Add Reading Time with a Clock Icon in WordPress – Easy, Lightweight Plugin

If you’re looking for a simple way to enhance your blog posts and improve user experience, the Read Time with Clock Icon WordPress plugin by WP Scriptly might be just what you need. This lightweight plugin adds an estimated reading time with a clean clock icon, giving your readers a quick heads-up on how long your content will take to read.

What It Does

This plugin automatically calculates the estimated reading time based on a default speed of 200 words per minute. With just a single shortcode, you can display a time estimate read time.

It’s a small touch that makes a big difference, especially for readers who want to gauge their time commitment before diving into your content.

Core Features

• ✅ Automatic Reading Time Calculation
• ✅ Elegant Clock Icon Display
• ✅ Easy-to-Use Shortcode
• ✅ Supports Posts, Pages, and Archives
• ✅ Responsive Across All Devices
• ✅ Fully Customizable with CSS

Technical Specs

• File: read_time.php
• Version: 1.1
• PHP Required: 7.0+
• WordPress Compatibility: 4.0+
• License: GPLv2

How to Install

1. Upload the read_time.php file to /wp-content/plugins/read-time-with-clock-icon/
2. Activate the plugin from the WordPress admin dashboard
3. Insert the shortcode nywhere in your content

Customization Options

For developers and advanced users, the plugin is easy to tweak:

• Change the reading speed in the get_read_time() function
• Update the appearance via the enqueue_read_time_styles() function
• Modify fonts, colors, and spacing using your theme’s CSS or the plugin’s stylesheet

Built-in Security

The plugin follows best practices for WordPress development, including:

• ABSPATH check to prevent direct access
• Validation to ensure the post exists
• Graceful handling of empty content
• Solid error checking to avoid breaking your site

Recent Updates (v1.1)

• 🛠️ Fixed PHP syntax errors
• 🧯 Added better error handling
• 🔁 Removed duplicate clock icons
• 🎨 Improved default CSS styling
• 🔒 Strengthened security measures

Conclusion
The Read Time with Clock Icon plugin is a clean, user-friendly enhancement to any WordPress blog or site. It improves usability, sets clear expectations for your readers, and integrates effortlessly with your content—all with minimal setup.

🔗 Get it today at WP Scriptly Community and add a touch of professionalism to your posts.

Author: WP Scriptly, Admin at WpScriptly

Hey, I’m Scot, the guy behind WpScriptly. I create simple, no-fluff WordPress plugins and tools to make your site easier to manage and more powerful. Everything I build is tested on my own projects first — if it’s here, it’s because it works. Thanks for checking out the site. Hope you find something useful at Wp Scriptly.

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*These scripts and plugins are provided as is with no guarantees or warranties. If you need assistance or run into issues, feel free to reach out via the contact page.