Dark Reader turns your WordPress site into a comfortable dark mode experience with one click. It reduces eye strain, improves night-time readability, and gives visitors the same adaptive experience their phone already offers. Trusted by 100,000+ websites , it works with any theme and needs no coding
PricingFree downloadThe WordPress.org download is free. Pro versions, add-ons or external services may cost extra.
CompatibilityRequires WordPress 6.0 and PHP 7.4.
SourceWordPress plugins · Oct 19, 2026
01 / Source details
About this tool.
Dark Reader turns your WordPress site into a comfortable dark mode experience with one click. It reduces eye strain, improves night-time readability, and gives visitors the same adaptive experience their phone already offers.
Trusted by 100,000+ websites , it works with any theme and needs no coding.
Live Demo | Get Dark Reader | Docs
Key Features
Enable Dark Mode – switch every post and page to a dark colour scheme.
Brightness Control – how light or dark the page appears.
Contrast Control – text-to-background difference, for accessible reading.
Sepia Filter – a warm tone that cuts blue light while reading.
Grayscale Filter – shades of grey for a distraction-free look.
Toggle Button Position – place the switch in any screen corner.
5+ Toggle Styles – Default, Round, Switch, Toggle and Minimal.
Use System Color Scheme – follow the visitor’s device preference.
Enable for PDFs – dark mode for embedded PDF files.
Apply Immediately – no flash of light content before dark mode loads.
Filter Mode – softer Dimmed mode or high-contrast Dark mode.
Text Stroke – outline text so it stays legible on dark backgrounds.
Shortcode – place [dark_reader_toggle] anywhere on your site.
Export / Import Settings – back up your configuration as JSON.
Pro Features
Time-Based Dark Mode – schedule it by time, date or sunset.
Admin Dashboard Dark Mode – a dark backend for long sessions.
Image Handling – brightness, grayscale, invert, or a separate dark mode image.
Video Support – videos adapt to the dark interface.
Widget Support – toggle blocks for Gutenberg and Elementor.
Exclusions – keep chosen elements, pages or posts untouched.
Custom Toggle Button – your own icons, colours, border and size.
Dark Mode Analytics – see how many visitors actually use it.
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See it in action
Screenshots & previews.
Dark mode in actionDark Reader Free FeaturesUnlock Pro FeaturesLicense ActivationDark Reader Pro FeaturesEnabling Admin Dark ModeAdmin Dark Mode in Action
02 / Source details
Getting started.
01Upload the dark-reader folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
02Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
03Go to Admin Dashboard > Dark Reader > Configure your dark mode settings
04Select your preferred toggle button style and position
05Save your settings and enjoy your beautiful dark mode!
03 / Source details
Frequently asked questions.
Will Dark Reader slow down my website?
No, Dark Reader is designed to be lightweight and optimized for performance. The plugin loads efficiently and has minimal impact on your page load times.
Can I customize the colors used in dark mode?
Yes! Dark Reader allows you to set custom background and text colors for both dark and light modes. You can create your own unique color scheme that matches your brand.
Does Dark Reader work with all themes?
Dark Reader is designed to work with most WordPress themes. The plugin uses advanced algorithms to transform your website’s colors intelligently. However, some themes with complex CSS or custom JavaScript might require minor adjustments.
Can visitors choose their preferred mode?
Absolutely! The toggle button allows visitors to switch between light and dark modes at any time. Their preference is saved for future visits.
Can I add the dark mode toggle button to specific locations?
Yes, you can use the [dark_reader_toggle] shortcode to add the toggle button anywhere in your content, widgets, or template files.
Does Dark Reader support system preferences?
Yes! Dark Reader can automatically detect and apply your visitor’s system color scheme preference, switching to dark mode when their device is using dark mode.
Will images be inverted in dark mode?
No, Dark Reader is smart enough to preserve the original appearance of images while darkening the surrounding content. This ensures your images look their best in both modes.
Can I schedule dark mode to activate at specific times?
Yes, you can schedule dark mode to activate at specific times on most modern operating systems and many mobile devices.
Is Dark Reader compatible with caching plugins?
Yes, Dark Reader works with popular caching plugins. The plugin’s JavaScript runs on the client-side, so it continues to function even with cached pages.
Can I exclude certain elements from dark mode?
This functionality is available in the Pro version. You can exclude specific elements, pages, or posts from dark mode transformation.
Can I backup and restore my Dark Reader settings?
Yes! Dark Reader includes an Export/Import feature that allows you to backup all your settings to a JSON file and restore them later. This is useful when migrating to a new site or testing different configurations.
Where do I report security bugs found in this plugin?
Please report security bugs found in the source code of the Dark Reader plugin through the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program . The Patchstack team will assist you with verification, CVE assignment, and notify the developers of this plugin.
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