How to Display Article Reading Time

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can show an estimated reading time on your articles.

This gives visitors a quick idea of how long a guide may take to read before they begin.

For example:

5 minute read

The estimate is worked out automatically from the number of words in the article.

Enable article reading time

To show reading time:

1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
3. Select the Articles or Features tab.
4. Find the Reading Time option.
5. Enable it.
6. Change the label if required.
7. Select Save Changes.

Open a published knowledge base article afterwards to check the result.

How reading time is calculated

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base counts the words in the article and estimates how long they would take to read.

The calculation uses an average reading speed of around 200 words per minute.

For example:

• A 200-word article will show roughly 1 minute
• A 600-word article will show roughly 3 minutes
• A 1,000-word article will show roughly 5 minutes

The result is only an estimate. Some visitors will read more quickly, while others may take longer when following detailed steps.

Where reading time appears

The reading time is normally shown near the top of the article alongside other information, such as the last updated date.

The exact position depends on the article layout and the features you have enabled.

It may appear underneath the article title or inside the article information row.

Change the reading time label

You can change the wording shown next to the estimated time.

Examples include:

• Minute read
• Estimated reading time
• Reading time
• About {time} minutes
• Takes around {time} minutes

Use the placeholder provided in the setting so the plugin can insert the calculated time.

Do not remove the placeholder unless you want the same fixed text to appear on every article.

Keep the wording short

Reading time is supporting information, so it should not take too much attention away from the article title.

Simple wording such as:

5 minute read

is usually enough.

Long wording can make the article information row feel crowded, particularly on mobile devices.

Reading time and the last updated date

Reading time can be shown alongside the date the article was last updated.

For example:

Last updated: 1 July 2026 · 6 minute read

This gives visitors two useful pieces of information:

• How recent the guide is
• Roughly how long it will take to read

If the row becomes too busy, you can disable one of the options.

Does reading time include headings?

The estimate is based on the readable words contained in the article.

This can include normal paragraphs, headings and other written content.

Images themselves do not add reading time unless they include text written as part of the article content.

The estimate does not try to predict how long someone may spend studying a screenshot or completing each instruction.

Does reading time include code?

Code and technical examples may contribute to the overall word count depending on how they are added to the WordPress article.

A technical guide may therefore take longer to follow than the displayed estimate suggests.

This is normal because reading time is intended as a quick guide rather than an exact measurement.

Does reading time include the table of contents?

The table of contents is generated from article headings and is not intended to significantly affect the estimate.

The main calculation is based on the article content itself.

Why show reading time?

Reading time can help visitors decide whether they have time to read the full guide.

It can be particularly useful for:

• Longer setup guides
• Detailed troubleshooting articles
• Technical documentation
• Step-by-step instructions
• Articles containing several sections

A visitor may be more willing to begin a guide when they can see that it should only take a few minutes.

Should every article show reading time?

You can leave the feature enabled across the knowledge base, but it may be less useful on very short articles.

A short answer containing only a few paragraphs may still show a minimum estimate of around one minute.

This is not a problem, although you can disable reading time if most of your documentation is very brief.

Reading time does not measure task completion

The estimate only covers the time needed to read the article.

It does not include the time required to:

• Download a plugin
• Upload files
• Wait for an installation
• Complete a licence check
• Change WordPress settings
• Contact support
• Test a website

For example, an article may show a three-minute reading time even though completing the steps takes ten minutes.

You can mention this inside the article when a task is likely to take longer.

Keep articles focused

Reading time can also help you spot articles that may be becoming too long.

If a simple task has a very large reading estimate, consider whether the guide should be split into several articles.

For example, one article covering installation, activation, homepage setup, categories and analytics may be easier to use as separate guides.

Focused articles are usually easier to:

• Read
• Search
• Update
• Link to
• Troubleshoot

Check the reading time after editing an article

The estimate updates automatically when the article content changes.

After adding or removing a large amount of text:

1. Update the article.
2. Open the public page.
3. Check the displayed reading time.
4. Clear the website cache if the old estimate remains.

You do not need to calculate or enter the time manually.

Reading time is not showing

If the estimate is missing, check that:

• Reading Time is enabled
• The article is published
• The settings were saved
• The article contains readable content
• The current article layout shows article information
• Your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active
• The website cache has been cleared

Try opening another published article to see whether the issue affects one guide or the whole knowledge base.

The reading time looks wrong

The time is an automatic estimate based on word count.

It may feel slightly high or low when an article contains:

• Large code examples
• Short numbered steps
• Many headings
• Tables
• Screenshots
• Technical instructions
• Embedded content

This does not normally indicate a problem.

The aim is to give visitors a rough idea rather than an exact time.

The old reading time is still showing

If the article has been shortened or expanded but the estimate has not changed:

1. Confirm that the article was updated.
2. Clear the WordPress cache.
3. Clear any hosting or server cache.
4. Clear your browser cache.
5. Open the article in a private browser window.

Cached article pages may continue showing the older estimate until the cache is refreshed.

Reading time is wrapping badly on mobile

If the article information row looks crowded:

• Shorten the reading time label
• Shorten the last updated wording
• Reduce unnecessary article information
• Check the text size settings
• Test the page with a narrower browser width

A simple label such as 5 minute read normally works best on smaller screens.

Reading time checklist

Before finishing, check that:

• Reading Time is enabled
• The label is clear
• The wording is not too long
• The estimate appears on published articles
• It updates when article content changes
• It sits neatly beside the last updated date
• The article information row works on mobile
• The feature adds something useful to your documentation

Article reading time is now enabled and will update automatically as your guides change.