MinuteRead – Reading Time for Posts
Show estimated reading time on posts, pages, and custom post types. Customize label, format, position, and reading speed.
Solid choice
MinuteRead is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 74/100 on our health check.
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where MinuteRead stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| estimated reading time | #8 |
| minute read | #11 |
| read time | #15 |
| reading duration | #2 |
| reading time | #8 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About MinuteRead – Reading Time for Posts
From the official readme · v1.1.0Description
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_htmlfilters - 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
Installation
- Upload the
minutereadfolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
- Visit Settings > MinuteRead to configure the plugin
Frequently asked questions
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 for the automatic output, a 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.
Changelog
Adds custom post type support and fixes reading times on posts that mix Bengali, Arabic or CJK text with English. The reading time no longer forces its own bottom margin, so spacing now follows your theme. Existing settings are preserved.
1.1.0
- New: choose which post types show reading time (Settings > MinuteRead > Show On)
- New:
minuteread_post_typesfilter 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
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best MinuteRead alternatives
All estimated reading time plugins →
FAQ
MinuteRead – Reading Time for Posts: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 13, 2026
Is MinuteRead free?
Yes. MinuteRead is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is MinuteRead safe to use in 2026?
MinuteRead is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 74/100 on our health check.
How many websites use MinuteRead?
MinuteRead is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 450 times since it launched in May 2026. It was downloaded 82 times in the last 30 days.
Does MinuteRead work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested MinuteRead up to WordPress 7.1.3, the latest release. It requires WordPress 5.0 or newer.
What PHP version does MinuteRead need?
MinuteRead requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was MinuteRead last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.0, was released on August 22, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes MinuteRead?
MinuteRead is developed and maintained by Md Asadujjaman Sabuj.
What are the best alternatives to MinuteRead?
The most popular alternatives to MinuteRead are Worth The Read (3K+ installs), WP Reading Progress (3K+ installs) and Sam Reading Time (70+ installs).
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
