Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Summarize with AI

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

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

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

How to enable it

Go to WP PowerSuite -> Modules.
Open Security or search for “Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks”.
Toggle Disable Trackbacks/Pingbacks on.

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

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.

Manage with WP-CLI

Prefer the command line? You can turn this module on or off with WP-CLI instead of the dashboard:

# Turn the module on
wp powersuite module enable disable-trackbacks-pingbacks

# Turn the module off
wp powersuite module disable disable-trackbacks-pingbacks

# Check whether it is on, its category, and where its settings live
wp powersuite module get disable-trackbacks-pingbacks

Managing more than one site? Add --url=https://example.com to point a command at one site. If this is a Pro module, install WP PowerSuite Pro and activate your license first. New to WP-CLI? See the full command guide.

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).