Description
A single shortcode you can drop into any post, page, or text widget to get a click-to-expand “read more” toggle. The output is a native HTML <details> element styled with a small inline stylesheet — nothing else.
The point is the absence of features. There is no settings page, no animation library, no editor block panel with twelve toggles. If you need a read-more on one paragraph in one post, you do not want a plugin that wants to manage your whole site.
Usage:
[expand title="My title"]
The content goes here.
<img src="even-images-can-go-in-here.jpg" />
And wrap up with a closing expand tag.
[/expand]
Supports a custom CSS class via [expand class="my-class"] and works with WordPress oEmbeds and other shortcodes nested inside.
Screenshots
Closed Simple Expand. 
Open Simple Expand with HTML inside.
Installation
- Upload
/simple-expand/to the/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Place
[expand]shortcodes in your posts or pages.
FAQ
-
Does this work in the block editor?
-
Yes. The shortcode renders inside any paragraph or shortcode block.
-
Can I style it myself?
-
Yes. Add your own CSS targeting
details.jhse-expand(or passclass="my-class"to the shortcode and target that).
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Simple Expand – Lightweight Read more toggle” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
“Simple Expand – Lightweight Read more toggle” has been translated into 5 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate “Simple Expand – Lightweight Read more toggle” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.3
- Added
Licenseheader to plugin file (wp.org Plugin Check requirement). - Added direct file access protection (
ABSPATHcheck). - Added explicit version to
wp_register_style()call. - Tested up to WordPress 6.9.
1.2
- Breaking: CSS class changed from
.expandto.jhse-expand. If you have custom CSS targeting.expand, update it to.jhse-expand. - Custom CSS class support via
[expand class="my-class"]. - Use
wp_add_inline_styleinstead of inline style tag. - Removed duplicate iframe attributes.
- Fixed Plugin URI.
- Tested up to WordPress 6.7.
- Updated minimum PHP requirement to 7.4.
1.1
- Added support for YouTube and other iframe embeds inside expand tag (also WP built in embeds).
1.0.1
- Added support for shortcode in expand tag.
1.0
- Initial release.