Comments on Bolt
Written by Hughie Molloy
Updated at October 1st, 2024
Table of Contents
It is common for our apps to include a comment module at the bottom of each article. We include these in the same HTML Webview at the content to ensure the scrolling is smooth.
Native SDKs
Note that we currently do not support Native SDKs for comments. We only support comments in a webview. We will be supporting the Viafoura SDK in a forthcoming product release.
We support a range of third party comment providers. We currently have out of the box integrations for:
- Viafoura
- Coral
- Hyvor (Express only)
- Disqus
When looking at possible new comment providers, if they support website comments then we will investigate if we can support them in app.
Typically, this will consist of injecting a script and some markup into the HTML page. If comments are to be shared with a website then we would need the website ID for the page. If comments are locked down by domain the provider must have the ability to set multiple active domains.
If an app has authentication, the comment provider will have to support an SSO solution. Typically we would need a way to get a name, email and unique ID from the auth provider to pass to the comment provider. This may require some custom auth work.
Single Sign On
In most situations, only users that are logged in should be able to comment. Before this they will not even have a comment display name. Users that have access by virtue of an in app purchase instead of a direct account should be encourage to link their subscription to allow them to comment.
Comment providers also tend to offer other services like trending articles or adverts. You should be clear upfront what services the client is looking to integrate as not all will work in the app.
What we need to know when integrating a new comments platform:
- Information on if the comments are shared with comments for the same article on the website
- An example of the embed we need to place onto the page (HTML snippet and Javascript)
- Information on how we map the article IDs from the content we have to the commenting platform
- Do you need to be signed in to view comments or post comments
- Do you need to integrate the top level app/web sign in and sign out with the comment system? If yes, can you provide the API and approach needed for this.
- How do we determine the username of the poster
- How do you configure which sites or domains are allowed to embed the comments. Note that the apps do not present as a normal domain like a website would.
- What messaging should we show users that might be signed in via an iTunes or Google Play purchases but do not have a direct account with you