WordPress, WordPress Guide

How to Disable auto excerpt in WordPress

disable auto excerpt in wordpress

WordPress automatically generates post excerpts by default, which may not always be ideal for your content layout. If you prefer to

Disable auto excerpt in WordPress manually, you can disable the auto excerpt feature in WordPress.

Why Disable auto excerpt in WordPress?

  • Prevents WordPress from trimming content automatically.
  • Allows you to display full posts on archive and blog pages.
  • Gives control over where and how excerpts appear.
  • Helps maintain uniform formatting across posts.

Methods to Disable auto excerpt in WordPress

1. Adjust WordPress Reading Settings

One of the simplest ways to control post display is through WordPress settings.

  • Go to WordPress Dashboard β†’ Settings β†’ Reading.
  • Locate the For each post in a feed, include option.
  • Select Full text instead of Summary.
  • Save changes.

This setting applies to RSS feeds but may not affect how excerpts appear on your website theme.

2. Use the More Tag for Manual Excerpts

If you want control over excerpts while keeping the default behavior intact:

  • Open the post editor.
  • Click where you want to break the content.
  • Insert the Read More tag (Alt + Shift + T in Classic Editor or use the block in Gutenberg).

3. Disable Auto Excerpt via Theme Customization

Your theme might force excerpts using the_excerpt() function. You can modify this by editing the theme files:

  • Go to Appearance β†’ Theme Editor.
  • Find archive.php, index.php, or content.php.
  • Locate the_excerpt() and replace it with the_content().
  • Save changes.

4. Disable Auto Excerpts Using Functions.php

You can also prevent WordPress from generating automatic excerpts by adding code to functions.php:

function disable_auto_excerpt($content) {
    if (is_home() || is_archive()) {
        return the_content();
    }
    return $content;
}
add_filter('the_excerpt', 'disable_auto_excerpt');

This ensures that full content is displayed instead of an excerpt.

5. Use a Plugin to Disable Excerpts

If you’re not comfortable editing code, a plugin is a safer alternative.

  • Install and activate Disable Excerpts Plugin or similar.
  • Configure settings to disable automatic excerpts.
  • Save and check if your posts display full content.

Conclusion

Disable auto excerpt in WordPress helps maintain control over post content display. Whether you adjust settings, modify theme files, or use a plugin, you can ensure that your posts appear exactly how you want.