How to Set a Minimum Word Count for WordPress Posts: An Expert‘s Guide

After 15 years running WordPress sites, I‘ve learned that long-form content simply performs better.

Posts with higher word counts tend to rank higher in search engines. They also keep visitors engaged on your site for longer periods.

But how can you ensure your writers are producing in-depth articles?

Setting a minimum word count for WordPress is an easy way to mandate high-quality content. In this post, I‘ll share two methods to configure and enforce minimum lengths for blog posts, as an experienced webmaster.

Why Set a Minimum Word Count?

Let‘s first look at why you‘d want to require longer posts:

• Higher search engine rankings. Content over 1,800 words sees over 2X more search traffic according to Backlinko. More in-depth content is seen as more valuable.

• Increased visitor engagement. Articles with over 1,500 words have 50% lower bounce rates according to SearchEngineJournal. Long posts keep people reading.

• Value for readers. Comprehensive posts with thorough information are more useful for visitors. Quick tips are fine, but detailed guides better solve problems.

Of course, you don‘t want unreasonable minimums that are hard for writers to meet. Here are suggested guidelines:

• Tutorials and guides: 500-1,000 words
• List articles/reviews: Over 1,500 words
• Product reviews: At least 1,000 words
• News articles: 300-500 words

Adjust as needed, but keep minimums based on value for readers rather than arbitrary word counts. Now let‘s look at two setup methods.

Using a Plugin (Simplest Method)

If you want a quick and easy way to set a minimum word count, use the PublishPress Checklists plugin.

Follow these steps:

1. Install PublishPress Checklists and activate it. You can find the plugin in the repository.

2. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Checklists.

3. Under "Number of words in content," enter the minimum and maximum word counts you want to require.

4. Make sure the word count task is set as Required so writers must complete it before publishing.

Now authors will get a warning on posts that don‘t meet the minimum length. The Publish button disables until they add more content.

Adding Custom Code

You can also use code snippets to enforce a minimum word count without a plugin. I recommend WPCode to add custom PHP safely:

1. Install and activate the WPCode plugin.

2. Go to Code Snippets and click "Add Snippet."

3. Give your snippet a title like "Minimum Word Count".

4. Paste this, changing 100 to your desired minimum:

function minWord($content){

  $content = $post->post_content; 

  if (str_word_count($content) < 100 )

    wp_die( __(‘Error: your post is below the minimum word count. It needs to be longer than 100 words.‘) );

}

add_action(‘publish_post‘, ‘minWord‘); 

5. Set the snippet type to PHP and Auto Insert.

6. Click "Save Snippet" after activating it.

Now authors will see an error message if their post is below the minimum length you set.

Setting Reasonable Minimums

Don‘t go overboard and frustrate your writers with 1,500+ word minimums right away. Raise your standards over time.

For new blogs, I suggest starting with minimums like:

• 350 words for short news posts
• 500 words for list articles
• 700 words for tutorials

Then increase by 100-200 words every 2-3 months to improve content quality. Enforcing reasonable minimums based on word count alone is tough. Combine with other standards like keyword targets, outbound links, etc.

Finally, lead by example. Write stellar long-form content highlighting its benefits. Your own high-quality articles will inspire your team.

More Engaging Content = More Traffic

In the end, longer content keeps visitors on your site for longer periods, and satisfies their search intent with comprehensive information.

So take a few minutes to configure a minimum word count in WordPress. Just be thoughtful in your approach.

Have you implemented minimum word counts on your site? I‘d love to hear your experiences and advice in the comments!