Plugin
Utilities

ReadTime

Displays reading time and progress bar for Joomla articles.

  • Zero B/C pluginRuns without the B/C pluginRuns on Joomla 5 and 6 without the Behaviour - Backward Compatibility plugin, so you can keep it switched off.
  • Joomla 4, 5 & 6Tested and supported on Joomla 4, 5 and 6.
Try live demo Documentation
  • 5.0See the reviews
  • v1.8.1· Updated 2 days ago
  • 3.5K+downloads
  • PHP 8.1+
  • Instant accessReady to install right after checkout
  • One-click updatesNew releases install from the Joomla administrator
  • Lifetime optionPay once and keep future releases
  • 30-day guaranteeFull refund if it is not the right fit

Features

What can ReadTime do for you?

Ten feature areas, one install package for Joomla 4, 5 and 6.

  • Accurate by Design

    A Better Reading Estimate

    • Audience-aware speedSet minimum and maximum WPM values and ReadTime uses their average for a balanced estimate.
    • More than wordsAdd a configurable allowance for every image and hide the indicator below a minimum word threshold.
    • Minutes or secondsUse minutes for long-form articles or seconds for announcements and micro-content.

  • Before, After, or Shortcode

    Place It Exactly

    • Automatic placementShow ReadTime before or after every eligible article.
    • Shortcode placementInsert {readtime} exactly where the reading cue should appear.
    • Safe fallbackIf Shortcode mode has no token, the indicator falls back to the beginning of the article.

  • Per-Shortcode Overrides

    Multiple Variants, One Article

    • Use more than oneAdd several ReadTime shortcodes to the same article.
    • Override only what mattersChange layout, style, icon, metrics, label, WPM, alignment, or progress behaviour per instance.
    • Backend stays in controlPlugin settings remain the defaults whenever an attribute is omitted.

  • From Quiet to Prominent

    Three Presentation Styles

    • PlainA minimal reading line for editorial, documentation, and knowledge-base pages.
    • Rounded BadgeA compact pill suited to blogs, cards, and metadata rows.
    • Information CardA richer full-width summary for word count and finish-time details.

  • Time, Words, and Finish

    More Useful Metrics

    • Estimated reading timeThe essential time-to-read cue in customizable language.
    • Optional word countShow readers the size of the article before they begin.
    • Estimated finish timeTell visitors approximately when they will complete the article using the Joomla site timezone.

  • Measure What Readers Read

    Article-Aware Progress

    • Article scopeTrack the article body without counting unrelated headers, footers, and modules.
    • Page scopeSwitch to full-page progress when the complete page journey matters.
    • Fully styledChoose top or bottom placement, thickness, completed and track colours, plus an optional percentage label.

  • Unicode and CJK Ready

    Global Reading Support

    • Unicode-aware matchingCounts letters, numbers, apostrophes, and hyphenated words across writing systems.
    • CJK and Thai fallbackCharacter-based estimation handles languages that do not separate every word with spaces.
    • Custom time-unit textConfigure singular and plural minute and second labels for the site language.

  • Fine-Grained Exclusions

    Display Only Where Needed

    • Content controlExclude categories, individual articles, or menu items.
    • View controlDisable ReadTime on featured, blog, or category views.
    • Module-safe processingContext checks prevent indicators from appearing in unrelated article modules and previews.

  • Native Joomla Performance

    Accessible and Lightweight

    • No jQueryReadTime uses native JavaScript and Joomla Web Asset Manager.
    • Accessible progressProgressbar semantics, readable labels, live numeric values, and decorative SVG icons support assistive technology.
    • Motion and print awareHonours reduced-motion preferences and provides clean print output.

  • 35 Backend Parameters

    Everything Managed in Joomla

    • Organized settingsGeneral, Text, Styling, Progress Bar, and Exclusion fieldsets keep configuration clear.
    • Five presets plus CustomApply Default, Subtle, Bold, Minimal, or Highlighted styles, or control colour, size, weight, and alignment yourself.
    • Joomla 4, 5, and 6One package supports current Joomla sites with versioned native assets.

Changelog

What's new

9 releases since version 1.0. Updates install from the Joomla admin with a valid licence.

    • Runs on Joomla 5 and 6 with the Behaviour Backward Compatibility plugins disabled
    • The content plugin loads through the Joomla 5 service provider

Show 3 older releases

Docs & setup

Get up and running fast

Written guides for installing and configuring ReadTime, from first setup to the options that matter.

  • Installation stepsOne install zip for Joomla 4, 5 and 6, installed from System, Install, Extensions.
  • Configuration optionsThe settings in the guide, from first setup to the options that matter.
  • Practical usage tipsShort examples you can adapt to your site.
Open documentation Ask a question

Pricing

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Save more as you scale — longer access means a bigger discount.

Compatible with
Joomla 4 Joomla 5 Joomla 6
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6 months access with priority support & bug fixes. Perfect for short-term projects and growing businesses.
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Full year access with VIP support channel. Fastest response time & priority feature requests. Best value!
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FAQ

Questions about ReadTime

Still unsure? Our support team is one ticket away.

Which Joomla versions does ReadTime 1.6 support?

ReadTime 1.6 supports Joomla 4, Joomla 5, and Joomla 6. PHP 8.1 or later is recommended.

Does ReadTime require jQuery?

No. ReadTime uses native JavaScript and registers its versioned CSS and JavaScript through Joomla Web Asset Manager.

Can all settings be managed from the Joomla backend?

Yes. The plugin provides 35 backend parameters covering reading speed, metrics, text, placement, layouts, icons, style presets, custom typography, progress behaviour, and exclusions. Shortcode attributes are optional per-instance overrides.

Where can I place the reading-time indicator?

Choose Before Article, After Article, or Shortcode {readtime}. Shortcode mode places the indicator exactly where the token appears and falls back to the beginning when no token is present.

Can I add more than one ReadTime indicator to an article?

Yes. Version 1.6 supports multiple {readtime} shortcodes in the same article. Each shortcode can use its own display attributes while inheriting every omitted value from the backend settings.

Which shortcode attributes are available?

You can override layout, style, icon, words, finish, seconds, percentage, label, wpm, alignment, scope, and image_seconds.

What display layouts are included?

Plain provides a minimal reading line, Rounded Badge provides a compact pill, and Information Card provides a full-width summary. Each layout works with the five presets or custom styling.

How is reading time calculated?

ReadTime averages the configured Minimum and Maximum WPM values, divides the article word count by that speed, then adds the configured seconds-per-image allowance. It can display the result in minutes or seconds.

Does ReadTime support Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai content?

Yes. It uses Unicode-aware word matching and applies a character-based estimate for CJK and Thai scripts that do not separate every word with spaces.

What is the difference between Article and Page progress?

Article Content measures only the article body and ignores unrelated headers, footers, and modules. Entire Page measures the full document scroll length.

Can I hide ReadTime on short articles?

Yes. Set Minimum Word Count to the shortest content length that should display an estimate. A value of 0 allows every non-empty eligible article.

Can I exclude specific content?

Yes. Exclude categories, menu items, individual articles, Featured Articles, blog layouts, or category views from the plugin settings.

Is the progress bar accessible?

Yes. It exposes progressbar semantics, an accessible label, and a numeric value from 0 to 100. ReadTime also honours reduced-motion preferences, hides decorative SVG icons from assistive technology, and includes print styles.

Why is the shortcode visible instead of the indicator?

Confirm that Content - ReadTime is enabled and Display Position is set to Shortcode {readtime}. Check the attribute quotes and verify that the current article, category, menu item, or view is not excluded.

Where can I get support?

Visit support.joomlax.com. Include the Joomla and PHP versions, page URL, plugin settings, and any browser-console errors.

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