You may have noticed how some popular websites (like eHow etc) will attach a “read more” link to any text that is copied from their site. This is a great way to get new users. Often folks are copying and pasting text from websites into email. Some use it to save the information for future, while others are just sharing it with their friends, family, and colleagues. In this article we are going to show you how you can easily add a “read more” link to any copied text from your WordPress blog, so you can get additional traffic.
Note: To see this in action, copy anything on this post and paste it in your email or notepad.
First thing you need to do is copy the following code into your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin:
function add_copyright_text() {
if (is_single()) { ?>
<script type='text/javascript'>
function addLink() {
if (
window.getSelection().containsNode(
document.getElementsByClassName('entry-content')[0], true)) {
var body_element = document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0];
var selection;
selection = window.getSelection();
var oldselection = selection
var pagelink = "<br /><br /> Read more at WPBeginner: <?php the_title(); ?> <a href='<?php echo wp_get_shortlink(get_the_ID()); ?>'><?php echo wp_get_shortlink(get_the_ID()); ?></a>"; //Change this if you like
var copy_text = selection + pagelink;
var new_div = document.createElement('div');
new_div.style.left='-99999px';
new_div.style.position='absolute';
body_element.appendChild(new_div );
new_div.innerHTML = copy_text ;
selection.selectAllChildren(new_div );
window.setTimeout(function() {
body_element.removeChild(new_div );
},0);
}
}
document.oncopy = addLink;
</script>
<?php
}
}
add_action( 'wp_head', 'add_copyright_text');
Now, whenever someone comes to your website and tries to copy your content a read more link will be included along with it. Don’t forget to change the copyright text, and add your own site’s title there.
Edit: Initially we were grabbing the window URL, but as one of our users pointed out that it made the URLs look clunky. We have updated the code to only show it on single post pages, and use wp_shortlink. So it would use something like this: yoursite.com/?p=23. If you are using a customized shortlink like we are: wpbeg.in, then it will show the branded shortlink.
Edward Elric says
Is this still working in 2020 with latest WordPress?
WPBeginner Support says
Unless we hear otherwise, the code should still work when added to your site.
Admin
Junuk says
Hi, Thank you for your good information!
I applied the code you have told me with BItly plugin to my website, but it works sometimes and doesn’t work sometimes.
Does this code have relation with Cache plug-in? Can you tell me where in my website I should take a look?
WPBeginner Support says
If you have a caching plugin enabled, you would likely need to clear all caching on your site for it to update properly. For clearing your cache you may want to take a look at our guide here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-clear-your-cache-in-wordpress/
Admin
Pierre says
Hi,
Thanks, it’s work fine on article on 2019, but it’s possible to make it work on custom post type?
I have Eventon and WP News and Scrolling Widgets.
WPBeginner Support says
You would need to modify the is_single to is_singular and add the name of your custom post type
Admin
Will says
Do you have any advice on how to add Google tracking parameters to the end of each URL? Considering you’re already using ?p= for the post name at the end.
Akash says
Is there an easy way to make it work on categories, too?
Jasmine says
Thanks for this, it works great for posts but when text is copied from events it doesn’t pull the URL of the page through – any advice? Thanks.
Michele says
This is awesome. Thanks. When it says class – entry content, that meant it didn’t work for about 90% of the text on my site because my text didn’t use that class name. So if anyone else encounters this problem, you can change “entry content” to “body”. That’s what I did.
var body_element = document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0]; (line 13)
Now it works everywhere.
Meenu says
How can I limit the content?
Dave says
Thank you very much, all the text formatting were changed and pasted as a single line. But I need the text formatting as it is. So please help me in getting this.
Ark says
Same here, all line breaks are missing after the paste.
Jens | Sir Apfelot says
Damn… I am stupid… I added it to the themes custom JS… thats not working.
Jens | Sir Apfelot says
Just added the script into my wordpress blog, but I dont get an appendix at the clipbiards end…
Any ideas? I am not sure, if its because I am working on a mac… but I guess the javascript should work on Firefox on a mac too…
Yash Jhade says
While pasting it to blogger following error comes
Error parsing XML, line 2237, column 96: The value of attribute “href” associated with an element type “a” must not contain the ‘<' character.
Any Solutions ?
Thanks.
matt says
this feature makes copying and pasting more frustrating. For instance, if I copy and paste a headline for editing Wikipedia it can mess up formatting if I’m not careful and requires extra work.
Anon says
As a user, I can’t stand this. Please don’t add this.
Alan says
Anybody knows how to keep the format?
When using this plugin all the spaces, line break and format goes away.
Philip-Daniel Kleudgen says
Works like a charm! The only thing i wish it would do is limit the amount of copied text to for example 150 words or something like that.
Salud Casera says
No longer works for me.
It was working before though but I think it has more to do with the theme rather than the WP version
Alyson says
Unfortunately, the code does not work with WP 3.8
I have tested it on a fresh install. Please feel free to confirm this. Do you have any plans to update the code to make it function?
WPBeginner Support says
We just tested it with a fresh WP 3.8 install and it is working perfectly on our side.
Admin
Erik says
I can’t get this to work either actually.
Roselle says
Hello,
At first, I could not get this to work. But upon close examination, I figured out the culprit:
On the 8th line of the code, you’ll see this:
document.getElementsByClassName(‘entry-content’)[0], true))
This is the line that tells the code, “hey, if anyone copies text from text with this class name, then put a read more link”
All you need to do is use Firebug to figure out what class name your post content is under.
I have a child theme that I’ve edited over and over again, so mine wasn’t the default, “entry-content”. I suspect your class name is different from that also.
Good luck,
Roselle
Salud Casera says
What are the steps to follow with Firebug to figure out the post class name?
Gabriel says
Hello,
Many thanks for this great article, but I have a problem. I would like to get the permalink and not the shorthen link. Anyone can tell me how can I do that?
Cheers
Editorial Staff says
Replace
echo wp_get_shortlink(get_the_ID());withthe_permalink();Admin
Gretchen Louise says
Is there an easy way to make it work on single pages, too?
Editorial Staff says
Yes. Change line 2 code from:
if (is_single()) to if (is_singular())
Admin
Gretchen Louise says
Thank you! That works, except it doesn’t grab a link for pages…just posts.
Editorial Staff says
That’s weird. get_the_id should work for both pages and posts.
Gretchen Louise says
I have it workign on KindredGrace . com but it doesn’t grab the id for pages, just posts.
Editorial Staff says
Try adding the global variable. Because get_the_id works for posts and pages are also a “post type”
Gretchen Louise says
I tried it like this and still no luck on grabbing the shortlink for pages:
// Add copyright text
function add_copyright_text() {
global $post; { ?>
Brian York says
This change worked for me. However do double check that you have your content under ‘entry-content’ otherwise change that (F12 in Chrome). Thanks WPBeginner!!
Brian York says
Actually this doesn’t quite work right. It doesn’t work in IE at all and no matter what I do its not copying the HTML part but always converting it to plain text thus would never make a link.
alan says
I have the same problem, it removes all the format, does anybody knows a fix to this?
VIVROCKS says
Great Trick. there is plugin too for this: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/read-more-copy-link/
Collin Weeks says
Love your website! Thanks for taking the time to share with everyone.
Mairaj Pirzada says
Nice, Post but I always don’t like Codings, it confuses me!
Helder says
It´s not working, even with wpbeginner.com content
Editorial Staff says
We took the code off our website. Some users complained that they found it annoying.
Admin
Rafiul Islam says
WOW… Many Many Thanks for share it,, I am suffering for this …
Thanks again.
Lorenzo Solís says
Does someone know how to do not show the “Read More Link” when the post title is copied?
Thanks!
Editorial Staff says
Yes it is possible. Change the selector tag from body to a div ID or what not. I have put the request in. Our developers will let me know, so I can update the article.
Admin
Lorenzo Solís says
Thanks. I’ve just tried with var div = document.getElementById(‘copyright’); in the line number 6 and adding de id=”copyright” to the div content, but I get the same result as with your code. Sorry, I am not a programmer.
Editorial Staff says
Check out the code now. It should work.
Paul says
Thanks, this looks interesting I’ll be trying it out soon
Lisa says
It also worked fine in a new email composed from Outlook, so I’d say it’s a Gmail issue. Thanks!
Editorial Staff says
Just tried it with Gmail.. It works fine here.
Admin
Lisa says
Interesting and useful; however, I was surprised that the copy test did not work (for me at least) when composing an email in Gmail — nothing showed after pasting the copied text, and the body text area in the compose email window just froze. Testing a copied bit in Notepad worked just fine, so I don’t know what the issue might be with Gmail.
Thanks for the tip!
Albert Albs says
That is good option Syed. Thanks for sharing. But if we can able to print short URL of the post means, that is even better for website owners.
Currently it is printing long URL. If I came here by Feedburner newsletter subscription, the UTM tracking url also coming.
Hope you understand. Is it possible?
Editorial Staff says
Ah hah. Good suggestion. Writing it down in the list of to-do things for WPBeginner.
Edit: Just updated the code
Admin
Albert Albs says
That is fast and smart.
One Question: Why you removed Author URL in the comment form? Always, I’m seeing, many of the WordPress powered blogs will give credit to the comment author at URL field with NoFollow attribute.
Is there any specific reason for removing Author URI field? Or are there any experiments for Penguin update?
Between, I’m not getting any comment notification, even after selecting the “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail” option.
Gabe Diaz says
Wow, now this is a great tip! Makes it easy to quote and show attribution as well as drops a link for those who skim and steal content. Very cool!
Emily Sandford says
Thanks so much for this. It was so easy to do, and something I wondered about for quite some time. Appreciate it!