Description
Sam Reading Time (SRT) is a lightweight and efficient plugin to show estimated reading time in WordPress posts using the [sam_reading_time] shortcode.
Includes a minimal settings page directly accessible under the “Posts” admin menu.
Features include:
– [sam_reading_time] shortcode for displaying reading time
– Settings panel for WPM (words per minute) speed and output format
– Clean output: “Reading Time: 4 minutes”
– Compatible with all post types
– Easy to use and theme-friendly
– No external dependencies or JS
-SEO & Rich Snippets
-Multilingual Support
Usage
Insert the shortcode anywhere inside your post or page content:
[sam_reading_time]
Or use it in template files like so:
echo do_shortcode('[sam_reading_time]');
Settings can be accessed via Posts > Reading Time Settings, where you can adjust:
- Words-per-minute speed
- Prefix/suffix text around reading time
Credits
Developed by SAM Web Design Agency – https://samwda.ir
License
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.
See https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html for details.
Screenshots
Reading time output in a post. 
Simple settings panel under “Posts”.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Navigate to
Posts > Reading Time Settingsto customize behavior. - Use
[sam_reading_time]shortcode in posts or pages to show the reading time.
FAQ
-
Can I change the reading speed?
-
Yes. You can adjust the WPM value from the settings page.
-
Where is the settings page?
-
Under the WordPress Dashboard menu:
Posts > Reading Time Settings. -
Can I use it in custom post types?
-
Yes, as long as they support
the_content.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Sam Reading Time” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“Sam Reading Time” has been translated into 1 locale. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Sam Reading Time” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.2
- Improved performance by storing reading time as post meta instead of calculating on every request.
- Faster and more reliable sorting of reading time column in admin post lists.
- Added proper text domain loading (sam-reading-time) for full translation support.
- More stable and accurate Schema.org timeRequired JSON-LD output.
- Minor UI refinements in admin settings page with a cleaner, more minimal red theme.
- Better handling of translated content for Polylang and WPML.
2.0
- Added admin post list column to display reading time for all post types.
- Added sorting capability for reading time column.
- Accurate reading time calculation excluding code blocks, images, videos, and HTML tags.
- Full support for Custom Post Types (CPT).
- Added Schema.org
timeRequiredJSON-LD markup for SEO Rich Snippets. - Shortcode-aware schema: schema markup only added if [sam_reading_time] is used.
- Full compatibility with Polylang and WPML for translated content.
1.0
- Initial public release with shortcode and settings page.