Long-read blogs
Show length next to the date and author.
Content / widget · Elementor module
Post Word Count Widget Plugin for Elementor
Show how many words the current post contains, with correct singular and plural wording, for post meta and long-read headers.
Included in All AccessClassic Elementor widgetFrom $29 USD / year
Complementor / Post word countProduct preview
Text, style and layout controls inside Elementor
01 / Interactive demonstration
A real word count
These are the actual published outputs of the widget on a short sample post: the default count, a meta label with an icon, and the excerpt's length.
02 / Inside WordPress
Post word count controls in Elementor
Content sets whether the content or the excerpt is counted, the wording for one and for more (with % for the number), text before and after, a fallback, the HTML tag and an optional icon. The Style tab covers typography, colour, alignment, background, border, radius and padding, plus icon position, size, gap and colour.
03 / Website use cases
Where to use post word count
Readers like to know how long a post is before they commit, and editors want length visible in templates, but a typed number goes stale with every edit. Post word count counts the words in the current post's content or excerpt each time the page is built, ignores shortcodes and markup, and follows WordPress's counting rule for languages written without spaces.
Editorial checks
See post length in templates while designing.
Course content
Show how much reading a lesson involves.
04 / Installation and setup
How to show a word count 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 Post word count in the Complementor library.
Add the widget to your post template or post meta row.
Choose the content or the excerpt as the source.
Adjust the wording, such as “% words”.
Style it and check a post on the frontend.
05 / Content and style controls
Customize post word count in Elementor
Configure the settings available for this module to suit the page you are building.
Counts the post content or the excerpt.
Ignores shortcodes, HTML and entities.
Counts characters for languages written without spaces.
Separate wording for one and more.
Does not count its own label on Elementor posts.
Style: typography, colour, surface, icon.
06 / Choose the right approach
Post word count and Elementor alternatives
Compare the existing Elementor workflow with this Complementor module before choosing your setup.
A typed length
Typed counts go stale with every edit. This widget counts the current text.
Reading time widgets
Reading time estimates minutes. This shows the actual word count.
07 / Requirements and compatibility
Post word count compatibility with Elementor
- Requires Elementor.
- Saved content or excerpt only.
- Public posts only.
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 post word count
Check these settings if the published page behaves differently from the editor.
Why is the count higher than my article?
On posts built with Elementor, the count includes the visible text of other widgets on the post, such as buttons and headings.
Why is nothing shown?
The post has no content or excerpt to count. Set Text when source is empty to show something there.
Why does it count characters?
Your site language is counted by characters in WordPress, as for Chinese or Japanese. Change the wording to match.
Are shortcodes counted?
No. Shortcodes and HTML are removed before counting.
Post word count plugin questions
Does it need Elementor Pro?
No. It works with the free version of Elementor.
How are hyphenated words counted?
As one word, so “rye-sourdough” and “isn’t” each count once.
Does it update when I edit the post?
Yes. It counts the saved content each time the page is built.
Is it accessible?
Yes. It is plain text, and the optional icon is hidden from screen readers.
Does it add JavaScript?
No. It is plain HTML and CSS.
10 / Annual All Access subscription
Get post word count 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.