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MinuteRead – Reading Time for Posts

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MinuteRead – Reading Time for Posts

by Md Asadujjaman Sabuj

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Description

MinuteRead adds an estimated reading time label to your WordPress posts – helping readers decide whether to dive in or save it for later.

After activating the plugin, reading time appears automatically on your posts – and on any other post type you enable. Everything is configurable from Settings > MinuteRead.

Features:

  • Choose which post types show reading time – posts, pages, or any custom post type
  • Choose to show reading time before or after the content
  • Configurable words-per-minute reading speed (default: 200, range: 50-1000)
  • Custom label text – change “Estimated Reading Time” to anything you like
  • Custom time format – use “%d min”, “%d minutes”, or any text with %d as placeholder
  • Enable / disable without deactivating the plugin
  • [minuteread_time] shortcode – place reading time anywhere, or [minuteread_time id="123"] for a specific post
  • Works with non-Latin scripts (Bengali, Arabic, CJK, etc.)
  • Lightweight: no jQuery, no external requests
  • Developer-friendly: minuteread_reading_time_output, minuteread_word_count, minuteread_output_html filters
  • Translation-ready

Shortcode usage:

Place [minuteread_time] in any post, page, or widget to show the reading time
for the current post. To target a specific post, pass its ID:
[minuteread_time id=”123″].

Why Use This Plugin?

  • Improve user engagement
  • Reduce bounce rate
  • Help readers estimate time commitment
  1. Upload the minuteread folder to /wp-content/plugins/
  2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
  3. Visit Settings > MinuteRead to configure the plugin
  1. Reading time displayed before post content on the frontend.

    Reading time displayed before post content on the frontend.

  2. Admin settings page - choose post types, label, format, position, and reading speed.

    Admin settings page - choose post types, label, format, position, and reading speed.

Does it work with all themes?

Yes. The reading time is injected via the standard the_content filter, which is supported by every properly coded WordPress theme.

Can I change the words-per-minute speed?

Yes. Go to Settings > MinuteRead and update the “Words per minute” field. The default is 200 (average adult reading speed). Accepted range: 50-1000.

Can I change the label text?

Yes. Use the Label field in Settings to replace “Estimated Reading Time” with any text you prefer – including text in your own language.

Can I change how the time is displayed?

Yes. Use the Time Format field. The placeholder %d will be replaced with the number of minutes. Examples: %d min, %d minutes, %d dakika.

Can I style the reading time?

Yes. The output is wrapped in .minuteread-reading-time – a <p> for the
automatic output, a <span> for the shortcode. Add your own rules under
Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS (classic themes) or Appearance >
Editor > Styles > Additional CSS (block themes). For full control of the
markup, use the minuteread_output_html filter.

Can I show the reading time only in specific locations?

Yes. Untick every post type under “Show On” to turn off automatic insertion, then
place the [minuteread_time] shortcode exactly where you want it. Inside the loop
it uses the current post; outside it, pass an ID: [minuteread_time id="123"].

Does it work with Bengali, Arabic, or other non-Latin scripts?

Yes. Words are counted in a Unicode-aware way, so text that mixes scripts – Bengali
with a few English terms, for example – is counted correctly. Chinese and Japanese,
which do not put spaces between words, are counted by character instead.

Does it work with custom post types?

Yes. Go to Settings > MinuteRead and tick the post types you want under
“Show On” – every public post type registered on your site is listed. Developers
can also override the list with the minuteread_post_types filter.

Is it translation-ready?

Yes. WordPress automatically loads translations for plugins hosted on WordPress.org.

Cool plugin that does what I need

By tomdkat on August 20, 2026

I was using a post reading time plugin that wasn't compatible with WordPress 7 and it was miscalculating the reading time. MinuteRead solved that problem perfectly! It's apparently a new plugin, but it's one worth giving a try. I look forward to seeing how this plugin evolves over time!

1.1.0

  • New: choose which post types show reading time (Settings > MinuteRead > Show On)
  • New: minuteread_post_types filter for developers
  • New: the shortcode accepts an ID – [minuteread_time id="123"]
  • Fixed: wrong reading time on posts that mix a non-Latin script with a few Latin words, such as Bengali text containing English terms
  • Fixed: Chinese and Japanese content is now counted by character instead of reporting one minute
  • Fixed: the stylesheet now loads when the shortcode is used outside post content
  • Fixed: the post type setting is removed on uninstall
  • Changed: the reading time no longer forces its own bottom margin – spacing now follows your theme
  • Docs: documented the CSS class and the output filter
  • Tested up to WordPress 7.1
  • Requires PHP 7.4 or higher (matches WordPress core’s own minimum since 7.0)

1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • Automatic reading time display on single posts
  • Before / after content position option
  • Configurable words-per-minute setting (50-1000)
  • Custom label and time format
  • Enable / disable toggle
  • Non-Latin language support (Bengali, Arabic, CJK)
  • [minuteread_time] shortcode support
  • Developer filters: minuteread_reading_time_output, minuteread_word_count, minuteread_output_html
  • Translation-ready
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