Changing excerpt length in WordPress using PHP

WordPress automatically generates excerpts (short previews of posts) with a default length of 55 words. On ruachost.com, you can customize this length using a simple PHP function in your theme.

Why Change Excerpt Length?

• Control how much content appears in blog listings.

• Improve readability by shortening or lengthening previews.

• Enhance SEO and user experience with consistent formatting.

Steps to Change Excerpt Length

1. Log in to WordPress with an administrator account.

2. In the dashboard, go to Appearance → Theme Editor.

3. Select your active theme and open the functions.php file.

4. Add the following code snippet:

   // Change excerpt length
   function ruachost_custom_excerpt_length($length) {
       return 30; // set excerpt length to 30 words
   }
   add_filter('excerpt_length', 'ruachost_custom_excerpt_length');
   

   • Replace 30 with the number of words you want for your excerpts.

5. Save the file.

6. Refresh your site → Excerpts will now display with the new word count.

Important Notes

• Always back up your theme before editing functions.php.

• Use a child theme to preserve changes during updates.

• If you want different excerpt lengths for specific post types, you can add conditional logic inside the function.