Hello site founders, admins, and moderators!
At Disqus, we do our best to make sure Engage and Reveal “just works” when you install it on your website and that the installation process is as painless as possible. It’s always top of mind for us to find ways to simplify your job as a moderator or site developer. This is why we’ve made some important updates to our Disqus embed code –– the snippet of JavaScript that you integrate straight into your site that loads Disqus.
The bottom line: This updated code helps you tighten your Disqus integration so that your site doesn’t create duplicate or invalid Disqus threads. If you last updated your install prior to 2014, there are other updates that are critical.
Or forward this blog post to your site developer or admin for help.
So What’s New?
First off, it’s important to note that this update of the embed code doesn’t affect how Reveal and Engage look on your site. In summary, this update does two main things:
Recommended Configuration Variables
The code now includes 2 important configuration variables (url and identifier) that we strongly recommend that you start using if you aren’t already. These variables give your site full control over the Disqus threads your site creates and the data used for those discussions.
For more information on why it’s important to explicitly set your discussion URL and identifier, see Use Configuration Variables to Avoid Split Threads and "Missing" Comments.
If you decide not to use these configuration variables, this section of the code is commented out and you can simply leave the embed code as is.
Cleaner JavaScript Code
The embed code now uses the latest in JavaScript and Disqus best practices and is a bit more compact than the previous version. For example, the forum shortname can be edited directly like //EXAMPLE.disqus.com/embed.js, instead of within a global variable –– this helps reduce the chance that you’ll run into any variable conflicts down the road.
Other Important Changes If You’ve Never Updated
- Protocol relative embed.js URL means if your site updates to HTTPS, Disqus continues to work
- Key linking scheme update, to ensure the most current assets
- Removed the extra “powered by Disqus” link that loaded in the embed footer
- Proper HTTPS linking to Disqus.com for users who don't have javascript enabled
- Added "nofollow" attributes to footer links to prevent unnecessary crawling
Have questions about this update? Leave a comment below, or get in touch with us at help+embedcode@disqus.com.