Do you want to show and hide text in your WordPress posts with the toggle effect?
Sometimes you might want to hide content until the visitor clicks on a specific link. This is especially helpful when you’re creating an FAQ, or want to include lots of text on a single page without overwhelming the reader.
In this article, we’ll show you how to hide text in WordPress posts with the toggle effect.
Why Show and Hide Text in WordPress Posts?
Many websites hide text by default, usually by including a ‘Read More’ or ‘See More’ link. Visitors can read the full text by clicking on that link.
This is useful if you need to add lots of information to a page, but are worried that a solid wall of text might overwhelm visitors.
FAQs are a great example, as most visitors will only want the answer to a single question. If you show all the answers in full, then visitors may struggle to find the information they need.
By hiding and showing text with a toggle effect, users can quickly scan the information and click to expand the question they care about.
You might even create teasers and then use ‘Read More’ links for visitors who want to get more information.
This allows people to scan lots of posts, features, benefits, or other information, and then choose the item they want to learn about.
With that being said, let’s see how you can show and hide text in WordPress with the toggle effect. Simply use the quick links below to jump to the method you want to use.
Method 1. How to Show and Hide Text in WordPress Using Shortcode (Quick and Easy)
The quickest and easiest way to add a ‘Read More’ link to any page or post, is by using Read More Without Refresh. This free plugin allows you to customize the ‘Read More’ link and then add it anywhere on your website using shortcode.
The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Read More Without Refresh plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, click on ‘RMWP Settings’ to configure the plugin’s settings.
To start, you can change the text that’s used in the ‘Read More / Read Less’ links by typing into the two text fields. For example, if you’re creating a FAQ, then you might want to use something like ‘Show Answer / Hide Answer’ instead.
On this screen, you can also change the text color, background color, and more. This can help you create links that perfectly suit your WordPress theme.
You can also change the font weight, add a border, and change the padding.
When you’re finished on this page, make sure you click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the page, even if you didn’t make any changes. This is important, because if you don’t click this button, then the plugin won’t work as expected.
With that done, you can add a toggle effect to any page or post. Simply find the text you want to hide and then click on the ‘+’ icon to add a block before this text.
Then, start typing ‘Shortcode’ and select the right block when it appears.
In the shortcode box, add the following: [read more]
With that done, you’ll need to add a shortcode block after the text you want to hide.
At the end of the text, simply click on the ‘+’ icon and create another shortcode block by following the same process described above.
In this block, add the following code: [/read]
You can now either click on ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ to make the text live.
Now if you visit your WordPress blog or website, then you’ll see that WordPress hides the text in between the shortcode blocks by default.
To show the text, simply click on the ‘Read More’ or similar link.
Method 2. How to Show and Hide Text in WordPress Using SeedProd (Best For FAQs)
There are lots of different ways to use hidden text on your WordPress website. For example, if you have a review site, then you might use this trick to hide movie spoilers.
However, FAQs are one of the most common uses. If you want to create a professional-looking question and answer section with a nice layout, then we recommend using a page builder plugin instead.
SeedProd is the best page builder on the market and allows you to create all kinds of custom landing pages for your WordPress website. It comes with more than 180 ready-made templates including designs that you can use to promote your products, services, webinars, and more.
All of these designs are the perfect place to add an FAQ section.
After selecting a template, SeedProd even has different ready-made FAQ sections that you can add to your page design with a single click.
Many of these FAQ sections come with a built-in hide/show text toggle effect.
They’re also fully customizable, so you can easily add your own question and answer text.
For information on how to use SeedProd, please see our guide on how to create a custom page in WordPress.
After creating a page, it’s easy to add a ready-made FAQ section. In the SeedProd page editor, simply click on the ‘Sections’ tab in the left-hand menu.
You can now select ‘FAQ’ to see all of SeedProd’s question and answer sections. To preview a design, hover your mouse over it and then click on the small magnifying glass.
When you find a design you want to use, click on ‘Choose This Section.’
SeedProd will then go ahead and add the section to the bottom of your page.
You can move the FAQ section to a new location using drag and drop.
After that, you’re ready to add your own text by clicking to select the FAQ accordion block. The left-hand menu will now update to show a list of all the questions.
To edit a question and answer pair, simply click on that question in the left-hand menu.
This opens two small text editors where you can add your own question and answer.
Simply repeat these steps for every question and answer in the FAQ section.
If you want to add more questions, then simply click on the ‘Add New Item’ button.
To delete a question and answer pair, just hover your mouse over that question in the left-hand menu.
Then, click on the trashcan icon when it appears.
When you’re happy with the information you’ve entered, you can change how the text looks using the ‘Font Size’ and ‘Space Between’ sliders.
There’s also an ‘Icon’ section that defines the small picture that appears next to each question in the FAQs.
If you want to customize this picture, then simply click to expand the ‘Icon’ section.
Here, you’ll see settings to change the icon’s alignment and color. Just be aware that ‘Closed Icon’ is the picture you see by default when the question is collapsed.
‘Open Icon’ is the picture you see when the question is expanded.
If you want to use a completely different icon instead, then hover your mouse over the ‘Closed Icon’ or ‘Open Icon’ preview.
Then, click on the ‘Icon Library’ thumbnail.
This opens SeedProd’s built-in library where you can choose from more than 1400 Font Awesome icons.
With that done, you can continue adding new blocks and customizing the content on your SeedProd page. When you’re happy with how it looks, just click on the arrow next to the ‘Save’ button and then select ‘Publish.’
Now if you visit your website you’ll see the page design and FAQ section live.
We hope this article helped you learn how to show and hide text in WordPress posts with the toggle effect. You may also want to check out our list of the best live chat software for small businesses, and our tutorial on how to create a contact form in WordPress.
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Nwosu Emmanuel says
Thank you for helping
WPBeginner Support says
Glad we could help!
Admin
Karima says
Thanks! How can I apply it in new version of WordPress? in the old version you can switch between visual and text. In the new one where to write the code?
WPBeginner Support says
You can use the Classic block if you want a similar experience to the classic editor for this shortcode.
Admin
Eseoghene Aya says
How can i make the show less appear on the bottom of the text?
WPBeginner Support says
For the display of the plugin, you would want to reach out to the plugin’s support for the currently available customizations.
Admin
john ruark says
How can i make the show less appear on the bottom of the text?
WPBeginner Support says
You would want to reach out to the plugin’s support for if that is supported at the moment
Admin
Dicado says
But can one do it without a plugin?
WPBeginner Support says
While possible to do this without a plugin, we do not have a beginner friendly method to do this without a plugin
Admin
steinchen says
nice and simple plugin! this works for me to hide my Attachment sections (which is a long list of print-out with lots of paragraphs).
But I wonder if the notation text can be editable, e.g. not “Hide Press release (123 Less Words)”, but to reflecting my hidden title?:
Show Attachment A1: …
Hide Attachment A1: …
WPBeginner Support says
You can change that by editing the more_text in the second shortcode example we show
Admin
Anastasia says
Thank you very much! It’s working and thus, making my life easier! )
osita Solomon says
Thanks admin fr this wonderful post but i would like to know if it would be possible for me to embed a popunder link under the “show more” toggle.
Thanks
Ranjan says
Is it possible to use this plugin on multiple paragraphs on a static page? I want to use it to show/hide information in single code. If so, what “type” would it be?
I have tried with one code but paragraph formatting is not possible,
when clicked on more we get the text in continuation
Thanks!
Annette says
How did you “Add the short code like this?” Do you hover? Right click? Type it out? When I type in the short code, my pages literally show the words. Help please!!
Robert says
Is that plugin good to hide phone number on my website? I want to hide last four number on my site. And when people come and want to see my number they must click on number to show last four number.I wont do this because some people use my phone with some program and give another people. If someone know good plugin I will be very helpful for help.Thanks.
shaz says
thanks it still works in 2017
Faisal Maitho says
Thank you so much, i apply this plugin on my website its really very useful thanks again.
Dat says
hello i want the word show more and show less is in the center of my page. how can i do ?
Jessica says
Is there a way to hide one content when another is being viewed?
Virena says
I followed the instructions but seems like WordPress doesn’t allow the code to work on free themes.
Is there any other way how this can be made?
Ed says
Can I show/hide nested elements too with it ?
mike says
Doesn’t appear to be working in draft mode (need to iron things out before I publish page). Pasting shortcode in text editor and visual editor but when I preview I see shortcode and nothing’s hidden. Is this normal?
milan says
Hi.
I have some texts in columns that arnt same in length witch messes with grid. I need plugin that can hide second part of the text- the excess, and to show it in continuity with first part.
What do u recommend?
Sav says
I am also wondering how to replace the “show more”, “show less” text with a custom button image. How is this possible?
Federica says
Hello,
This is sounds like a great plugin.
I wonder if there’s any chance to use it to toggle the posts on a front page by clicking on their title?
If not, is there any plugin or code that allows that?
Thank you in advance.
Federica
David Kallander says
Trying to center the show/hide text but it’s left justified on the webpage. I’ve tried so many HTML tags, but to no avail.
Thanks,
Janie S. says
Hi there,
Thank you very much for sharing this quick video. It was indeed very easy to install. In your video the link are all aligned to the left. I tried to do it with the plugin instructions as written by the creator of the plugin but I can’t manage to make it work. It is always shows centered.
Can you please help me with this issue please?
Thank you so much!
Umar sajjad says
I want to use Show hide multiple time on a page.
lakshman says
sir I want to change the “show more text” with text with” buttons” how to do it please explain or give the coding for it…………..
lakshman says
sir I want to change the “text” with text with buttons how to do it please explain or give the coding for it…………..
Dana says
What if I want to see multiple Show/Hide features on a page. The toggle doesnt seem to work for that!
Paul says
Just add sequential numbering to your tags.
ie
[showhide type=”post1″ more_text=”Show more…” less_text=”Show less…”]
Text you want to hide
[/showhide]
[showhide type=”post2″ more_text=”Show more…” less_text=”Show less…”]
Text you want to hide
[/showhide]
etc
Umar sajjad says
Hi Paul,
i am using Type = ‘post1’ , post2,post3 but its not working for mine.
Randy Utama says
Hello,
Is this plugin support responsive or mobile theme?
Thanks
Mohammad Qaiser says
Does toggling content has any effect on SEO. Is Google Bot able to analyze toggled content also.
WPBeginner Support says
Yes, Google bot is able to read the toggled and untoggled content.
Admin
Bhanu says
Thanks but I didn’t understand it clearly. I want to know whether the toggle content is indexed by google or google ignores the toggled content?
WPBeginner Support says
yes it is indexed by Google.
Grant says
I want to hide or show all citations/references depending on the readers desires. I don’t want to create duplicate articles with and without the footnotes. Is there any way to toggle all content visibility at once from a single control?
Ibn Kassiem says
Hi
Thanks for the post.
I wanted to know is it possible to use this plugin to create an archive page that ONLY shows the post titles, when the user clicks on the toggle it shows the full post and can also close it again.
Or can you advise on a better way to do this please?
WPBeginner Support says
This plugin is not the best way to do that. What you need is to modify archives.php template in a child theme and then add the toggle effect before <?php the_content() ?> or <?php the_excerpt() ?> template tag.
Admin
eleven-yu says
It is a good plugin.!
But I need a new feature that is I hide some content example dowloadlink, the link can display only after comment my post.
Could you help to import it?
thx.
Grace says
I like this, but do you know if this can or if it can be modified to toggle the comments area? I would love to be able to allow the user to hide and show the various comments rather then them all to be displayed.
Thanks in advance
WPBeginner Support says
Nope the plugin does not support that at the moment.
Admin
ampatel says
Nice plugin, but is it possible to have multiple read more’s/read less?
Thanks
Mark Kolodziej says
I would like to know this as well.
WPBeginner Support says
Take a look at our jQuery FAQ Accordion tutorial. Ignore the FAQ’s part and you can implement the same jQuery on any text you want.
Admin
Jumpringer says
I’d like to place multiple “show/hides” on my page. Not clear how to implement the jQuery found on the jQuery FAQ Accordian link . I think you are saying that a WP FAQ section is not needed, is that correct?
When I uploaded the “my-accordian” folder to the plugins directory, WP recognized the “WPBeginner’s FAQ Accordion” plugin.
Can you provide some more detail to enable multiple “show/hides” on pages not using the WP FAQ? Thanks so much.
Amanda Mays says
Is it possible to use this plugin on paragraphs on a static page? I want to use it to show/hide sections of my privacy policy. If so, what “type” would it be?
Thanks!
Nico says
Super useful! You saved me from learning how to do it myself =) haha
Thanks!
Bella's Shelf says
Thank you for this site of wonderful info! I am brand new to hosted WP & every time I Google something Example: “Install Google Analytic on WordPress” I ALWAYS pick your site for the answer. I didn’t realize I was doing it until tonight!
Thank you for helping us WP Noobs and Olds alike!
Clawrence says
Is it possible to add an image where the ‘Show more…’ text is, so that the image can be clicked to show more/less text instead of a generic sentence?
Editorial Staff says
You can most likely customize the plugin to do that.
Admin
Adam Kellett says
How is this done? I’ve tried this with no success:
[showhide type=”…” more_text=”” less_text=”” hidden=”yes”]
Is it complicated to make this customization?
fukr says
i want to say this is really useful..thanks