That should also not happen. Something is really messing with the microformats 🙁 Hard to tackle from the outside. Have an example link?

BTW: If you reply to e.g. Twitter make sure to click the “Twitter POSSE” option too (https://chicky.blog/like-why/)

This works only if your target understands Webmentions. Otherwise a blog may just get a Pingback and that’s all. And since it works without an API of any sort your template _must_ be able to render correct microformats into your HTML or your target has no chance of understanding what it is supposed to do.

Sorry for the frustration you’re probably experiencing by now. WordPress is a mess because so many plugins can influence each other in so many ways. If it’s not the template falling flat already it’s some plugin manipulating the same HTML elements.