Minimum Word Count to Publish Posts
Stops posts shorter than a minimum number of words from being published, in both the block editor and the classic editor, to keep thin content off the site.
Opens WPIDE on
Code
// Minimum number of words a post needs before it can be published.
$wpide_min_words = 300;
$wpide_count_words = function ( $content ) {
return count( preg_split( '/\s+/u', trim( wp_strip_all_tags( strip_shortcodes( (string) $content ) ) ), -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY ) );
};
add_filter( 'rest_pre_insert_post', function ( $prepared, $request ) use ( $wpide_min_words, $wpide_count_words ) {
$post_id = isset( $prepared->ID ) ? (int) $prepared->ID : 0;
$status = isset( $prepared->post_status ) ? $prepared->post_status : ( $post_id ? get_post_status( $post_id ) : 'draft' );
if ( ! in_array( $status, array( 'publish', 'future' ), true ) ) {
return $prepared;
}
$content = isset( $prepared->post_content ) ? $prepared->post_content : ( $post_id ? get_post_field( 'post_content', $post_id ) : '' );
if ( $wpide_count_words( $content ) < $wpide_min_words ) {
return new WP_Error( 'wpide_too_short', sprintf( 'This post needs at least %d words before it can be published.', $wpide_min_words ), array( 'status' => 400 ) );
}
return $prepared;
}, 10, 2 );
add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data', function ( $data ) use ( $wpide_min_words, $wpide_count_words ) {
if ( ! is_admin() || ( defined( 'REST_REQUEST' ) && REST_REQUEST ) || 'post' !== $data['post_type'] || 'publish' !== $data['post_status'] ) {
return $data;
}
if ( $wpide_count_words( wp_unslash( $data['post_content'] ) ) < $wpide_min_words ) {
$data['post_status'] = 'draft';
add_filter( 'redirect_post_location', function ( $location ) {
return add_query_arg( 'wpide_too_short', 1, remove_query_arg( 'message', $location ) );
} );
}
return $data;
} );
add_action( 'admin_notices', function () use ( $wpide_min_words ) {
if ( isset( $_GET['wpide_too_short'] ) ) {
echo '<div class="notice notice-error"><p>' . esc_html( sprintf( 'The post was saved as a draft because it has fewer than %d words.', $wpide_min_words ) ) . '</p></div>';
}
} );
Notes
Drafts can still be saved at any length. Change the minimum at the top of the snippet.
How to add this snippet
- Install WPIDE on your WordPress site (it is free) and open Code Snippets.
- Use snippet above adds it from the library in one click. Or copy the code into a new snippet with the same code type.
- It is added inactive: review the code and settings, then switch it on.