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WordPress does not have one universal archive switch for full posts versus excerpts. The active theme, archive template, or post-list block decides what appears on blog pages, category and tag archives, search results, and similar listings. Use a More block when that template outputs full content; use the post’s Excerpt field with an excerpt-capable template or block when you want summaries. The Reading screen’s “Full text” and “Excerpt” options apply to syndication feeds, not automatically to every archive.
What controls the text shown in an archive?
Archive output is determined by the display context. A classic theme can hard-code full content or excerpts in its archive template, while a block theme may expose the choice through a Query Loop or Latest Posts block. The same site can therefore show excerpts on a category page, full posts on the home page, and a different format in search results.
Inspect the actual archive template or post-list block rather than assuming a setting applies everywhere. WordPress’s More block documentation explicitly notes that when a theme is configured to show excerpts on archives and the blog home page, the More block is ignored.
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| Choice | What readers see | How you control it | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full post content | The listing prints the post until a cutoff, or the entire post if no cutoff is used. | Insert a More block where the listing should stop. | The More block matters only when the template outputs full content. |
| Written excerpt | A summary written specifically for the listing. | Enter text in the post’s Excerpt field. | The template or block must be configured to display excerpts. |
| Automatic excerpt | WordPress generates a preview from the post when no custom excerpt exists. | Leave the Excerpt field empty. | The documented fallback is the first 55 words; it may not be a complete or compelling summary. |
| Feed excerpt | Each syndication-feed item contains either the full article or an excerpt. | Use Settings > Reading. | This feed setting is separate from archive-template behavior. |
For the automatic fallback and editing workflow, see WordPress’s excerpt guide. The 55-word behavior is a documented product default, not a guarantee of a particular traffic, engagement, speed, or search result.
How to show a cutoff with the More block
Choose this route when your archive template displays full post content.
- Open the post in the WordPress editor.
- Place the cursor at the point where the archive preview should end.
- Insert the More block (search for “More” in the block inserter).
- Publish or update the post, then open the relevant archive and verify the preceding content and Read More link.
If the archive is excerpt-based, adding More will not change its preview. In that case, write an excerpt or change the listing block/template.
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How to write and display a custom excerpt
A custom excerpt gives you editorial control over the promise made in a listing: summarize the article’s answer rather than relying on its opening paragraph.
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- Open the post editor and expand the post settings sidebar.
- Find the Excerpt field and enter the summary.
- Save or update the post.
- Confirm that the archive template or listing block is set to show excerpts.
If the field is blank, WordPress generates an excerpt from the beginning of the post, using the documented first-55-words fallback. Generated text can start with setup, navigation, or context that is unsuitable for a compact archive card.
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Block-based archive and post lists
Query Loop with the Excerpt block
In a block theme or a Query Loop, add the Excerpt block to the post-item layout. It displays the summary and can include a customizable Read More link. When no custom excerpt is available, the block’s documented fallback is the first 55 words followed by an ellipsis marker. Details are in the Excerpt block reference.
Latest Posts block
The Latest Posts block can be configured to show either full content or excerpts. Its settings also let you set the excerpt word count, making it useful for a sidebar, landing page, or manually assembled posts list. Follow the options in the Latest Posts block documentation.
Theme templates
For a block theme, open the Site Editor and inspect the relevant template, such as Index, Home, Archive, or Search. Select the Query Loop or post template inside it and check whether the item contains Post Content or Excerpt. Classic themes may require a theme-specific setting or template change; a plugin can also alter the final output.
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To control syndication feeds, go to Settings > Reading and choose whether each feed item contains the full text or an excerpt. The same screen separately sets how many posts appear in a feed. These controls affect RSS or other syndication feeds; they are not a universal archive setting. WordPress documents the options in the Reading Settings reference.
If a feed still behaves differently, check feed-related plugins or theme customizations. Such extensions can modify reading-screen behavior or filter the generated feed.
Which approach should you use?
- Use full content with More when readers need substantial context before deciding to open the article and the archive template is confirmed to output full posts.
- Use custom excerpts when you want consistent, deliberately written summaries across cards, archives, and search listings.
- Use automatic excerpts only when the opening 55 words reliably function as a preview or maintaining custom summaries is impractical.
- Configure the listing block when a Query Loop or Latest Posts block controls the page; changing a post’s More block alone will not override an excerpt-based block.
- Configure Reading settings for subscribers who consume feeds, independently of what visitors see on archive pages.
Before changing posts, open one archive, one search result, and (if relevant) the site’s feed. Identify which template or block produced each view, then apply the matching control. This avoids treating the More block, the Excerpt field, and feed settings as interchangeable features.
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