To create a post summary in WordPress, edit the post, open the Settings or Document sidebar, expand Excerpt, and write a one- or two-sentence summary. Save or update the post. WordPress uses that text wherever the active feed, theme, or template is configured to display excerpts. If you leave the field empty, WordPress falls back to the first 55 words of the post.
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What a WordPress excerpt is—and what it is not
An excerpt is optional text associated with a post. It is normally used as the post’s summary: a short description that helps someone decide whether to open the full article. The excerpt is separate from the post body, title, featured image, categories, and tags.
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Adding an excerpt does not automatically place it everywhere. A homepage, archive, search-results page, RSS feed, or custom listing must be designed to output the excerpt. A single-post template may continue to show the complete content even after you save a manual summary.
WordPress documents a 55-word automatic fallback. When the excerpt field is empty, it creates an excerpt from the first 55 words of the post. That fallback is useful, but it can end in the middle of a sentence, begin with an unhelpful introduction, or expose text that was never intended as promotional copy. A manual excerpt gives you control over the wording and length.
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How to add an excerpt in the WordPress block editor
These steps apply to the modern block editor (Gutenberg) when the post type supports excerpts.
- Sign in to your WordPress dashboard and open Posts.
- Choose All Posts, then select the post you want to edit, or create a new post with Add New Post.
- Open the editor’s Settings sidebar. Depending on the WordPress version and screen width, the control may be labeled Document or appear as a gear-shaped button.
- Stay on the post-level settings rather than the settings for an individual block. If the sidebar is showing block settings, switch back to the document or post tab.
- Scroll past the Featured Image area until you find Excerpt. The section is optional and is available only for post types that have excerpts enabled.
- Enter a clear one- or two-sentence description. State the subject and the benefit or result the reader will get from the full post.
- Click Save Draft, Publish, or Update, depending on the post’s current status.
The excerpt field accepts plain text and the editor may display a character or word count, but the exact limit depends on the WordPress interface and any plugins active on the site. Do not assume that the text you save will be visible on the single-post page; visibility is controlled by the template.
Writing a useful manual summary
- Lead with the article’s specific subject instead of repeating a generic introduction.
- Use a complete sentence or two that makes sense without the surrounding post.
- Keep the promise accurate. An excerpt should not claim a test, feature, price, or result that the article does not provide.
- Put the most important terms near the beginning because listing layouts may truncate the text.
- Avoid copying the first paragraph if that paragraph is written as scene-setting rather than a concise description.
How to add an excerpt in the Classic Editor
The Classic Editor can edit a manual excerpt, but its field is often hidden until you enable it.
- Open the post in the Classic Editor.
- At the top of the editing screen, click Screen Options.
- Find the available panels and check Excerpt.
- Close the Screen Options panel. An Excerpt box should now appear below the main editor or in the post-editing layout.
- Type the summary in that box.
- Click Save Draft, Publish, or Update.
If the Excerpt option is not listed in Screen Options, the current post type or editor configuration may not support excerpts. Standard posts support them, while custom post types must explicitly enable excerpt support.
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How to show summaries instead of full posts
There are two separate display systems to configure: feeds and site pages. Changing one does not necessarily change the other.
Use summaries in RSS and other feeds
- From the dashboard, open Settings > Reading.
- Locate For each article in a feed, show.
- Select Summary.
- Save the Reading settings if WordPress presents a save button.
This setting controls the feed presentation. It does not force your homepage, category archives, search results, or a custom Query Loop to use excerpts. Those pages depend on their theme or template.
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Show excerpts on a classic-theme homepage or archive
Classic themes decide whether a listing uses the full post content or an excerpt. If the site continues to show complete posts after you add a manual excerpt and choose feed summaries, inspect the theme’s homepage and archive settings or template. The saved excerpt may be correct even when the theme chooses to render post content instead.
Look for a theme option that changes archive or blog-list output from Full text to Excerpt. The label and location vary by theme, so do not treat a theme’s setting as a WordPress-wide switch.
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Show excerpts in a block theme
Block themes use the Site Editor and templates. The usual arrangement is an Excerpt block inside a Query Loop, which repeats posts for a homepage, archive, or search template.
- Open Appearance > Editor to enter the Site Editor.
- Open Templates, then choose the template that controls the page in question, such as an archive, search results, or home template.
- Select the Query Loop that lists posts. If the template has no Query Loop, add one before adding post-specific blocks.
- Inside the Query Loop, select the existing Post Content block if the listing is displaying full articles.
- Replace it with, or add, an Excerpt block.
- In the Excerpt block settings, choose whether to show a Read More link, whether that link should appear on a new line, and the maximum number of words.
- Save the template.
The Excerpt block uses the manual excerpt when one exists and falls back to the first 55 words when it does not. Its maximum-word control affects how much text the block displays; it does not rewrite the saved manual excerpt. A Read More link is a separate presentation option and is not part of the excerpt text itself.
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Manual excerpt versus the automatic 55-word fallback
| Approach | How it is created | Where it is useful | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual excerpt in the Block Editor | Enter text in the post-level Excerpt section in the Settings sidebar. | Controlled summaries for archives, search pages, Query Loops, and any other template that uses excerpts. | Saving it does not make a template display it. |
| Manual excerpt in the Classic Editor | Reveal the Excerpt panel through Screen Options, then enter text. | Sites that still use the Classic Editor and post types with excerpt support. | The field may be hidden, and theme output still determines visibility. |
| Automatic fallback | WordPress takes the first 55 words when no manual excerpt is supplied. | Quick setup or posts where the opening words already work as a summary. | It can cut off awkwardly or include an unsuitable opening. |
Optional excerpt generation
Learn WordPress documents a Generate Excerpt control for sites where Excerpt Generation is enabled. When available, the control drafts summary text from the post. Availability depends on the features enabled on that site; it is not guaranteed in every WordPress installation or editor configuration.
- Open the post’s Excerpt section.
- Choose Generate Excerpt if the control is present.
- Read the generated draft closely for factual accuracy, tone, missing context, and unsupported promises.
- Edit the text as needed.
- Save the excerpt and then save or update the post.
Generation is a drafting aid, not a publishing shortcut. The resulting text should be reviewed just like any other automatically produced copy.
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Why your excerpt is not showing
The post has no saved manual excerpt
Reopen the post and confirm that text remains in the Excerpt field after saving. If it is empty, WordPress will use the 55-word fallback wherever an excerpt is requested.
The template is rendering Post Content
A listing can ignore the saved excerpt if its template contains a Post Content block or equivalent full-content output. In a block theme, edit the relevant Query Loop and replace that output with an Excerpt block. In a classic theme, look for a blog, archive, or content-display option that switches from full text to excerpts.
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Settings > Reading controls what feeds show. It does not override the template used by your homepage, archives, or search results. Configure the site template separately.
You are viewing a single-post template
Single-post pages normally present the complete article. An excerpt saved for archive or feed use is not automatically substituted for the body on that page. Check the archive, homepage, search, or feed where the summary is intended to appear.
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The post type does not support excerpts
The Excerpt section is optional and applies only to post types with excerpt support, such as standard posts. A custom post type must be registered with excerpt support before its editor will expose the field.
A cache is showing an older version
If the template is definitely using an Excerpt block or excerpt-enabled theme setting, clear any page, browser, or proxy cache and test the public URL again. Caching can preserve an earlier listing even after the post and template have been updated.
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| Goal | Required action | What controls the result |
|---|---|---|
| Write a custom summary for one post | Enter text in the Block Editor’s Excerpt section or the Classic Editor’s Excerpt panel. | The saved post excerpt. |
| Use summaries in RSS feeds | Choose Summary under Settings > Reading. | The Reading setting and the feed consumer. |
| Use summaries on a block-theme archive | Place an Excerpt block inside the archive’s Query Loop. | The template, block settings, and the saved excerpt. |
| Keep setup fast for every post | Leave the field empty and rely on the automatic fallback. | The first 55 words of each post. |
| Control the visible length in a listing | Adjust the Excerpt block’s maximum-word setting. | The listing block’s presentation setting, not the stored text. |
Practical excerpt checklist
- Confirm that the post type supports excerpts.
- Write and save a manual summary when the opening 55 words are not suitable.
- Decide separately whether feeds should show Summary or full articles.
- Inspect the exact homepage, archive, search, or feed template where the summary should appear.
- In a block theme, use an Excerpt block inside the relevant Query Loop.
- Set a maximum word count and Read More behavior in the Excerpt block when needed.
- Preview the public listing after saving and clear caches if an old version remains.
Frequently asked questions
Does WordPress require an excerpt?
No. Excerpts are optional. If you do not provide one, WordPress can create a 55-word fallback from the beginning of the post when a feed or template requests an excerpt.
Can I use an excerpt on a single-post page?
You can place an Excerpt block in a template, but a normal single-post template usually displays the full post content. The fact that an excerpt is saved does not change that template automatically.
Why does my manual excerpt still not appear in search results?
Search-result presentation is controlled by the active theme or template. Verify that the search template uses an Excerpt block or an excerpt-enabled output rather than full Post Content.
Can I change the automatic 55-word value from the editor?
The editor’s Excerpt field lets you replace the fallback with your own text. The Excerpt block can limit the number of displayed words, but that display control is separate from WordPress’s documented 55-word fallback.
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