Excerpts can be a useful blogging feature to create concise previews of your content, but for some WordPress users, the auto-generated excerpt functionality can be a headache. If you’re tired of WordPress auto-generating post excerpts that feel out of place or incomplete, don’t worry—you’re not alone, and there’s a solution.
This blog post will explain what excerpts are, why you might want to disable auto excerpts, and, most importantly, the methods to do so. Whether you’re a blogger looking for more creative control or a web developer managing a custom design, you’ll find everything you need here.
What Are Excerpts in WordPress?
Excerpts in WordPress are brief summaries or teasers of your posts. Typically shown on blog archive pages or search results, excerpts give readers a glimpse of a post’s content before they click through. They add structure and improve readability, especially for blogs with multiple entries displayed on a single page.
WordPress allows for two types of excerpts:
- Custom Excerpts – Written manually in the excerpt section of the post editor. These allow for more control over how your content is summarized.
- Auto-Generated Excerpts – Created by WordPress by taking the first 55 words of your post by default (although this number can vary depending on your theme).
While auto excerpts work fine for many, they can hinder the overall user experience in certain scenarios.
Why Are Auto-Generated Excerpts an Issue?
Auto excerpts can sometimes create more problems than solutions. Here’s why some users find them problematic:
- Incomplete Context
Auto excerpts only include the initial part of the post, which may not always provide the desired context. For instance, introductory sentences are often too vague or not captivating enough to serve as a preview.
- Interruption of Formatting
Auto excerpts strip unnecessary formatting, including headings, images, or shortcodes. This can result in awkward, incomplete, or unattractive excerpts that don’t align with your blog’s professional design or flow.
- Negative Impact on SEO
From an SEO perspective, poorly written or irrelevant excerpts can confuse search engines and lead to lower rankings. Manually written summaries that include focus keywords do a better job of optimizing a website.
- Aesthetic Limitations
For themes that emphasize creative layouts, auto excerpts often don’t integrate aesthetically, leading to a subpar visual experience for your readers.
These reasons alone might explain why some users prefer to skip auto excerpts entirely and rely only on manually created ones—or none at all.
Reasons to Disable Auto Excerpts
Now that we’ve identified common issues with auto excerpts, here are the benefits of taking control and disabling them:
- Customization – Enables you to craft precise, meaningful summaries for each post.
- Consistent Branding – Lets you ensure every excerpt aligns with your brand voice and tone.
- Enhanced SEO – Allows you to optimize manually written excerpts for better search engine performance.
- Improved User Experience – Gives visitors relevant and engaging content previews that add real value.
With these advantages in mind, we can now move on to the “how.”
Methods to Disable Auto Excerpts on WordPress
Here are four tried-and-tested ways to disable auto excerpts, ranging from beginner-friendly settings tweaks to more advanced coding alternatives.
1. Disable via Theme Settings
Many WordPress themes allow you to customize the excerpt functionality directly within their settings.
- Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Go to Appearance > Customize in your WordPress dashboard.
- Locate the settings related to your blog. If you’re using the Astra theme, for example, this section is labeled Blog.
- Choose either the Blog/Archive Settings or Single Post Settings and click on Blog / Archive.
- Scroll down to Posts Structure and make sure the Post Excerpt option is active.
- Click Publish to save your changes.
This method doesn’t require any coding knowledge and is great for users whose themes include this feature.
2. Use a WordPress Plugin
For those who prefer a plug-and-play solution, there are several WordPress plugins designed specifically for customizing excerpts.
Some popular options include:
- Advanced Excerpt Plugin – Allows you to control the excerpt length or disable it entirely.
- Disable Excerpts Plugin – A lightweight option to completely remove auto excerpts with just a few clicks.
Steps to use plugins:
- Install the plugin by downloading it from the WordPress Plugin Directory. Finally, activate it.
- Go to the plugin settings and customize your preferences (e.g., disable auto excerpts globally).
- Save changes.
3. Use a Custom Function in functions.php
For a more flexible solution, you can add a custom function to your functions.php file.
Code Example:
function disable_auto_excerpt( $content ) {
if( is_home() || is_archive() ) {
return $content;
}
return get_the_content();
}
add_filter( 'the_excerpt', 'disable_auto_excerpt' );This code ensures full posts are displayed instead of excerpts on homepages and archives while keeping excerpts where needed. Again, creating a backup is highly recommended.
Considerations and FAQs
Before you jump into disabling auto excerpts, here are a few considerations and common questions addressed:
Will disabling auto excerpts affect my theme’s design?
Yes, it’s possible. Some themes rely on excerpts to maintain uniform layouts. Test your changes to ensure your website still looks good.
Can I combine manual excerpts with full posts?
Absolutely. Disabling auto excerpts doesn’t impact custom excerpts—you can still write them manually in the “Excerpt” box when editing posts.
Are there SEO drawbacks to disabling auto excerpts?
If done strategically, disabling auto excerpts won’t negatively affect SEO. Just ensure alternative approaches (like custom excerpts) still contain relevant keywords.
Take Control of Your WordPress Excerpts
Auto-generated excerpts can be a hassle, but the good news is you have multiple ways to disable or customize them. Whether you choose to use theme settings, plugins, or custom code, each solution will give you more control over how your content appears on your site.
Are you looking to break free from limitations and optimize your WordPress experience? Start experimenting with these methods today and enjoy tailoring your site exactly as you envision it.
Have questions or need assistance? Leave your comments below, and we’d be happy to help!