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How to Use Thrive Comments with Custom Post Types and Comment Links

Thrive Comments works on posts, pages, landing pages, and many custom post types. In this guide, you’ll learn how to fix the “not allowed to read the post” issue when using Thrive Comments with custom posts (e.g. Pods), how to copy and share direct links to comments, and how to troubleshoot common integration issues.

What You’ll Learn

In this article, you’ll discover how to:

  • Use Thrive Comments on custom post types (e.g. Pods)
  • Fix moderation errors when replying to comments on custom posts (Rest API)
  • Copy a direct link to any comment and share it
  • Troubleshoot common issues with custom posts and comment links

Using Thrive Comments with Custom Post Types

Thrive Comments can display and collect comments on custom post types as well as standard posts and pages. Many custom post type plugins (e.g. Pods) work with Thrive Comments out of the box. If you enable comments on a custom post type and visitors can comment, but you run into an error when replying from the Moderation Dashboard, the cause is usually that the custom post type is not exposed via the WordPress REST API. Thrive Comments and WordPress use the REST API for certain operations; if the custom post plugin doesn’t enable it, moderation actions can fail.

The “Not Allowed to Read the Post” Message

When you reply to a comment from the Comments Moderation dashboard and that comment belongs to a custom post (e.g. a Pods post type), you may see:

“Sorry, you are not allowed to read the post for this comment.”

This typically means the custom post type does not have the REST API enabled. Enabling the REST API for that post type resolves the issue so Thrive Comments can work correctly with moderation and replies.

Enabling the REST API for Pods

If you use the Pods plugin to create custom post types:

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to Pods Admin > Edit Pods.
  2. Hover over the Pod that uses comments (the custom post type you want to fix).
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Open the REST API tab.
  5. Check the box next to Enable to turn on the REST API for this Pod.
  6. Adjust any other REST API settings if needed, then click Save Pod.

After saving, try replying to a comment on that custom post type from the Moderation dashboard again. The “not allowed to read the post” message should no longer appear.

Note: If you use a different plugin for custom post types and see the same error when moderating comments, look for a similar “Enable REST API” or “Show in REST API” option for that post type and turn it on. The same principle applies: Thrive Comments expects the post to be accessible via the REST API for certain operations.

Styling Comments on Custom Post Types

Comment styling is global. The options in Customize Style in the Thrive Comments dashboard apply to comments on all post types, including custom ones. For details, see How to Style and Customize Comments in Thrive Comments.

You can get a direct link to a specific comment. That link opens the post or page and scrolls to (or highlights) that comment, so you or your visitors can reference it, share it, or use it elsewhere (e.g. as a testimonial link).

  1. Go to the post or page where the comment appears (front end of your site).
  2. Find the comment you want to link to.
  3. On the right side of the comment, look for the three vertical dots (•••) icon.
  4. Hover over the icon or click it to open the options menu.
  5. Click Click to copy URL (or “Copy link,” depending on your version). The comment’s URL is copied to your clipboard, and the label may change to Copied to confirm.
  6. Paste the link wherever you need it—in an email, another page, or a support reply.

Who sees the option:

  • Admins/moderators see a menu with moderation options (e.g. Approve, Unapprove, Spam, Trash) and Click to copy URL.
  • Visitors and logged-in users typically see only Click to copy URL (or equivalent), so anyone can copy and share a comment link.

When someone opens the copied URL, they are taken to the post or page and directly to that comment, so it’s easy to reference a specific reply or discussion.

  • Admins: Copy a comment link to use as a testimonial reference, in a reply, or in documentation.
  • Visitors: Share a helpful comment with someone else or bookmark it for later.
  • Support: Send a customer or colleague a direct link to a relevant comment in your knowledge base or blog.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“Not allowed to read the post” when replying from Moderation Dashboard

  • Cause: The comment is on a custom post type that does not expose the REST API.
  • Fix: Enable the REST API for that post type. For Pods, see Enabling the REST API for Pods above. For other plugins, enable “REST API” or “Show in REST API” for the post type.

Comments don’t appear on my custom post type

  • Check: In the post editor (or your custom post editor), ensure comments are allowed for that post (e.g. Discussion panel in WordPress, or the equivalent in your plugin).
  • Check: In Thrive Comments General Settings, ensure Thrive Comments is enabled sitewide and that nothing excludes that post type. If your theme or plugin hides the comment area on custom posts, you may need to add the Thrive Comments block/shortcode or check theme settings.
  • Check: You’re on the front end of the site (the actual post or page), not in the WordPress editor or Moderation dashboard. The copy-link option is on the live comment.
  • Check: You’re not using a cached version that hides the menu. Try a hard refresh or clear cache and reload.
  • Check: Your theme or custom CSS isn’t hiding the three-dots menu. Temporarily switch to a default theme or disable custom CSS to test.

Comment link opens the post but doesn’t scroll to the comment

  • Some themes or lazy-loading setups can affect scroll-to-comment behavior. Ensure the comment URL (fragment) is correct (e.g. #comment-12345). If the fragment is present but the page doesn’t scroll, it may be a theme or script conflict; test with a default theme to confirm.

Summary

You’ve learned how to:

  • Use Thrive Comments on custom post types (e.g. Pods) and fix the “not allowed to read the post” error by enabling the REST API for that post type
  • Copy a direct link to any comment using the three-dots menu and Click to copy URL
  • Use comment links for reference, sharing, and testimonials
  • Troubleshoot common issues with custom posts and comment permalinks

For full setup and daily use, see How to Get Started with Thrive Comments and the rest of the Thrive Comments knowledge base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need Pods to use Thrive Comments on custom post types?
A: No. Thrive Comments works with any custom post type that supports WordPress comments. Pods is one example; the REST API fix applies when you see the “not allowed to read the post” message in the Moderation dashboard.

Q: Can visitors copy comment links?
A: Yes. The “Click to copy URL” (or similar) option is available to visitors and logged-in users. Only moderation options (approve, spam, etc.) are restricted to users with the right permissions.

Q: Will enabling REST API for my Pod change how my site works?
A: Enabling the REST API makes the post type readable via the WordPress REST API (e.g. for blocks, apps, or moderation). It doesn’t change the normal front-end display or who can view the post unless you have other code that depends on the API.

Q: The three-dots menu shows different options for me than for a test visitor. Why?
A: Admins and moderators see moderation actions plus the copy-URL option. Regular visitors usually see only the copy-URL option, so they can share comments but not moderate them.

Thrive Comments Documentation: Explore the full Thrive Comments knowledge base.

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