What Is the Allow Duplicate Reviews feature?
WordPress by default blocks the second comment from a user with the same name and email on the same post. This applies to regular comments AND to WooCommerce product reviews (which are a special comment type).
The Allow Duplicate Reviews feature disables the duplicate block specifically for WooCommerce product reviews. The same user can submit multiple reviews for the same product.
Why You Need It
The default duplicate block is correct for most comment scenarios, but product reviews are different:
- Long-term ownership: A customer might buy a product, use it for a year, and want to leave a new review based on long-term experience
- Updated products: A product that has been updated (new features, new version) deserves a fresh review
- Comparison reviews: A customer might leave an initial review, then a follow-up after comparing to a similar product
- Multi-purchase: A customer who bought the product multiple times might leave separate reviews for each experience
The trade-off is increased spam risk. A spammer can post multiple reviews with the same name and email. For most sites, the spam risk outweighs the benefits. For sites that value long-term reviews, this feature is useful.
How to Allow Duplicate Reviews in WordPress
Step 1: Navigate to Settings
Click into the Classic Monks plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard.
Step 2: Go to the WooCommerce Tab
Click on the WooCommerce menu, then click the Single Product subtab.
Step 3: Enable Allow Duplicate Reviews
Scroll to Allow Duplicate Reviews and toggle on.
Step 4: Save Changes
Click Save Changes.
Step 5: Test
Submit a review on a product. Then submit another review with the same name and email. Both should appear.
Configuration Options
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Duplicate Reviews | Master toggle. | Off |
No nested options.
What Gets Affected
- WooCommerce product reviews: the same user can submit multiple reviews for the same product
- All other comment types (regular WordPress comments, WooCommerce order notes, etc.): not affected
What Does NOT Get Affected
- Regular WordPress comments: still subject to the default duplicate block
- Comment moderation, spam filtering, Akismet integration: still work as expected
- Review approval workflow: still applies (if you require manual approval)
- The review submission form: same form, just allows multiple submissions
- Other duplicate review checks (e.g., review spam detection): independent
Advanced Options (Developers)
This feature registers 1 WordPress hook in woocommerce-functions.php:
Filters:
pre_comment_on_postcallscm_allow_duplicate_reviews()(Allows duplicate reviews from same user on same product)
// Hooked in woocommerce-functions.php
add_filter( 'pre_comment_on_post', 'cm_allow_duplicate_reviews' );The feature modifies WooCommerce behavior by registering or removing hooks. Disabling it reverses those changes.
Troubleshooting
Duplicate reviews are still being blocked
Cause: The toggle is off, or a different plugin is enforcing review deduplication.
Fix: Verify the toggle is on. Check for review-related plugins (e.g., “Review Stream”, custom review management plugins) that may enforce their own duplicate checks.
The same user can’t leave reviews but spam reviewers can
Cause: The toggle is on, but a spam filter or moderation queue is blocking legitimate reviews.
Fix: Check the WordPress moderation queue (Comments > Spam or Comments > Pending) for the legitimate review. Mark it as not spam. The duplicate-allow feature doesn’t bypass spam filtering.
The review count is wrong (showing too many)
Cause: The review count is calculated by counting all reviews, including duplicates that are now allowed.
Fix: This is expected. The count includes all reviews. If you want to limit the count display, use the plugin settings to cap the number of reviews per user.
I want to allow duplicates for some products but not others
Cause: The toggle is global.
Fix: Configure in the plugin settings to specify which products allow duplicates. The default is all products; the filter can restrict to a subset.