Do you use a comma after the word but?

In general, a comma is used after the conjunction *but* when it is used to connect two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a sentence. For example:

- I like dogs, but I don't like cats.

In this sentence, the comma is used to separate the two independent clauses: "I like dogs" and "I don't like cats."

However, a comma is not used after *but* when it is used to connect two parts of a compound sentence. A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction (such as *and*, *but*, *or*, *nor*, *for*, *so*, or *yet*). For example:

- I like dogs but not cats.

In this sentence, the comma is not used after *but* because the sentence is compound, and the two parts are joined by the coordinating conjunction *but*.