Title: Read More Without Refresh Author: George Gkouvousis Published: మార్చి 19, 2015 Last modified: సెప్టెంబర్ 23, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/read-more-without-refresh/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=2995129) ![](https://ps.w.org/read-more-without-refresh/assets/icon-256x256.gif?rev=2288266) # Read More Without Refresh By [George Gkouvousis](https://profiles.wordpress.org/gkouvousisg/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/read-more-without-refresh.4.2.1.zip) * [Details](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/#description) * [Reviews](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/#reviews) * [Installation](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/#installation) * [Development](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/) ## Description 🏆 **Trusted on 20,000+ WordPress sites.** Long content is great for SEO and hard on readers, and Read More Without Refresh lets you keep both. Visitors see a short, clean version and open the rest with one tap. No page reload, no jump, no spinner. Search engines still get every single word, because the hidden text sits right there in the HTML the whole time. One light plugin, no page builder required. Works with Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi and plain shortcodes, and only loads its assets on the pages that actually use it. 👀 **Try the live demo** – [open a real page and expand the content yourself](https://apps.8web.gr/demos/wordpress-read-more-without-refresh-plugin/). No signup, no install. Or watch the 60-second video: ### 🔥 What is new in this release This is the biggest step the plugin has taken. On top of the Read More toolkit you already know, the latest version adds real SEO and growth tools: * 🤖 **Get found by AI search.** The new AI Answer Optimizer publishes an llms. txt index and pings IndexNow the moment you hit update, so ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Bing pick your content up in minutes instead of weeks. Your collapsed FAQs already ship as valid FAQ schema. * 🎯 **Retarget the people who actually read.** When a visitor expands your content, send that intent straight into GA4, Meta Pixel, Google Ads or Google Tag Manager. Stop paying to re-reach people who bounced. * 🧹 **Collapse your old posts in bulk.** A new paragraph mode hides everything from, say, the second paragraph onward across your whole site. No shortcodes, no editing hundreds of articles by hand. * 🧭 **Keep readers moving.** An optional reading-progress bar, plus a Continue Reading button that drops returning visitors back exactly where they stopped. * 📈 **See your impact.** A dashboard widget shows how many times readers expanded your content, in the last 24 hours and all time. ### 🎁 Free version, everything you need to start * **Instant Read More and Read Less** – expand and collapse with no page refresh * **100% SEO-friendly** – hidden text stays in the initial HTML and is fully crawlable * **Reading progress and resume** – show a progress bar and send returning readers back to where they left off * **Engagement widget** – see how often people expand your content, right on your WordPress dashboard * **Smooth scroll** to the content you just opened * **Print optimization** – everything auto-expands when a page is printed * **Styleable button** – colors, borders, padding and font weight to match your brand * **Works everywhere** – a Gutenberg block plus a shortcode for any builder * **Accessible by default** – ARIA, keyboard support (Enter and Space), screen- reader friendly * **Clean and safe** – no inline JavaScript, full sanitization, and assets load only where they are used **Simple shortcode usage:** `[read more] Your long text [/read]`. It works anywhere– pages, posts, products, widgets and templates. ### 🚀 Pro version, the full content and growth toolkit **[Get Pro here](https://shop.8web.gr/product/read-more-without-refresh-pro/)**, with a 3-day free trial. * **AI Answer Optimizer (AEO)** – publish an llms.txt index and ping IndexNow the second you hit update, so AI engines and Bing recrawl in minutes, not weeks. Accordions ship as valid FAQ schema for rich results. * **Engagement to ad platforms** – send an expand, unlock or conversion event to GA4, Meta Pixel, Google Ads or Google Tag Manager, and retarget the readers who actually engaged. * **Paragraph auto-collapse** – hide everything from the Nth paragraph onward across your whole site, retroactively, with zero shortcodes. Built for cleaning up hundreds of old posts. * **🔒 Content Locker** – readers unlock hidden content with an email or a social share. Built-in Mailchimp, Brevo, MailPoet and webhook integrations, with leads stored locally. Turn your best content into a list-building engine. * **🤖 AI Summaries (TL;DR)** – auto-generate a concise summary of any post using your own OpenAI, Claude or Gemini key. Generated once per post, never per visitor, so it never runs up your API bill. * **💳 Teaser Paywall** – fade out content for non-members with a “continue reading” prompt. Soft (SEO-safe) or hard mode. * **📊 Real Analytics Dashboard** – per-page and per-button clicks, unlocks, leads and CTA conversions, a daily trend, date ranges and CSV export. Cache-proof tracking that works with WP Rocket and Cloudflare. * **🧪 A/B Testing** – test up to 5 button texts and apply the winning one with a single click. * **⚡ Auto-Apply** – collapse long posts, pages, products and even WooCommerce category descriptions sitewide, with zero shortcodes. * **📑 Auto-Collapse Sections + Table of Contents** – turn every H2/H3 into an accordion with an automatic table of contents and deep links (Wikipedia mode). * **♻️ Global Content Blocks** – write shipping, size or returns info once and reuse it across hundreds of pages: `[read block=”shipping-info”]`. * **🎯 Engaged-User CTA** – show an offer the moment a reader expands content, with tracked conversions. * **🧱 Gutenberg InnerBlocks Block** – hide ANY blocks (images, galleries, embeds), not just text. * **🧩 Native Elementor Widget** – full live-preview controls, no shortcodes. * **✂️ Truncate Mode** – `[read limit=”80″]` shows the first 80 words and hides the rest, HTML-safe. * **🔐 GDPR Mode** – zero external font and CDN requests for privacy-first sites. * **20 Button Templates** – one-click professional styles (Modern Blue, Glassmorphism, Neon Glow and more), no CSS needed * **9 Animation Types** – fade, slide, flip, zoom, bounce, rotate, scale and elastic, with customizable duration (0-2000ms) * **Accordion / FAQ Mode** – with valid FAQPage schema for rich results in Google:`[ read mode=”accordion” accordion_id=”faq1″]` * **Conditional Display Rules** – time-based, scroll-triggered, device-filter and role-based content * **Font Awesome Icons** (6,000+) and **Google Fonts** integration * **Advanced Styling** – gradients, typography controls (size, line height, letter spacing, transform) and border radius * **Lazy Loading** – load heavy hidden content only when it is expanded, for faster initial page loads * **GA4, Meta, Google Ads and Custom Events** – fire conversion events into your ad and analytics platforms when readers engage, plus `rmwr:expand` JavaScript events you can hook into GTM or your own scripts * **Deep Linking, Remember State** and an **Expand/Collapse All** button (`[read_all]`) * **Settings Import/Export** – perfect for agencies rolling out to many sites ### 📋 Free vs PRO: **Included in both versions:** * **Basic Show/Hide** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro * **Custom Colors and Styling** – ✅ Free (basic) | ✅ Pro (advanced) * **Smooth Scroll** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro (configurable offset) * **Print Optimization** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro * **Fade Animation** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro (9 animation types) * **Reading progress bar and resume** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro * **Engagement dashboard widget** – ✅ Free | ✅ Pro **PRO-only:** * **Content Locker (email / social unlock)** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Teaser Paywall** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **AI Summaries (OpenAI / Claude / Gemini)** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **AI Answer Optimizer (llms.txt, IndexNow, FAQ schema)** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Engagement events to GA4 / Meta / Google Ads** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Real Analytics Dashboard + CSV export** – 👁️ Free (teaser) | ✅ Pro * **A/B Testing** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Auto-Apply (sitewide + WooCommerce categories)** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Auto-Collapse Sections + Table of Contents** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Global reusable Content Blocks** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **20 Button Templates** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **9 Animation Types** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Accordion/FAQ Mode with Schema** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Conditional Display Rules** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Font Awesome + Google Fonts** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Gutenberg InnerBlocks Block + Elementor Widget** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Truncate Mode + GDPR Mode** – 👁️ Free (preview) | ✅ Pro * **Deep Linking, Remember State, Import/Export** – ❌ Free | ✅ Pro _👁️ = shown in the free settings (disabled) so you can see exactly what PRO unlocks._ ### 💰 Why go Pro * **Turn readers into leads.** The content locker builds your email list from the content people already want. * **Get cited by AI, not skipped.** AEO, llms.txt and FAQ schema put your answers in front of ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. * **Spend ad budget on people who care.** Send real engagement to GA4, Meta and Google Ads, then retarget them. * **Clean up years of content in an afternoon.** Paragraph and word auto-collapse run sitewide, WooCommerce category text included, with no shortcodes. * **Know what works.** A real analytics dashboard and A/B testing show what readers actually open and click. * **Roll out to every site.** Reusable blocks and settings import/export are built for agencies and stores. * **Get answers fast.** Priority support for Pro users. If the free plugin already earns its place on your site, Pro pays for itself the first time it captures a lead, saves you an afternoon of manual edits, or gets one post picked up by an AI answer engine. You can try it free for 3 days. **[Start your free Pro trial](https://shop.8web.gr/product/read-more-without-refresh-pro/)** ## Screenshots [⌊Read More button (collapsed)⌉⌊Read More button (collapsed)⌉[ Read More button (collapsed) [⌊Read More button (expanded after click)⌉⌊Read More button (expanded after click )⌉[ Read More button (expanded after click) [⌊Modern tabbed settings page (v4.1.0)⌉⌊Modern tabbed settings page (v4.1.0)⌉[ Modern tabbed settings page (v4.1.0) [⌊PRO features previewed in the free settings⌉⌊PRO features previewed in the free settings⌉[ PRO features previewed in the free settings [⌊Real Analytics Dashboard (PRO)⌉⌊Real Analytics Dashboard (PRO)⌉[ Real Analytics Dashboard (PRO) [⌊Content Locker - email to unlock (PRO)⌉⌊Content Locker - email to unlock (PRO)⌉[ Content Locker – email to unlock (PRO) [⌊Teaser Paywall for members (PRO)⌉⌊Teaser Paywall for members (PRO)⌉[ Teaser Paywall for members (PRO) [⌊Accordion / FAQ mode with Table of Contents (PRO)⌉⌊Accordion / FAQ mode with Table of Contents (PRO)⌉[ Accordion / FAQ mode with Table of Contents (PRO) [[ [[ [[ [[ ## Blocks This plugin provides 2 blocks. * Read More Without Refresh * Read More (legacy) ## Installation All you have to do is to activate the module after downloading/applying it at your WordPress website. Simply add RMWR shortcode or Block anywhere you need it (pages, posts, widgets, and more), IE: **[read more] Your hidden text here [/read]** You can configure the behavior of the plugin via its Settings page and browse all use cases. For support inquiries, please use the Support Forum. ## FAQ ### Is it compatible with every WordPress version? **Yes.** Tested up to the last version of WordPress core and PHP. ### Is the hidden content SEO-friendly? **Yes.** All hidden content renders in the initial HTML, so it is 100% crawlable by search engines. Only human visitors see it collapsed. ### What about Gutenberg and page builders? **Fully supported.** The shortcode works with any builder that renders shortcodes( Elementor, Divi, WPBakery and more). The PRO version adds a dedicated Gutenberg InnerBlocks block and a native Elementor widget. ### Can I use multiple instances on the same page? **Yes.** Use unlimited instances of the shortcode on any page, post or custom post type. ### Does the analytics work with page caching (WP Rocket, Cloudflare)? **Yes.** PRO analytics use a public REST endpoint with no nonces, so clicks are tracked correctly even on fully cached pages. ### Do the AI summaries cost money per visitor? **No.** A summary is generated once per post using your own API key. Visitors never trigger an API call. ### Can I capture emails or lock content? **Yes, in PRO.** The Content Locker asks for an email or a social share before revealing hidden content, and syncs leads to Mailchimp, Brevo, MailPoet or a webhook. ### Does it work with WooCommerce? **Yes.** PRO can auto-collapse long product descriptions and WooCommerce category( taxonomy) descriptions sitewide, and reusable global blocks let you show the same shipping, size or returns info across your whole catalog. ### Can I customize the button appearance? **Yes.** The free version customizes colors, borders, padding and font weight. PRO adds 20 button templates, Google Fonts, 6,000+ Font Awesome icons, gradients and advanced typography. ### Does it work on mobile devices? **Yes.** The plugin is fully responsive and works on all devices and screen sizes. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/89d9762b4134ca1074adb1911edf95d6f45da1e6b9406a276b154ccd2c12c825? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Excellent Tool](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/excellent-tool-500/)󠁿 [dries770](https://profiles.wordpress.org/dries770/) మే 25, 2026 I wrote long and complex articles and use the plugin extensively to hide detail. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a503fce55f8539e0f49308c4b55deba2b569ab86d1501c4e2d0c462753fb397b? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[I works but](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/i-works-but/)󠁿 [bugscout](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bugscout/) జనవరి 10, 2026 1 reply FunFakt: I find my Text with "read more" and click on it. The "more" Text appears– the link is still "read more" I click on it – the "more" Text is gone – the link is "read less" ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b7a81b6bf07836c603d1f08a9cd27aa74a8946c16c39c7c437ce657a15410137? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Doesnt work with WPBakery Text blocks](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-work-with-wpbakery-text-blocks/)󠁿 [garmatinc](https://profiles.wordpress.org/garmatinc/) జూన్ 28, 2025 1 reply Tried to get this to work with WPBakery text block and does nothing. Actually removes the extended text from the website. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/457af5322ed3478cbd614a32937889a9d1d13a0c271ceebdba35aa45f7a0afb0? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Yea, it breaks a site quite well.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/yea-it-breaks-a-site-quite-well/)󠁿 [rdnard](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rdnard/) ఏప్రిల్ 18, 2025 First, the plugin is deprived from ease of use, finding the shortcode is a hell. on its settings in dashboard there is basically nothing really useful than background and text color. be sure that it will break your site if your php version is up to date. It just has this stiff nature of using it because not all users know they can come back here to search the plugin and a barely visible shortcode amongst multiple information. No useful documentary at all so whats the fun if its so had to get it to work and yet still breaks a site? I get the point of the plugin, just fix it and its litheness will definitely attract users. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ac0209adb50b666620b8a699d705276588b9e5dfbd6f036bc2cb4408d71f140c? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Works as it is supposed to, nice plugin!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/works-as-it-is-supposed-to-nice-plugin/)󠁿 [LogoLogics](https://profiles.wordpress.org/logologics/) ఆగస్ట్ 12, 2024 At first, I did not get it to work, until I found out I had to hit the save button in settings first, even if I did not make any changes. After that, worked like a charm.It might be a good idea, to put these step-by-step instructions on the description/ instructions page.Support was also quick to respond.Thanks!Annie ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/82267a5e180ffd82a321af0ed4062a3eeec01e0760874dbd58fba1d3e6cbf1e5? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[It broke my sidebar](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/it-broke-my-sidebar/)󠁿 [kislany](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kislany/) మే 16, 2024 2 replies I added the shortcode (using Classic editor) to hide / unhide text in my post and it broke my sidebar, it pushed it to the bottom of the page. There are not many options in the free version to tinker with it, so I can't do anything to fix it. Pity because it works well for the purpose it's created, but I can't have a broken post layout. [ Read all 55 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Read More Without Refresh” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ George Gkouvousis ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/gkouvousisg/) [Translate “Read More Without Refresh” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/read-more-without-refresh) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/read-more-without-refresh/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/read-more-without-refresh/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/read-more-without-refresh/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/read-more-without-refresh/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 4.2.1 * FIXED: the “Start Trial” menu link now opens the redesigned pricing page instead of the legacy one. #### 4.2.0 * NEW: AI Answer Optimizer (AEO) – publishes an llms.txt index and pings IndexNow so ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Bing find and re-crawl your content fast. * NEW: Engagement events – fire a conversion into GA4, Meta Pixel, Google Ads or Google Tag Manager when readers expand, unlock or convert, so you can retarget engaged readers. * NEW: Paragraph auto-collapse and a Smart cut point – clean up long or old posts in bulk with zero shortcodes. * NEW: Reading progress bar and a “continue reading” resume button (free). * NEW: Engagement heatmap and a “worth refreshing” report in the Pro analytics dashboard. * NEW: Related posts inside the expanded content, for internal linking and extra pageviews. * IMPROVED: The free tier now shows a real last-24-hours analytics view. * IMPROVED: Leaner database – old raw events are pruned automatically, while lifetime totals are always kept. * CHANGE: Button styling is now a Pro feature. Sites that already customized their button keep it exactly as is; new installs inherit the theme’s link style. #### 4.1.2 * NEW: Dashboard engagement widget – see how many times readers expanded your content, with a live count and the last 24 hours, right on your WordPress Dashboard. * NEW: Optional “Powered by” credit link (off by default) in Settings > Behavior. * IMPROVED: Compatible with PHP 8.3, 8.4 and 8.5 (still runs on PHP 7.4+). * IMPROVED: Clearer upgrade information, including a 3-day free trial of Pro. #### 4.1.1 * FIXED: the [read] and [read_all] shortcodes now work inside category, tag and attribute (taxonomy) descriptions. The frontend script is now loaded on those archive pages, so the button toggles correctly. #### 4.1.0 * NEW (PRO): Content Locker – unlock content with an email or a social share, with Mailchimp / Brevo / MailPoet / webhook integrations and local leads storage. * NEW (PRO): Teaser Paywall for members, in soft (SEO-safe) and hard modes. * NEW (PRO): AI Summaries (TL;DR) generated once per post with your own OpenAI, Claude or Gemini key. * NEW (PRO): Real Analytics Dashboard – per-page and per-button clicks, unlocks, leads and CTA conversions, daily trend, date ranges and CSV export, with cache- proof REST tracking. * NEW (PRO): A/B testing of button texts with one-click winner apply. * NEW (PRO): Auto-Apply – collapse long content and WooCommerce category descriptions sitewide with zero shortcodes. * NEW (PRO): Auto-Collapse Sections with an automatic Table of Contents (Wikipedia mode). * NEW (PRO): Global reusable Content Blocks – [read block=”slug”]. * NEW (PRO): Engaged-user CTA with tracked conversions. * NEW (PRO): Gutenberg InnerBlocks block (hide any blocks) and a native Elementor widget. * NEW (PRO): Truncate mode ([read limit=”80″]) and GDPR mode (no external fonts/ CDN). * IMPROVED: fully redesigned, modern settings UI; assets load only on pages that use the plugin; no jQuery on the frontend. * FIXED: valid single FAQPage schema per page; role restriction is no longer bypassed for logged-out visitors; iframes and embeds are no longer stripped from hidden content. #### 4.0.0 * Major release – complete feature overhaul and modern tabbed UI. * Smooth scroll and print optimization added to the free version. * Security improvements – zero inline JS, comprehensive sanitization. * Full ARIA support and keyboard navigation. * All PRO features previewed (disabled) in the free settings. #### 3.4.0 * Major code refactoring and security improvements. * Separated JavaScript from PHP (no more inline scripts). * Proper sanitization and validation for all settings. * Accessibility features (ARIA labels, keyboard navigation). * Basic fade animation support and nonce verification for AJAX requests. #### 3.3.3 * Code cleanup. #### 3.3.1 * Code cleanup. #### 3.3 * Code cleanup. #### 3.2 * Fixed potential security issues. #### 3.1 * Fixed reported warnings. #### 3.0 * Dynamic settings integrated. #### 2.3 * Warning fixes. #### 2.2 * Bug fixes. #### 2.0 * Compatibility fixes. #### 1.0 * Bug fixes. #### 0.1 * Initial release. ## Meta * Version **4.2.1** * Last updated **4 రోజులు ago** * Active installations **20,000+** * WordPress version ** 5.8 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.1.2** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/) * Tags * [Accordion](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/accordion/)[expand](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/expand/) [faq](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/faq/)[read less](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/read-less/) [Read more](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/read-more/) * [Advanced View](https://te.wordpress.org/plugins/read-more-without-refresh/advanced/) ## Ratings 4.2 out of 5 stars. * [ 41 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 4 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 1 2-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 9 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/?filter=1) [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ George Gkouvousis ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/gkouvousisg/) ## Support Issues resolved in last two months: 2 out of 2 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/read-more-without-refresh/)