jekyll-reading-time-filter

A tiny, configurable reading-time Liquid filter for Jekyll.
It calculates the estimated reading time of your posts or pages and displays it in a clean, Medium-style format (3 min read) or with detailed minutes and seconds if you prefer.

---

Description

jekyll-reading-time-filter adds a Liquid filter to your Jekyll site that computes how long it takes to read a given page or post.
It supports:

• Customizable words per minute (WPM)
• Seconds precision (optional)
• Configurable labels and format
• Safe defaults, producing reader-friendly estimates

This makes it easy to show your readers how much time they’ll need to invest before diving into your content.

---

Installation

Add the gem to your Jekyll site’s Gemfile:

gem "jekyll-reading-time-filter"

Run:

bundle install

Then enable the plugin in your Jekyll _config.yml:

plugins:
  - jekyll-reading-time-filter

On Jekyll < 3.5, use the gems: key instead of plugins:.

---

Usage

In your layout or post templates, add:

Read this in about {{ page.content | reading_time }}

Examples:

{{ page.content | reading_time }}
# => "3 min read"

{{ page.content | reading_time: true }}
# => "2 minutes, 18 seconds"

---

Configuration Options

You can configure defaults in _config.yml:

reading_time:
  words_per_minute: 200   # default: 180
  show_seconds: false     # default: false
  format: short           # "short" => "3 min read", "long" => "3 minutes read"
  min_label: "minute"     # default: "minute"
  mins_label: "minutes"   # default: "minutes"
  sec_label: "second"     # default: "second"
  secs_label: "seconds"   # default: "seconds"

• words_per_minute → Adjust average WPM to your audience
• show_seconds → Include seconds in output (true/false)
• format → short gives “3 min read”, long gives “3 minutes read”
• labels → Fully customizable for localization

---

Why this gem?

• Accurate: Proper second calculation (not just percentages)
• Configurable: Tune WPM, labels, and formatting
• Reader-friendly: Medium-style “min read” output by default
• Jekyll native: Easy drop-in Liquid filter, no extra scripts
• Localized: Customize wording for international audiences

---

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.
See the LICENSE file for details.