The Read More Button plugin is the ultimate solution for managing long content on your WordPress site. Whether you have lengthy blog posts, detailed product descriptions, or extensive service pages, this content expander tool allows you to keep your layout clean and user-friendly. By adding a custom
PricingFree downloadThe WordPress.org download is free. Pro versions, add-ons or external services may cost extra.
CompatibilityRequires WordPress 5.0 and PHP 7.4.
SourceWordPress plugins · Nov 5, 2026
01 / Source details
Aboutthistool.
The Read More Button plugin is the ultimate solution for managing long content on your WordPress site. Whether you have lengthy blog posts, detailed product descriptions, or extensive service pages, this content expander tool allows you to keep your layout clean and user-friendly.
By adding a customizable read more button , you can truncate text after a specific number of lines, encouraging users to click to expand content . This improves the user experience by preventing large blocks of text from overwhelming your visitors. The best part? The content expands instantly without refresh , ensuring a seamless reading experience.
Why Use a Read More Plugin? Improving readability is key to retaining visitors. A read more tag or button ensures that your users see the most important information first. This expand text functionality is perfect for mobile users who prefer scrolling through concise summaries before diving into deep content.
Key Features:
Customizable Read More Button : Style your show more button to match your theme.
Collapse / Show Less Button : After expanding, a “Show Less” button lets users collapse the content back. Both button labels are fully configurable.
Automatic Content Truncation : Automatically limit posts and pages by line count.
Instant Expansion : Smoothly reveal text and show hidden content without page reload .
Shortcode Support : Use [read_more_button] anywhere in post content for manual control. Wrap content to use line-count logic, or place it self-closing [read_more_button] at the exact split point.
Gutenberg Block : Insert the “Read More Button” block in the block editor to place the split point visually. No shortcode needed.
Keyboard Accessible : Fully operable with keyboard – buttons respond to Enter/Space and focus is managed correctly after each interaction.
SEO Friendly : Hidden content remains accessible to search engines.
Exclusion Options : Exclude specific pages/posts by ID
Post Type Selection : Choose which post types to apply the functionality to
Flexible Content Control : Set after how many lines the button should appear
Custom Button Text : Change the button text to match your site’s tone
Public CPT Support : Works with all public custom post types
Performance Optimized : Lightweight code that only loads where needed
Perfect for:
Blog posts with long content
Product descriptions
Service pages
News articles
Any content where you want to improve readability and user engagement
Easy Setup:
01Install and activate the plugin
02Go to Settings > Read More Button
03Configure your preferences (colors, text, line count, post types)
04The button will automatically appear on your selected content types
Love using this plugin? Please consider donating to support its development.
Developer Information
Technical Details: * Uses WordPress coding standards and security practices * All data properly sanitized and escaped * Follows WordPress plugin guidelines * Uses proper enqueue methods for scripts and styles * Implements WordPress hooks and filters correctly * Translation ready with proper text domain
Shortcode:
Placement marker (splits content at this exact point):
[read_more_button]
Wrapping mode (applies line-count logic within the block):
text (optional) – Read More button label. Defaults to the value set in Settings.
lines (optional) – Number of lines before truncation. Defaults to the value set in Settings.
collapse_text (optional) – Show Less button label. Defaults to the value set in Settings.
Gutenberg Block:
Search for “Read More Marker” in the block inserter ( click-to-read-more-button/read-more-here ). Rendered server-side; save() returns null . Outputs <!--ctrmb_split_here--> which the the_content filter splits on.
Hooks and Filters: * click_to_read_more_button_content_filter – Filter the content before applying read more functionality * click_to_read_more_button_button_text – Filter the button text * click_to_read_more_button_should_show – Filter to control where the button should appear (receives $show bool and $post_id )
CSS Customisation: The fade gradient on truncated content uses the CSS variable --ctrmb-bg (default: #fff ) so it blends with any background colour. If your theme uses a non-white background, add this to your theme’s stylesheet:
body { --ctrmb-bg: #your-background-colour; }
Translation: Translation-ready .pot file located at languages/click-to-read-more-button.pot . Place translated .po / .mo files in the languages/ folder using the naming convention click-to-read-more-button-{locale}.po .
Support: For support and feature requests, please contact the plugin author or submit issues through the WordPress.org support forums.
Donate: Donate Here
See it in action
Screenshots & previews.
Click to Read More Button Plugin settings page with all customization optionsRead More button appearance on frontend
02 / Source details
Gettingstarted.
01Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/click-to-read-more-button directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
02Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
03Use the Settings > Read More Button screen to configure the plugin.
04The Read More button will now appear on your selected post types after the specified number of lines.
03 / Source details
Frequently asked questions.
How do I customize the button appearance?
Go to Settings > Read More Button in your WordPress admin. You can customize: * Button background color * Button hover color * Text color * Button text
Can I choose which post types show the Read More button?
Yes! In the settings page, you can select which post types should display the Read More button. By default, it’s enabled for posts only, but you can enable it for pages and all public custom post types.
How do I exclude specific pages or posts?
In the settings page, there’s an “Exclude Pages/Posts by ID” field where you can enter comma-separated IDs of pages/posts you want to exclude (e.g., 1,2,3).
What happens when someone clicks the Read More button?
The full content is revealed smoothly and a “Show Less” button appears, allowing users to collapse the content back at any time. Both button labels are configurable from the settings page.
Can I use a shortcode instead of the automatic filter?
Yes! The [read_more_button] shortcode has two modes:
Placement marker : place [read_more_button] (self-closing) at the exact point in your content where the button should appear. Everything above it is visible; everything below is hidden until the reader clicks.
Wrapping mode : wrap content with [read_more_button]...[/read_more_button] and the plugin applies its line-count logic inside that block. Supports three optional attributes:
text – overrides the Read More button label (e.g., text="Continue Reading" )
lines – overrides the line count (e.g., lines="10" )
collapse_text – overrides the Show Less button label (e.g., collapse_text="Hide" )
Example: [read_more_button text="Read Full Article" lines="8" collapse_text="Hide"][/read_more_button]
When either shortcode mode is used, the automatic filter is skipped for that post. The shortcode takes full control.
Can I use the block editor instead of a shortcode?
Yes! Search for “Read More Button” in the block inserter. Inserting this block places a visual divider in the editor. Everything below it will be hidden behind the Read More button on the frontend. Only one marker block per post is allowed. When the block is used, the automatic line-count filter is skipped for that post.
Does this work with custom post types?
Yes! The plugin automatically detects all public custom post types and includes them in the post type selection options.
Will this affect my site’s performance?
No, the plugin is lightweight and only loads its scripts and styles on pages where the Read More functionality is enabled. It has no impact on pages where it’s not being used.
Can I change how many lines are shown before the button appears?
Yes, you can set the number of lines in the settings page. The default is 14 lines, but you can adjust this from 1 to 50 lines based on your content needs.
How does the line counting work?
The plugin uses character counting (approximately 90 characters per line) to determine when to show the button. The actual visual lines may vary based on your content length, font size, screen width, and theme styling.
Is this plugin translation ready?
Yes, the plugin is fully prepared for translation and follows WordPress internationalization standards.
Does the plugin work with caching plugins?
Yes, the plugin is compatible with all major caching plugins as it doesn’t use any server-side processing for the Read More functionality.
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