Long articles can sometimes be difficult to read, especially on mobile devices. Splitting content into multiple pages can improve readability, reduce the amount of content loaded at once, and make navigating lengthy articles easier for visitors.
For image-heavy posts, pagination can also improve page loading times by reducing the number of images loaded on a single page.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Splitting Long Articles
Using pagination in WordPress can provide several advantages:
- Improved readability.
- Better content organization.
- Faster loading times for image-rich articles.
- Reduced scrolling for visitors.
- Improved user experience on mobile devices.
- Potential SEO benefits for very long content.
Splitting a Post Without Plugins
WordPress includes a built-in pagination feature, so no additional plugins are required.
Using the Gutenberg Editor
- Log in to your WordPress administration panel.
- Create a new post or edit an existing one.
- Position the cursor where you want the article to be split.
Insert a Page Break Block
- Click the + button to add a new block.
- In the search field, type:
Page Break
- Select the Page Break block from the results.
Once inserted, WordPress will automatically split the content into separate pages at that location.
Example
Suppose your article contains three major sections:
- Introduction
- Main Content
- Summary
You can insert a Page Break block between each section:
Introduction
[Page Break]
Main Content
[Page Break]
Summary
WordPress will automatically generate navigation links that allow visitors to move between pages.
Using the Classic Editor
If you are using the Classic Editor, you can manually insert the following tag into your content:
<!--nextpage-->
Example:
First page content
<!--nextpage-->
Second page content
<!--nextpage-->
Third page content
WordPress will convert these markers into separate pages automatically.
How Visitors Navigate Between Pages
When pagination is enabled, WordPress typically displays navigation links such as:
1 2 3 Next »
The appearance depends on your WordPress theme.
Some themes may display:
Previous | Next
or custom pagination controls.
When Should You Use Pagination?
Pagination is most useful for:
- Tutorials.
- Guides.
- Long-form articles.
- Product comparisons.
- Photo-heavy content.
- Multi-part stories.
When Should You Avoid Pagination?
Consider keeping content on a single page if:
- The article is relatively short.
- Users need to search or reference content frequently.
- Splitting the content would interrupt the reading experience.
SEO Considerations
Pagination can help search engines process large amounts of content more efficiently, but it should be used thoughtfully.
For the best user experience:
- Split content at logical section boundaries.
- Avoid creating too many pages for a short article.
- Ensure navigation between pages is clear.
Summary
WordPress includes a built-in pagination feature that allows you to divide long articles into multiple pages without installing additional plugins.
Gutenberg Editor
Insert a:
Page Break
block wherever you want the content divided.
Classic Editor
Insert:
<!--nextpage-->
at the desired location within the article.
Visitors will then be able to navigate through the article using automatically generated page navigation links.