Add Estimated Reading Time to Your WordPress Posts — Instantly
★★★★★ GPL Licensed · WordPress 5.0+ · No Setup Required
Why Add Reading Time to Your Blog?
Every second counts when a visitor lands on your post. Studies consistently show that readers who see a reading time estimate are more likely to stay and finish the article — because they know what they are committing to.
Key Reading Time solves this in under five minutes, with zero coding required. Install the plugin, choose your badge style, and every post on your site immediately displays an accurate, auto-calculated reading time.
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Instant Reading Time on Every Post
Automatically calculates and displays reading time based on word count. No manual input needed, ever.
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Three Gorgeous Badge Styles
Badge (pill), Inline (editorial), or Minimal (clean). Switch styles from the admin panel in seconds.
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Full Admin Control Panel
Set WPM rate, label text, position (before/after), post types, and badge style — all from Settings > Reading Time.
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Shortcode for Custom Placement
Use [reading_time] to drop the badge anywhere: widgets, page builders, custom templates.
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Mobile & Dark-Mode Ready
Fully responsive CSS included. Dark-mode styles activate automatically via prefers-color-scheme.
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Zero Performance Impact
No external requests, no database overhead, no JavaScript. Just a clean, fast calculation.
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Plugin Screenshots
1. Badge Displayed on a Blog Post
The reading time badge appears automatically above the post content.
2. Admin Settings Panel
Full control over every setting from a clean, familiar WordPress interface.
3. Three Badge Style Options
Badge, Inline, and Minimal styles — pick the one that fits your theme.
4. Shortcode in the Block Editor
Use the shortcode block to place the badge exactly where you want it.
5. Mobile Responsive on Any Device
Looks great on phones, tablets, and desktops alike.
Plugin Specifications
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Price
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FREE — Forever
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Version
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1.0.0
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License
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GPL-2.0+ (Open Source)
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WordPress
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5.0 or higher · Tested to 6.9
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PHP
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7.4 or higher
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Author
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Keybrains
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Author URL
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https://wordpress.org/keybrains
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Demo URL
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https://plugins.keybrains.io/plugins/read-time-plugin-free/
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Plugin URL
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https://wordpress.org/plugins/key-reading-time/
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External Requests
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None
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Database Queries
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1 (settings option, cached)
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JavaScript
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None
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How It Works
Key Reading Time hooks into WordPress's the_content filter — the same hook themes and page builders use to display post content. When a post is rendered:
• The plugin strips HTML tags from the content to get the raw text.
• It counts every word using PHP's str_word_count() function.
• It divides the count by your configured Words Per Minute value (default: 200).
• The result is rounded up to the nearest whole minute, with a minimum of 1.
• The formatted badge is prepended or appended to the content, depending on your position setting.
The entire process is pure PHP with no external calls, making it one of the most efficient reading-time solutions available for WordPress.
Installation Guide
Method 1 — From WordPress.org
• In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
• Search for Key Reading Time.
• Click Install Now, then Activate.
Method 2 — Manual Upload
• Download the plugin ZIP from this page or WordPress.org.
• Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
• Choose the ZIP and click Install Now > Activate.
After Activation
Navigate to Settings > Reading Time to configure the plugin. All settings take effect immediately — no cache flush needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this plugin really free?
Yes, completely. Key Reading Time is licensed under GPL-2.0+, meaning it is free to use, modify, and distribute forever.
Will it conflict with my theme or page builder?
No. The plugin uses a standard WordPress filter and generates clean, semantic HTML. It is compatible with all major themes and page builders including Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and WPBakery.
Can I change the label text?
Yes. In the settings panel, set the Label Format to any text you like. Use %d as the placeholder for the minute count — for example: Read in %d minutes or %d min read.
Does it support WooCommerce products or custom post types?
Yes. You can enable the badge on any public post type from the Post Types selector in the settings, including WooCommerce products, portfolio items, or any custom type.
Is it GDPR compliant?
Yes. The plugin collects no user data, sets no cookies, and makes no external HTTP requests.
Get Key Reading Time — Free
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Download Free Plugin
wordpress.org/plugins/key-reading-time/
Live Demo: plugins.keybrains.io/plugins/read-time-plugin-free/
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