Akismet is a powerful plugin for combating comment spam in WordPress. It comes pre-installed with WordPress, but you need to activate and configure it to make it work effectively. Here's how to add and configure Akismet in WordPress:

Activation:

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard:

   • Access your WordPress admin area by visiting your site's URL followed by /wp-admin/ (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/).

2. Access the Plugins Section:

   • In your WordPress dashboard, go to "Plugins" in the left-hand menu.

3. Activate Akismet:

   • You should see "Akismet Anti-Spam" listed among your plugins.
   • If it's not activated, click the "Activate" link below the Akismet plugin.

Configuration:

4. Get an Akismet API Key:

   • To use Akismet, you'll need an API key. If you don't have one, you can obtain it by visiting Akismet's website and selecting an appropriate plan (Akismet offers a free plan for personal use).
   • Sign up for an account and follow the instructions to get your API key.

5. Enter Your API Key:

   • In your WordPress dashboard, go to "Plugins" > "Akismet Anti-Spam."
   • Click the "Set up your Akismet account" button.

6. Connect Your WordPress.com Account:

   • If you don't already have a WordPress.com account, you'll need to create one. Follow the prompts to do so.
   • If you have an existing account, log in.

7. Enter the API Key:

   • After logging in, you'll be prompted to enter the API key you obtained earlier. Copy and paste it into the provided field.

8. Choose Your Plan:

   • Select the plan that corresponds to your website (e.g., Personal, Plus, or Business).
   • If you want to use the free plan, slide the pricing slider to the left.

9. Complete Configuration:

   • Follow the remaining prompts to complete the configuration process.
   • You may be asked to choose additional options, such as whether to automatically discard spam comments or show a privacy notice to commenters.

10. Save Changes:

    • After configuring Akismet to your preferences, click the "Save Changes" button.

Verification:

11. Verify Akismet Status:
    • After configuring Akismet, go to the "Plugins" section in your WordPress dashboard.
    • Ensure that Akismet is active and displays your API key and status as "Connected to Akismet.com."

Akismet is now configured and actively filtering out spam comments on your WordPress site. It will automatically check comments against its extensive spam database and prevent spam from appearing on your site.

You can periodically review the comments in the "Comments" section of your WordPress dashboard to ensure that legitimate comments aren't mistakenly marked as spam. Akismet is known for its accuracy, but it's always a good practice to double-check comments, especially if you're using stricter spam settings.