[#47392] - Adding Reading Time Estimation to Article
- Closed
- 14 Mar 2026
- Medium
- Build: 6.2-dev
- # 47392
- Diff
- CSGoat0:plg-content-reading-time-estimation
- Success Download Prebuilt packages are available for download. Details
- Success continuous-integration/drone/pr Build is passing Details
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Pull Request resolves # .
- I read the Generative AI policy and my contribution is either not created with the help of AI or is compatible with the policy and GNU/GPL 2 or later.
Summary of Changes
This PR adds a new Content - Time Estimation Plugin that automatically calculates and displays the estimated reading time for articles.
Key Features:
- Displays a reading time badge (with clock icon) below the article title
- Shows both estimated minutes and word count
- Admin can configure words per minute in plugin parameters (default: 50)
- Works out-of-the-box with Cassiopeia template — no template override needed
- Uses two Joomla events:
onContentPrepare– counts words while article text is raw HTMLonContentAfterTitle– injects the badge intoafterDisplayTitletemplate slot
Admin Configuration:
- Words per minute setting (default: 50) – adjustable based on audience reading speed
Testing Instructions
- Download and install the plugin from this PR
- Enable the plugin in Extensions → Plugins (search "Content - Time Estimation")
- Configure (optional):
- Go to the plugin parameters
- Adjust "Words per minute" value (default is 50)
- View any article on the frontend of your site
- Verify that a reading time badge appears below the article title showing:
- Estimated minutes (e.g., "3 min read")
- Word count (e.g., "(150 words)")
Actual result BEFORE applying this Pull Request
Articles do not display estimated reading time. Users have no way to know how long an article will take to read without manually scanning the content.
Expected result AFTER applying this Pull Request
Each article displays a clean reading time badge below its title showing:
- Estimated reading time based on word count and configurable words-per-minute setting
- Total word count
The badge appears automatically in theafterDisplayTitleposition without requiring template overrides.
Notes for Reviewers
- AI Assistance: I used AI to help generate the initial metadata structure and code comments. I am happy to adjust anything if there are concerns about style, accuracy, or compliance.
- Language Files Location: I followed the plugin development documentation which states that language files should be inside the plugin folder. This works correctly in my testing. I noticed that many existing plugins don't follow this structure, but when I tried to place language files elsewhere, it didn't work. If the preferred location is different, please let me know and I'll be happy to adjust.
- Default WPM: Set to 50 as a conservative baseline, but fully configurable by admins.
Screenshots
Admin Configuration - Words Per Minute Setting
Admin can set the reading speed (default: 50 WPM)
Frontend Display - Reading Time Badge
Badge appears automatically below the article title showing minutes and word count
Link to documentations
Please select:
-
Documentation link for guide.joomla.org:
-
No documentation changes for guide.joomla.org needed
-
Pull Request link for manual.joomla.org:
-
No documentation changes for manual.joomla.org needed
| Status | New | ⇒ | Pending |
joomla-cms-bot
- | Category | ⇒ | Unit Tests Repository Administration com_admin com_content com_installer Modules JavaScript NPM Change |
| Status | Pending | ⇒ | Closed |
| Closed_Date | 0000-00-00 00:00:00 | ⇒ | 2026-03-14 19:10:37 |
| Closed_By | ⇒ | Hackwar | |
| Labels |
Added:
Unit/System Tests
NPM Resource Changed
PR-6.2-dev
|
||
| Status | Closed | ⇒ | New |
| Closed_Date | 2026-03-14 19:10:37 | ⇒ | |
| Closed_By | Hackwar | ⇒ |
| Status | New | ⇒ | Pending |
The team decided to discuss this further, thus I'm opening it back up again.
You are trying to merge a pull requests from your branch which is joomla 5.4 into 6.2. that's why you have so many changes
Please note that it is expected that you have actually tested to see if the code you are proposing works!!
It works perfectly! I have tested it.
I only let Ai to write me some comments, I have read them and I appreciate any adjustments to it or if I am missing something.
The team decided to discuss this further, thus I'm opening it back up again.
Great, thank you!
I hope my contributions would be helpful.
Developing a plugin for including in the core is not the same as a standalone extension.
It can't work as you are missing the SQL to install the plugin on new sites and the SQL to install the plugin on upgraded sites.
The language files should be moved where all the other plugin language files are eg administrator/languages/en-gb
Your test instructions to "download and install" are not possible which you would know if you tried to follow the instructions.
Finally you need to fix your branch as already explained
I am sorry but I do not believe your statement that you only used ai to write the comments
Developing a plugin for including in the core is not the same as a standalone extension.
It can't work as you are missing the SQL to install the plugin on new sites and the SQL to install the plugin on upgraded sites.
The language files should be moved where all the other plugin language files are eg administrator/languages/en-gb
Your test instructions to "download and install" are not possible which you would know if you tried to follow the instructions.
Finally you need to fix your branch as already explained
I am sorry but I do not believe your statement that you only used ai to write the comments
You can see in my pr that I have mentioned that I have tried to add the language files with the others and it didn't work.
And I have stated carefully that the developer documentation suggests the structure that I have used in this plugin meanwhile looking at the structure of other plugins, I have noticed that they doesn't follow the structure used in the documentation. I also requested a feedback on that so I can fix it.
Thank you for the feedback.
you can find that part under: Notes for Reviewers
About trusting me, don't worry, I know that you might be saying that because you have suffered from vipe coding, well me too.
I know that pain and I won't cause it to you if that's what you mean.
The task from GSOC was also all by myself; I have discussed it and if that was an AI they would have known as I literally used another approach that I have found in the documentation. That's why I have a good understanding of the plugins.
I truly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
Sorry not wasting my time any more. You're not reading
Sorry not wasting my time any more. You're not reading
You said that if I read the instructions I wouldn't add the language file in the plugin. I was just explaining that I added that and said in the pr it might be wrong as it goes against the other plugins and I requested a feedback on that from someone with a better understanding as I am new.
Didn't mean that you didn't just explain that, I have read and understood you comment and thanked you for the feedback on lang files (that I requesting in the pr already).
Anyways, I appreciate your time.
Thanks again.
You said that if I read the instructions I wouldn't add the language file in the plugin
Nowhere did I say that
Your test instructions to "download and install" are not possible which you would know if you tried to follow the instructions.
This line I was referring to, that's why I sometimes refine my comments to give only the meaning I want, of course if you didn't mean that.
Anyways, it doesn't matter. Can we pass that?
I will be happy if we can focus more on friendly constructive feedback that can really help me go advanced in Joomla.
I've already given you feedback,you just chose to ignore it.
I've already given you feedback,you just chose to ignore it.
My bad, I am sorry.
I am currently working to solve those conflicts and to add the adjustments
mentioned by Mr HermanPeeren.
I will be reaching out soon to understand how to can I fix this: "It can't work as you are missing the SQL to install the plugin on new sites and the SQL to install the plugin on upgraded sites."
Thank you for your time!
To get a better understanding of what the sql looks like etc when adding a new plugin to Joomla take a look at https://github.com/joomla/joomla-cms/pull/46514/changes
@CSGoat0 It makes no sense to try to do e the conflicts in this PR. It will not work as you have made this PR here with a branch which is based in the 5.4-dev branch, it you propose the PR for the 6.0-dev branch. This cannot work and cannot be fixed. Please make a new PR based on the 6.2-dev branch. Thanks in advance.
| Status | Pending | ⇒ | Closed |
| Closed_Date | 0000-00-00 00:00:00 | ⇒ | 2026-03-14 23:12:58 |
| Closed_By | ⇒ | richard67 |
You are trying to merge a pull requests from your branch which is joomla 5.4 into 6.2. that's why you have so many changes
Please note that it is expected that you have actually tested to see if the code you are proposing works!!