An excerpt is a short summary of a post, usually a sentence or two, used to give readers a preview before they click through to read the full article.
You’ll typically see excerpts on blog listing pages, search results, and archive pages, where showing the entire post would be overwhelming and unnecessary.
Automatic vs Custom Excerpts
If you don’t write one yourself, WordPress automatically generates an excerpt by trimming the beginning of your post content. This works fine in a pinch, but it can sometimes cut off mid-sentence or miss the most compelling part of the article.
Writing a custom excerpt gives you more control — a chance to write something genuinely enticing rather than relying on however your post happens to start.
Why Excerpts Matter for SEO
Search engines and social media platforms sometimes pull from your excerpt when generating previews. A clear, well-written excerpt can genuinely improve click-through rates, since it’s often the deciding factor in whether someone clicks your link or scrolls past it.