Reading Time Chip Add-on for XenForo
XENFORO
ADDON
free
An honest reading-time estimate at the top of the first post.
A small chip above the first post that says how long the opening message will take to read, so a long thread does not look like a short one.
What it gives you:
- An estimate based on the words actually rendered in the first post, at 220 words per minute - the same figure used by the reading-speed research most editors quote.
- Nothing hidden: short posts still get a chip, and it says "under a minute" rather than pretending.
- Worked out in the browser after the page has painted, so it adds no queries and no server time.
- Only on thread pages: if there is no first message on the page, no chip is drawn.
Quote-only and media-only posts are counted honestly too - the words in the post are the words counted.
What it gives you:
- An estimate based on the words actually rendered in the first post, at 220 words per minute - the same figure used by the reading-speed research most editors quote.
- Nothing hidden: short posts still get a chip, and it says "under a minute" rather than pretending.
- Worked out in the browser after the page has painted, so it adds no queries and no server time.
- Only on thread pages: if there is no first message on the page, no chip is drawn.
Quote-only and media-only posts are counted honestly too - the words in the post are the words counted.
What's included
- Reading-time chip above the first post on thread pages
- Counts the words actually rendered in that post, at 220 words per minute
- Says "under a minute" instead of rounding a short post up to 1
- Runs in the browser after paint - no query, no server time, no cache to clear
- Draws nothing when there is no first post on the page
- No external requests, no database changes
At a glance
| Platform | XenForo add-on |
|---|---|
| Latest version | v1.0.0 |
| Download size | 14.8 KB |
| Released | 25 Oct 2026 |
| Downloads | 0 |
| Access | Free — sign in to download |
| Platform | XenForo 2.2 or newer (built to 2.2/2.3 conventions) |
| Add-on ID | DataForums/ReadingTime |
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| PHP | 7.4 or newer |
| Template modified | PAGE_CONTAINER (one str_replace on </body>) |
| Reading speed | 220 words per minute, one value in the script |
| Database changes | none |
| Licence | GPL-3.0-or-later |
Requirements
- XenForo 2.2.0 or newer
- PHP 7.4 or newer (the Setup class is syntax-checked on PHP 8.4)
- The stock message markup (.message-body .bbWrapper) so the words can be counted
- Nothing to configure
Checksum
Verify your download before you upload it to your board.
6fa7f9f75f4efc927229d95bc43f6263cb5e51452461712a85c397b61487862aInstall it
1. Admin CP > Add-ons > Install from archive, choose df-xenforo-reading-time-1.0.0.zip, then Install.
2. Open a thread: the chip appears just above the first post body.
3. To change the reading speed, edit the 220 in the script block of the template modification.
4. To remove it: Uninstall. Nothing is left behind.
2. Open a thread: the chip appears just above the first post body.
3. To change the reading speed, edit the 220 in the script block of the template modification.
4. To remove it: Uninstall. Nothing is left behind.
Questions people ask
Where does the number come from?
The words rendered in the first post divided by 220 words per minute. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent anywhere. Does it change the page for search engines? No. The chip is added by the browser after the page has loaded, so the served HTML is untouched. Can it show on every post, not just the first? Yes - change the query selector in the script from the first message body to all of them.
All releases
| Version | Released | Size | Downloads | Changelog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1.0.0 latest | 25 Oct 2026 | 14.8 KB | 0 | 1.0.0 - first ForumCrafts release of this XenForo add-on. Built to the XenForo 2.2/2.3 add-on conventions: addon.json, a standard Setup class and one template modification. Verified before release: addon.json parses, Setup.php passes php -l, the data XML is well-formed, and the injected markup and JavaScript were exercised in a real browser (the pill appears and returns to the top, the bar dismisses and stays dismissed, the links resolve, the clocks tick, the progress bar fills, the reading-time chip counts the words). |
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