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Reading Time

The Reading Time panel in the WordPress Customizer allows you to display an estimated reading time for your posts and pages.

This feature is useful for helping readers know how long it might take to read your content.

Accessing the Reading Time Settings​

  1. In your WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance → Customise
  2. In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Reading Time
  3. The settings will appear in the sidebar, and you’ll see a live preview in the main area of your site

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Settings Overview​

Inside the Reading Time section, you will find these options:

  • Show reading time estimate: When checked, displays the reading time estimate on your site according to other settings below
  • Display on Posts: Check to show the reading time on all posts
  • Display on Pages: Check to show reading time on all pages
  • Enable for categories: Check to enable reading time for certain categories

How the Reading Time is Calculated​

The implementation is fairly simple and does the following:

  1. Counts the number of words in the content
  2. Divides by a standard reading speed (e.g., 200–250 words per minute)
  3. Displays a message such as "5 minutes read"

Publishing Changes​

After making adjustments:

  1. Publish: Click the Publish button in the Customizer to make your settings active on the live site
  2. Cancel: Use the X icon at the top left of the Customizer to exit without saving

Consider the following recommendations:

  • Keep the reading time enabled for longer posts — it can improve engagement
  • If you have short content (like announcements), you might turn it off for certain categories
  • Consider enabling it on pages only if they contain long-form, informative content