ReadSpan — Customizable Reading Time Badge & Progress Bar
Show a reading time badge and a scroll progress bar on your posts and pages — fully customizable from the admin panel.
Use with caution
ReadSpan works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 42/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)
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 ReadSpan stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| badge | >100 |
| engagement | >100 |
| progress bar | >100 |
| reading progress | >100 |
| reading time | >100 |
About ReadSpan
From the official readme · v1.0.0Description
ReadSpan adds two lightweight engagement features to your WordPress site:
Reading Time Badge
A pill-shaped badge that displays estimated reading time, injected before, after, or both sides of post content. Supports three SVG icons (clock, book, stopwatch), custom colors, shapes, padding, and font size. Works via shortcode too.
Scroll Progress Bar
A fixed-position progress bar (top or bottom of the viewport) that fills as the reader scrolls. Supports solid color, gradient, configurable height, and a real-time countdown feature in the badge.
Highlights
- Zero JavaScript dependencies — vanilla JS, passive scroll listener with requestAnimationFrame throttle
- CSS custom properties for instant style updates
- 24 configurable settings via a clean 3-tab admin UI with live preview
- Mobile hide option (below 768 px)
- Dark mode admin UI (prefers-color-scheme: dark)
- Shortcode
[readspan]support - PHP 7.4 compatible, no Composer required on production
- Follows WordPress Coding Standards and DDD architecture
Installation
- Upload the
readspanfolder to/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate the plugin in Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Go to Settings > ReadSpan to configure
Frequently asked questions
Does this slow down my site?
No. Assets are only loaded on singular post/page views. The progress bar script is deferred (footer) and uses passive scroll events with requestAnimationFrame.
How does the `[readspan]` shortcode work?
Enable the shortcode in Settings > ReadSpan > Genel. Placing [readspan] in post content activates the reading progress bar and badge on that post, even if its post type is not in your configured list. The badge itself is always positioned according to your Konum (position) setting — before content, after content, or both — not at the shortcode location.
What reading speed is used?
Default is 200 words per minute. You can set any value between 100 and 400 WPM from the settings panel.
Does it support custom post types?
Yes — you can select which post types display the badge and bar from the settings panel.
Changelog
Initial release — no upgrade steps required.
1.0.0
- Initial release
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 ReadSpan alternatives
All badge plugins →
FAQ
ReadSpan: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 12, 2026
Is ReadSpan free?
Yes. ReadSpan is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is ReadSpan safe to use in 2026?
ReadSpan works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 42/100 on our health check.
How many websites use ReadSpan?
ReadSpan is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 247 times since it launched in May 2026. It was downloaded 54 times in the last 30 days.
Does ReadSpan work with WordPress 7.1?
ReadSpan is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.10, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does ReadSpan need?
ReadSpan requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was ReadSpan last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.0, was released on May 14, 2026 (5 months ago).
Who makes ReadSpan?
ReadSpan is developed and maintained by ibrahimhalefoglu.
What are the best alternatives to ReadSpan?
The most popular alternatives to ReadSpan are YITH WooCommerce Badge Mana… (10K+ installs), Sold Out Badge for WooComme… (8K+ installs) and Trusted Shops Easy Integrat… (6K+ installs).
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