Long product or service descriptions
Show the first lines and let interested visitors read the rest.
Content / widget · Elementor module
Expandable Text Plugin for Elementor
Collapse a long passage to a set height with a fade and a real Read more button, while the full text stays in the page.
Included in All AccessClassic Elementor widgetFrom $29 USD / year
Complementor / Expandable textProduct preview
Text, style and layout controls inside Elementor
01 / Interactive demonstration
Expand and collapse the real widget
These are the actual published outputs of the widget with its script running: the default collapsed passage, a styled purple toggle, an outlined toggle button, and a short passage that needs no button. Press the buttons to try them.
02 / Inside WordPress
Expandable text controls in Elementor
Content › Source holds the passage in the rich text editor. Behaviour sets the collapsed height for desktop, tablet and mobile. Display sets the expand and collapse labels and an optional icon. The Style tab covers the passage's typography, colour, alignment, background, border, radius and padding, the toggle's Normal, Hover and Focus colours, background, border, radius and padding, and the icon's colour, size and gap.
03 / Website use cases
Where to use expandable text
Long descriptions and answers push important content down the page, but hiding text in tabs or loading it later hurts readers and search engines. Expandable text shows a passage up to a height you choose, fades it out, and adds a real Read more button, while the full text always stays in the page. Short passages are simply shown in full.
FAQ answers and biographies
Keep pages compact without hiding content from search engines.
Mobile layouts
Use a shorter collapsed height on phones so key content stays near the top.
04 / Installation and setup
How to add Read more text in Elementor
Start with Complementor installed and your license connected. Enable this module in the WordPress library, then configure it in Elementor.
Install Complementor, connect your license and enable Expandable text in the Complementor library.
Add the widget and paste your passage into Content › Source.
Set the collapsed height for desktop, tablet and mobile.
Edit the Read more and Read less labels and choose an icon.
Style the text and toggle, publish, and press the button to check it.
05 / Content and style controls
Customize expandable text in Elementor
Configure the settings available for this module to suit the page you are building.
Rich text passage; safe HTML such as paragraphs, bold, links and lists is kept.
Responsive collapsed height (default 160px, 140px on phones) with a fade at the cut.
Toggle shown only when the passage is taller than the collapsed height.
Editable expand and collapse labels and an optional icon that turns when open.
Passage style: typography, colour, alignment, background, border, radius and padding.
Toggle style: Normal, Hover and Focus colours, background, border, radius and padding, plus icon colour, size and gap.
06 / Choose the right approach
Expandable text and Elementor alternatives
Compare the existing Elementor workflow with this Complementor module before choosing your setup.
Elementor Toggle or Accordion
Toggles hide whole sections behind titles. This widget shows the start of the text so readers can decide whether to continue.
WordPress More block
The More block splits posts on archive pages. This widget collapses text in place inside any Elementor layout.
07 / Requirements and compatibility
Expandable text compatibility with Elementor
- Requires Elementor.
- One passage per widget; state is not remembered between page views.
- Collapse is visual only; the full text is always in the page.
Complementor uses classic Elementor APIs. Atomic-native controls are not implemented. Check your theme, cache and integrations on a staging site before release.
08 / Common setup problems
Troubleshoot expandable text
Check these settings if the published page behaves differently from the editor.
Why is there no Read more button?
The passage fits within the collapsed height, so it is shown in full. Lower the collapsed height or add more text.
Why does tablet use a different height?
Collapsed height is responsive. Set the tablet and mobile values in Behaviour as well as desktop.
Why is my button pink or underlined?
Themes style buttons. The widget keeps the toggle neutral by default; use the Toggle button style controls to set your own look.
Does it work without JavaScript?
Yes. Without the script, the full passage is shown and the button stays hidden.
Expandable text plugin questions
Is the hidden text indexed by search engines?
The full passage is always in the page HTML; only its visible height is limited.
Does it need Elementor Pro?
No. It works with the free version of Elementor.
Is it accessible?
Yes. The toggle is a real button with aria-expanded and aria-controls, and screen readers can read the whole passage.
Can it remember whether a visitor expanded it?
No. Each page view starts collapsed.
Can I put images in the passage?
Safe HTML from the editor is kept, but the widget is designed for text; tall images change when the toggle appears.
10 / Annual All Access subscription
Get expandable text with Complementor
This module is included with all 1007 current Complementor solutions. Choose your production website allowance; every plan includes the same modules.
One website
$29USD / year
- All 1007 current modules
- Plugin downloads and updates for one year
- New releases during the paid term
- Product support
Renews at $29 USD each year.
A few websites
$49USD / year
- All 1007 current modules
- Plugin downloads and updates for one year
- New releases during the paid term
- Product support
Renews at $49 USD each year.
More websites
$99USD / year
- All 1007 current modules
- Plugin downloads and updates for one year
- New releases during the paid term
- Product support
Renews at $99 USD each year.
Applicable taxes extra. Annual subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled in your customer account. Elementor Pro is required for Exclude current post. Read the terms and 14-day technical-issue refund policy.