🎯 Purpose
This widget automatically displays a shortened preview (excerpt) of a post within archives, loop grids, or custom templates—saving you manual formatting effort.
đź“Ą Source of Excerpt
Manual Excerpt: Use text entered in the post’s “Excerpt” field via WordPress or Elementor editor.
Auto-Generated: Enable the option to pull content from the beginning of the post, limiting it to a set word count if needed.
Priority Order: If both exist, the manually written excerpt has precedence over the auto-generated one.
âž• Using the Widget
Add the Post Excerpt widget to a loop grid or archive template.
If auto-generation is enabled, set the word limit for the excerpt.
Optionally include text or HTML before and/or after the excerpt.
Provide a fallback message that displays when no excerpt or content exists.
🎨 Style & Layout
The widget adapts to the styling of surrounding elements, but you can further customize spacing, typography, and alignment using standard or advanced styling controls within Elementor.
âś… Best Practices
Use manual excerpts when you need precise summaries; auto-excerpts work well for quick setups.
Keep excerpts concise—20 to 40 words is often optimal.
Customize pre- and post-text to add context or links like “Read more…”
Include a fallback string for posts without content or excerpts.
Ensure the widget is used inside dynamic templates where WordPress understands the context.
đź“Ś Ideal Use Cases
Blog archive pages or post listings
Custom loop layouts featuring post previews
Dynamic templates in the Theme Builder
The Post Excerpt widget is a practical tool for displaying post previews with minimal effort, offering both manual control and automatic generation based on your design needs.
