{"id":16366413,"date":"2025-12-02T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/?post_type=helphub_article&#038;p=16366413"},"modified":"2026-05-20T13:30:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T13:30:41","slug":"time-to-read-block","status":"publish","type":"helphub_article","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/article\/time-to-read-block\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to Read block"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Time to Read block shows an estimated reading time for the current post or page. You can display a single time (for example, 3 min) or a time range (for example, 3\u20134 min). A Word Count variation is also available if you prefer to display the total number of words instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>WordPress 6.9 or later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Add the Time to Read block<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open a post or page in the editor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Place your cursor where you want the block to appear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open the block inserter (+) and search for \u201cTime to Read.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select Time to Read to add it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tip: You can switch between Time to Read and Word Count using the block\u2019s variation picker after inserting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Block toolbar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Transform: Switch between Time to Read and Word Count variations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drag\/Move: Reorder the block on the page.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alignment: Align left, center, or right.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More options: Duplicate, remove, and other standard block actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Block settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Display as range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By default, this is enabled to show a small range (for example, 3\u20134 min) rather than a single average value. You can toggle this on and off to your liking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Word Count (variation)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The block comes with a variation that shows the total word count of the current post or page. You can switch to this variation by either adding it directly or transforming to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advanced<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>HTML anchor: Add an anchor to link directly to this block (for example, article#reading-time).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional CSS class(es): Add custom classes for further styling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Place Time to Read near the title or byline so readers see it immediately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use consistent styling across posts for a cohesive look.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider using the Word Count variation for long-form content alongside Time to Read, depending on your audience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How it\u2019s calculated<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The estimate is based on the content of the current post or page and uses language-aware counting (words or characters depending on your site language).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time to Read shows minutes; there isn\u2019t a setting for seconds or custom words-per-minute in WordPress 6.9.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where it works best<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Posts and pages in the post editor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In templates or patterns, values display based on the current content context. Preview with a specific post or page to see realistic results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Demo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1556\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 3024 \/ 1556;\" width=\"3024\" controls src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/files\/2025\/11\/time-to-read.mov\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can I change the reading speed (words per minute)?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not in WordPress 6.9. The estimate uses a default reading speed and language-aware counting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can I show seconds or more precise timing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No. The block displays minutes, either as a single value or a range.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Does it count text inside all blocks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It estimates based on your post\/page content. Dynamically loaded content (shortcodes, external embeds, or content injected by plugins) may not be fully reflected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The value looks wrong or shows a very low number:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make sure you\u2019re viewing a single post or page, not an index\/archive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update or save your draft to ensure the editor reflects your latest content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your page relies heavily on shortcodes or external embeds, note the estimate may not include all external text.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Styles don\u2019t match the editor preview:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Theme styles affect the frontend appearance. Adjust colors\/typography in the block\u2019s Styles panel or via your theme\u2019s design tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The block doesn\u2019t render in a template preview:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open a specific post or page preview for that template to provide the correct content context.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group changelog has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 id=\"changelog\" class=\"wp-block-heading has-huge-font-size\">Changelog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Created 2025-12-02<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Time to Read block shows an estimated reading time for the current post or page. You can display a single time (for example, 3 min) or a time range (for example, 3\u20134 min). A Word Count variation is also available if you prefer to display the total number of words instead. Requirements Add the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13782018,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false},"category":[80,85],"class_list":["post-16366413","helphub_article","type-helphub_article","status-publish","hentry","category-customization","category-text-blocks"],"revision_note":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/16366413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/helphub_article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13782018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16366413"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/16366413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16367954,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/16366413\/revisions\/16367954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16366413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=16366413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}