WordPress 4.4 introduced a change to the comment form layout, moving the comment textarea to the top and shifting the name, email, and website fields below it. If you'd prefer to revert this and place the textarea at the bottom—as we have on our own sites—here's a straightforward, tested method that works on WordPress 4.4 and newer versions.
This update addressed a key usability issue. Previously, clicking 'Reply' on desktop scrolled users directly to the textarea, but they still needed to fill in name and email fields first. On mobile devices, those fields were often hidden off-screen, leading to frustrating errors after users submitted incomplete comments.
WordPress 4.4 fixed this by prioritizing the textarea upfront, improving accessibility across devices. Here's the modern default view:
While this enhances user experience for many, some site owners and users prefer the original layout. Here's how to customize it safely.
Add this reliable code snippet to your theme's functions.php file or a site-specific plugin. We've used it extensively without issues.
function wpb_move_comment_field_to_bottom( $fields ) {
$comment_field = $fields['comment'];
unset( $fields['comment'] );
$fields['comment'] = $comment_field;
return $fields;
}
add_filter( 'comment_form_fields', 'wpb_move_comment_field_to_bottom' );Save the changes, then visit any post as a logged-out user to see the updated form in action:
This simple tweak restores the classic layout while maintaining all WordPress best practices. For more ways to enhance comments, check our guide on improving WordPress comments.
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