Skip to content
WP PowerSuiteWP PowerSuite Docs

Quick navigation

Popular modules

Browse by category

Security19/19Login & UserssoonAdminsoonContentsoonMediasoonSEO & VisibilitysoonSpeedsoonSite Toolssoon
↑↓ navigate↵ openesc close154 guides · 155 modules

Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks stops old-style trackbacks and pingbacks that often bring spam or junk alerts.

What it does

Section titled “What it does”
  • Closes pings via pings_open and clears outbound ping targets on pre_ping.
  • Disables pingback server discovery.
  • Removes pingback.ping / pingback.extensions.getPingbacks XML-RPC methods when Disable XML-RPC is not already handling XML-RPC.
  • Strips the X-Pingback header when this module owns that responsibility.
  • Removes trackback support from post types.
  • Direct wp-trackback.php requests receive a 403 XML response.

When to use it

Section titled “When to use it”

Enable it if:

  • You do not use trackbacks or pingbacks for communication between sites.
  • Comment spam or pingback noise is a problem.
  • You want a smaller abuse surface without turning off all of XML-RPC.

When not to use it

Section titled “When not to use it”

How to enable it

Section titled “How to enable it”
  1. Go to WP PowerSuite -> Modules.
  2. Open Security or search for “Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks”.
  3. Toggle Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks on.

How to test it

Section titled “How to test it”
  • Enable the module, then request /wp-trackback.php on the site.
  • ✅ Pass: HTTP 403 with an XML error that trackbacks are disabled.
  • Publish a post with an external URL and confirm outbound pings are not queued.
  • ✅ Pass: ping targets are cleared.
  • ❌ Fail: confirm the module is on and caches are not serving an old response.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”
  • X-Pingback still present. If Disable XML-RPC is enabled, that module may own header removal; both modules are compatible.
  • Spam comments continue. This module does not replace comment CAPTCHA or moderation.
  • Need pingbacks again. Toggle the module off.

FAQ

Section titled “FAQ”
What does Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks do?

It closes trackbacks and pingbacks, blocks wp-trackback.php, and removes pingback XML-RPC methods when needed.

Is Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks free?

Yes. Enable it under WP PowerSuite -> Modules.

Do I still need Disable XML-RPC?

If you want all of XML-RPC closed, enable Disable XML-RPC. This module focuses on ping/trackback behavior.

Does it need configuration?

No. It is a simple on/off toggle.

How do I turn Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks off?

Go to WP PowerSuite -> Modules, find Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks, and toggle it off.

Developer notes (hooks & filters)

Source: modules/disable-trackbacks-pingbacks/module.php. Boot: critical · context: both.

Hooks: pre_ping, pings_open, discover_pingback_server_uri, xmlrpc_methods, wp_headers, init (remove trackback support).

Section titled “Related modules”