Gutenberg Read More Plugin

A WordPress Gutenberg block plugin that allows users to easily search for and create "Read More" links to other blog posts, complete with a WP-CLI command for post referencing.

About this plugin

The Gutenberg Read More plugin provides two main features:

1. Gutenberg Block Editor Integration

• Smart Post Search: Search for posts by title, content, or specific post ID
• Live Preview: See post details (ID, title, publication date) before selecting
• Easy Link Creation: Automatically generates "Read more" links with proper permalinks
• Pagination: Browse through large numbers of posts with built-in pagination

2. WP-CLI Command for Developers

• Bulk Post Listing: Get all posts within specified date ranges
• Performance Optimized: Direct database queries for handling large datasets
• Flexible Filtering: Customizable date ranges and result limits

Requirements

• WordPress: 6.7 or higher
• PHP: 7.4 or higher
• WP-CLI: For command-line functionality

Installation

Download and upload via WordPress Admin

1. Download the plugin ZIP file
2. Go to Plugins / Add New / Upload Plugin
3. Choose the gutenberg-read-more.zip file and click "Install Now"
4. Then activate the plugin

Using the Gutenberg Block

Adding a Read More Block

1. In the Block Editor: Click the "+" button and search for "Gutenberg Read More"
2. Select the Block: Add it to your post or page
3. Search for Posts: Use the sidebar panel to search for posts
4. Select a Post: Click "Select" next to your desired post
5. Automatic Link: The block automatically creates a "Read more" link

Block Features

• Search Options:

  • Enter text to search post titles and content
  • Enter a number to find a specific post by ID
  • Browse posts by date (most recent first)

• Real-time Search: Results update as you type

• Pagination: Navigate through multiple pages of results

• Post Information: See post ID, title, and publication date

Block Output

The block renders as:

<p class="dmg-read-more">
    Read more: <a href="[post-permalink]">[post-title]</a>
</p>

WP-CLI Commands

The plugin includes powerful WP-CLI command for developers and site administrators.

Basic Usage

# List all posts from last 30 days
wp dmg-read-more search

# List posts from specific date range
wp dmg-read-more search --date-after=2025-10-01 --date-before=2025-10-31

# Limit results
wp dmg-read-more search --limit=20

# Export to JSON
wp dmg-read-more search --format=json > posts.json

Available Parameters

Parameter	Description	Default
--date-after	Start date (YYYY-MM-DD)	30 days ago
--date-before	End date (YYYY-MM-DD)	Today
--format	Output format: table, csv, json, yaml	table
--limit	Maximum number of posts	No limit

Output Fields

Each post includes:

• ID: WordPress post ID
• Title: Post title
• Date: Publication date and time
• Status: Post status (publish, draft, etc.)
• URL: Full permalink to the post

Examples

# Get last week's posts as JSON
wp dmg-read-more search --date-after=$(date -d '7 days ago' +%Y-%m-%d) --format=json

# Export October 2025 posts to CSV
wp dmg-read-more search --date-after=2025-10-01 --date-before=2025-10-31 --format=csv > october_posts.csv

# Get top 10 most recent posts
wp dmg-read-more search --limit=10

# Debug command to check available posts
wp dmg-read-more debug
wp dmg-read-more debug --show-content

DevKinsta Usage

If you're using DevKinsta (Docker-based local development), run commands inside the container:

# Basic search
docker exec -it devkinsta_fpm wp dmg-read-more search --allow-root

# With parameters
docker exec -it devkinsta_fpm wp dmg-read-more search --date-after=2025-10-01 --limit=20 --allow-root

# Export to file
docker exec -it devkinsta_fpm wp dmg-read-more search --format=json --allow-root > posts.json

Technical Details

Block Information

• Block Name: create-block/gutenberg-read-more
• Category: Widgets
• API Version: 3
• WordPress Requirements: 6.7+
• PHP Requirements: 7.4+

Attributes

{
    "selectedPostId": { "type": "number", "default": 0 },
    "selectedPostTitle": { "type": "string", "default": "" },
    "selectedPostPermalink": { "type": "string", "default": "" }
}

Database Performance

• Uses direct SQL queries via $wpdb for optimal performance
• Efficient pagination for large datasets
• Date range filtering at database level
• No unnecessary post meta or taxonomy queries

Customization

CSS Styling

The block outputs with the class dmg-read-more, allowing for custom styling:

.dmg-read-more {
    /* Your custom styles */
    margin: 1rem 0;
    padding: 1rem;
    border-left: 3px solid #0073aa;
}

.dmg-read-more a {
    /* Style the read more links */
    color: #0073aa;
    text-decoration: none;
    font-weight: bold;
}

Extending the CLI Command

The CLI commands are built using the WP-CLI framework and can be extended. See includes/read-more-cli.php for the implementation.

Troubleshooting

Block Not Showing Posts

1. Check if posts exist: Use wp dmg-read-more debug to see available posts
2. Verify date range: Make sure your date range includes published posts
3. Check post status: Only published posts are shown

WP-CLI Command Issues

1. Database connection error: Ensure WordPress database is accessible
2. Command not found: Verify the plugin is active
3. DevKinsta specific: Use docker exec with --allow-root flag

Performance Issues

1. Large datasets: Use --limit parameter to restrict results
2. Date ranges: Narrow date ranges for better performance
3. Export formats: JSON/CSV formats are more efficient than table for large datasets

Contributing

This plugin was developed by Josh Hudson Dev. For issues, feature requests, or contributions, please contact the development team.

License

This plugin is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Version: 0.1.0
Author: Josh Hudson Dev
Text Domain: gutenberg-read-more