In WordPress, an excerpt is a concise summary of a longer post or article. It’s essentially a snippet that provides a quick overview of the content and entices readers to click through and read the full post.
Here’s how excerpts function in WordPress:
- Post summaries: They are primarily used on archive pages (like blog listings, category pages, or search results) to display summaries instead of the entire post content. This prevents overwhelming users with a massive wall of text and makes the page easier to scan.
- Customizable length: By default, WordPress generates excerpts automatically by selecting the first 55 words of your post. However, you have the flexibility to craft your own, customized excerpt that effectively captures the essence of your post.
- Two ways to create: There are two main ways to create excerpts in WordPress:
- Automatic: If you don’t write a specific excerpt for a post, WordPress will automatically generate one using the beginning of your content.
- Manual: You can write a custom excerpt in the dedicated excerpt box on the post edit screen (this box might be hidden by default, but you can enable it using the “Screen Options” button). This allows you to summarize the key points or highlight the most interesting aspects of your post.
- Improved user experience: Well-written excerpts enhance the user experience by providing readers with a clear idea of what each post is about. This helps them decide which posts they want to delve deeper into.
Overall, excerpts are a valuable tool for managing post length on archive pages and improving the overall readability of your WordPress website.
