the like system work? =

Users can like comments, and the system tracks likes by IP address to prevent duplicate likes from the same user.

= Can I customize the appearance? =

Yes, the plugin includes extensive CSS classes that can be customized through your theme’s stylesheet. The lightbox, comment form, and display elements are all customizable.

= Does this work with all themes? =

The plugin is designed to work with most WordPress themes, but some custom themes may require minor CSS adjustments for optimal display.

= How are images stored? =

All uploaded images are processed through WordPress’s media library and stored securely with proper permissions and file organization.

= Can I export comments? =

Yes, the admin interface includes bulk export functionality to download comments in CSV format.

= Is the plugin secure? =

Yes, the plugin implements proper nonce verification, input sanitization, and follows WordPress security best practices.

= Can I migrate from an old comment system? =

Yes, the plugin includes a migration tool that can import comments from previous plugin versions or WordPress comments, preserving all data including product associations, images, and metadata.

= How does the migration work? =

The migration tool detects old comments and imports them in configurable batches. It preserves product IDs, images, captions, tags, and likes while preventing duplicates.

= What if I have hundreds of old comments? =

The batch migration feature allows you to migrate comments in small groups (1-100 per batch) to avoid overwhelming your server and maintain control over the migration process.