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The easiest way to show readers how far they are through a WordPress post is to install a plugin that automatically tracks scroll position. Install and activate a reading-progress plugin, then configure its placement, color and post scope. A manually supplied shortcode percentage is a different feature: it displays a value you provide rather than measuring how much of an article the visitor has read.
Choose the right type of progress bar
Decide whether the percentage should change as the visitor moves through the article.
| Approach | What it does | Best for | Technical effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic reading-progress plugin | Calculates position through the article and updates while the reader scrolls. | Long blog posts and guides | Low |
| Shortcode progress bar | Displays a fixed value such as [wppb progress=50]. |
Manually stated or explanatory percentages | Low |
| Theme or custom block implementation | Provides bespoke front-end calculation, markup and styling. | Sites needing custom behavior or design control | Developer required |
Add an automatic bar without coding
1. Install a reading-progress plugin
- In the WordPress dashboard, open Plugins and choose Add New Plugin.
- Search for a plugin whose description says it tracks reading position through the article. Two documented options are WP Reading Progress and Reading progressbar.
- Select Install Now, then Activate.
WP Reading Progress reports that its default scope is single blog posts. Reading progressbar provides controls for native or custom post types and does not support multisite network installation in its public/free version.
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Open the plugin’s settings and choose where the indicator should appear. Depending on the plugin, available choices include the top or bottom of the viewport, placement near a sticky element, or a custom HTML element identified by a class or ID. Select the post types, templates or individual posts that should display it.
- Use a top position when the site has no tall fixed header.
- Use a bottom or sticky-element position when a fixed navigation bar would cover the indicator.
- Limit the bar to long-form posts if it would distract visitors on short pages.
- Set a color and height that remain visible against both the page background and the sticky navigation.
3. Review the plugin’s reading behavior
WP Reading Progress describes an indicator based on article text rather than every element on the page. It initializes smoothly when part of the text is already visible and updates during scrolling. It also documents right-to-left support when the page uses dir="rtl". Its estimated-reading-time feature is described as beta, so treat that feature separately from the progress calculation.
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4. Check desktop and mobile views
- Open a representative long post while logged out or in a private browser window.
- Scroll from the beginning to the end and confirm that the bar starts at the configured initial value and reaches completion only at the end of the article.
- Repeat on a phone-sized viewport.
- Inspect the top and bottom of the screen for overlap with cookie notices, sticky headers, share controls or browser-safe areas.
These checks are essential because a plugin’s directory compatibility declaration does not guarantee correct behavior with every theme, header or page-builder configuration.
Use a shortcode for a fixed percentage
The WordPress.org Progress Bar plugin documents a shortcode such as [wppb progress=50], along with styling and display parameters. Add the shortcode in the editor where you want the bar to appear, then supply the percentage you intend to show.
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This method is suitable when the percentage is deliberately authored—for example, to label a multi-step explanation. The documented listing does not establish that the shortcode measures a visitor’s scroll position, so do not use it as an automatic article tracker unless the plugin’s current documentation explicitly adds that capability.
Build a custom bar in a theme or block
A bespoke implementation requires both front-end behavior and presentation. The front end must determine the reader’s position within the article, update that value as the document scrolls, and render the result without covering navigation or content. The theme or block then supplies the markup, colors, dimensions and responsive rules.
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Theme integration
Check the theme’s support for block-editor styles and its editor-versus-front-end stylesheet setup. WordPress documents different stylesheet behavior for editor contexts, so a bar that looks correct in the editor may still need separate front-end styling.
Custom-block integration
Register the block and expose only the controls your site needs, such as placement, color and height. Users can insert a block from the + inserter or by typing / and searching for its name; the controls they see depend on the selected block and theme.
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The official @wordpress/components ProgressBar is a horizontal editor-interface component with a determinate numeric value from 0 to 100. It is not, by itself, a public-facing reading tracker; a custom block still needs front-end position logic and styling.
Compare the documented plugin options
| Plugin | Documented capabilities | Directory-reported compatibility at research date (2026-09-30) | Directory-reported active installs |
|---|---|---|---|
| WP Reading Progress | Article-focused tracking; top, bottom or below-sticky placement; post-type and individual-post selection; color choice; start-at-zero option; right-to-left support. | Version 1.7.0; tested up to WordPress 7.1.2. | 3,000+. |
| Reading progressbar | Uses the HTML <progress> element and JavaScript; top, bottom or custom placement; colors, height, templates and native or custom post types. |
Version 1.3.1; tested up to WordPress 7.1. | 6,000+. |
| Progress Bar | Shortcode-based, including [wppb progress=50], with styling and display parameters. |
Version 2.2.4; tested up to WordPress 6.7.5; last updated about a year before the research date. | Not stated. |
Installation counts and “tested up to” fields are WordPress.org directory statements captured on 2026-09-30, not independent quality, accessibility or performance measurements. Check each listing again against the WordPress version and theme running on your site before activating it.
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Troubleshoot common problems
The bar is hidden behind the header
Change its position to the bottom or configure the plugin to attach it below the sticky element. Also check the header’s stacking order and the bar’s height on mobile.
The bar appears on the wrong pages
Revisit the plugin’s post-type, template and individual-post selections. A theme or page builder may use a different template than the standard single-post template.
The percentage reaches 100% too early
Confirm that the plugin is measuring the article content rather than the complete page. Excluded headings, embeds, comments or unusually placed content can change the apparent endpoint.
The shortcode does not move while scrolling
That is expected for a fixed-value shortcode unless the plugin documents an automatic tracking mode. Use a reading-progress plugin for dynamic behavior.
Editor and public page styling differ
For a custom block or theme implementation, provide and verify the appropriate front-end stylesheet as well as editor styles. WordPress’s available editor controls vary with the block and theme.
Quick Recap
Which approach should you use?
- Choose WP Reading Progress when article-only tracking, sticky-element placement and per-post controls are priorities.
- Choose Reading progressbar when you need custom placement, templates or broader post-type controls.
- Choose the Progress Bar shortcode only when you want to author a specific percentage rather than track reading position.
- Choose custom theme or block code when the visual design or behavior cannot be expressed by plugin settings and you can maintain front-end code across theme updates.
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