Django Installation

Add Simple Commenter to your Django application by adding the script to your base template.

Important: The public key in your script must match a project in your Simple Commenter dashboard. If it doesn't match, the widget won't load.

Basic Installation

Add the script to your base template that other templates extend:

<!-- templates/base.html -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>{% block title %}My Django App{% endblock %}</title>
    {% block extra_head %}{% endblock %}
</head>
<body>
    {% block content %}{% endblock %}

    <!-- Add Simple Commenter before closing body -->
    <script
        src="https://simplecommenter.com/js/comments.min.js?id=sc_your_public_key"
        defer
    ></script>
</body>
</html>

Replace sc_your_public_key with your project's public key from the Simple Commenter dashboard.

Using Django Settings

Store the public key in your settings for easier management:

# settings.py
SIMPLE_COMMENTER_KEY = "sc_your_public_key"

Create a context processor:

# myapp/context_processors.py
from django.conf import settings

def simple_commenter(request):
    return {
        'simple_commenter_key': getattr(settings, 'SIMPLE_COMMENTER_KEY', '')
    }

Add to settings:

# settings.py
TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                # ... other processors
                'myapp.context_processors.simple_commenter',
            ],
        },
    },
]

Use in template:

<!-- templates/base.html -->
{% if simple_commenter_key %}
<script
    src="https://simplecommenter.com/js/comments.min.js?id={{ simple_commenter_key }}"
    defer
></script>
{% endif %}

Environment-Based Configuration

Use environment variables for different environments:

# settings.py
import os

SIMPLE_COMMENTER_KEY = os.environ.get('SIMPLE_COMMENTER_KEY', '')

# .env or environment
SIMPLE_COMMENTER_KEY=sc_your_public_key

Conditional Loading

Only load on certain views or conditions:

<!-- templates/base.html -->
{% if show_feedback_widget %}
<script
    src="https://simplecommenter.com/js/comments.min.js?id=sc_your_public_key"
    defer
></script>
{% endif %}

In your view:

# views.py
def my_view(request):
    return render(request, 'my_template.html', {
        'show_feedback_widget': True  # or some condition
    })

To only add to specific pages, use template blocks:

<!-- templates/base.html -->
{% block extra_scripts %}{% endblock %}
</body>

<!-- templates/feedback_page.html -->
{% extends "base.html" %}

{% block extra_scripts %}
<script
    src="https://simplecommenter.com/js/comments.min.js?id=sc_your_public_key"
    defer
></script>
{% endblock %}

Django REST Framework / API-Only

If your Django app is API-only with a separate frontend, add the script to your frontend instead. See the React, Vue, or General Installation guides.

Verifying Installation

Run your development server (python manage.py runserver)
Open your app in the browser
Look for the feedback widget button
Check browser console (F12) for errors
Verify across different pages

Troubleshooting

Check that your template extends the base template correctly
Verify the public key matches your dashboard settings
Inspect the page source to confirm the script tag is present
Look for JavaScript errors in browser console

Template inheritance issues

Ensure {% extends "base.html" %} is at the top of child templates
Check that the script is outside any blocks that might be overridden

Static files / Production

In production:

The script is hosted externally, so Django's static files settings don't affect it
Ensure your production domain is registered in your dashboard
Consider using different domains for staging vs production

Admin panel

The widget will appear in the Django admin by default if using the same base template. To exclude:

{% if not request.path|slice:":7" == "/admin/" %}
<script ...></script>
{% endif %}

Need help? Contact support.