Description

ReadBar is a smart and highly customizable plugin that improves user experience by providing estimated reading times and a dynamic reading progress bar for your posts and pages. Enhance content engagement, provide clear expectations, and help your readers easily track their progress through your articles.

Key Features:
* Smart Reading Time Calculation: Automatically estimates reading time for posts/pages based on configurable words per minute.
* Dynamic Reading Progress Bar: Displays a smooth, animating progress bar that updates as users scroll through content.
* Fully Customizable Design: Control colors (text, background, bar), text alignment, font size, margin, and padding to perfectly match your site’s design.
* Flexible Positioning: Place reading time above title, above content, or below content. The progress bar can be fixed at the top or bottom of the viewport.
* Device Visibility Control: Independently enable or disable features for mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
* Post Type Selection: Choose specific post types where the reading time and progress bar should appear automatically.
* Reading Time Shortcode: Use [read_bar_reading_time] to insert reading time anywhere, with optional parameters to override global settings for unique placements.
* Lightweight & Optimized: Built with clean, efficient code to ensure fast page load speeds and optimal performance.
* SEO-Friendly: Designed to enhance user experience without negatively impacting your search engine rankings.
* Translation Ready: Fully internationalized for easy translation into any language.

ReadBar helps you provide a better, more informative, and visually engaging reading experience for your audience.

Screenshots

ReadBar Plugin Preview (Frontend display).
ReadBar Reading Time Settings.
ReadBar Progress Bar Settings.
ReadBar Shortcode Guide.

Installation

Via WordPress Dashboard (Recommended)

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
Go to Plugins > Add New.
Click on the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page.
Click Choose File and select the read-bar.zip file.
Click Install Now.
Once installed, click Activate Plugin.

Via FTP

Unzip the read-bar.zip file on your computer. This will create a folder named read-bar.
Connect to your web server using an FTP client (like FileZilla).
Go to the wp-content/plugins/ directory in your WordPress installation.
Upload the entire read-bar folder into the wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, and click Activate under “ReadBar – Smart Reading Time & Dynamic Progress Bar.”

FAQ

Q: My reading time or progress bar is not showing. What should I do?: A: First, ensure that both the “Enable Reading Time” and “Enable Progress Bar” options are checked in their respective settings tabs under the ReadBar menu in your WordPress admin. Also, check the “Display on Post Types” and “Visibility” settings to ensure they are configured for the content type and device you are viewing on. If you’re using the shortcode, ensure the “Enable Reading Time” option is checked globally.
Q: Can I use the reading time shortcode multiple times on one page?: A: Yes, you can. Each shortcode instance will display based on its own parameters or fall back to global settings for non-overridden parameters. This allows for different styles/visibility of the reading time on the same page.
Q: Is the plugin compatible with [specific theme/page builder]?: A: ReadBar is built using standard WordPress APIs and should be compatible with most themes and page builders. If you encounter any conflicts, please reach out to support.
Q: How accurate is the reading time calculation?: A: The reading time is an estimate based on the words per minute setting. It calculates the word count of the main content and divides it by your configured WPM. Factors like images, videos, and complex diagrams are not accounted for in word count, so it’s always an approximation.

Reviews

Noor Alam July 10, 2025

I’ve been using ReadBar – Smart Reading Time & Dynamic Progress Bar, and I’m seriously impressed. It adds a smooth, customizable progress bar and accurately estimates reading time on posts and pages. ✅ Easy to set up and works right out of the box✅ Clean UI with powerful customization options (color, position, font, visibility by device, etc.)✅ Love the shortcode feature and post-type selection✅ Doesn’t slow down my site – optimized and lightweight This plugin enhances user experience and encourages engagement. Highly recommended for bloggers, content creators, and publishers. Great job by the developer!

NoorWork July 10, 2025

I’ve tried a few reading time plugins, but ReadBar stands out with its clean design, smooth animation, and incredible customization options. ✅ I love how I can adjust the progress bar color, reading speed, and where the reading time appears.✅ Works perfectly across desktop, tablet, and mobile.✅ The shortcode is super handy for custom placements. Also, the plugin is lightweight and doesn’t slow down my pages at all. Highly recommended if you care about improving user engagement and time-on-site. Great work by the developer! 👏

Read all 2 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“ReadBar – Smart Reading Time & Dynamic Progress Bar” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

NoorWork

Translate “ReadBar – Smart Reading Time & Dynamic Progress Bar” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.0.0 – 2025-06-06

Initial Release of ReadBar.
Introduced Estimated Reading Time feature.
Introduced Reading Progress Bar feature.
Added customizable settings for colors, positions, and device visibility for both features.
Included [read_bar_reading_time] shortcode for flexible placement.

ReadBar – Smart Reading Time & Dynamic Progress Bar

Description

Screenshots