How often do you use the Reader on WordPress? Do you use it for anything else besides reading the posts of the blogs you follow?
If you answered no, read on because there are some excellent WordPress Reader features you could be missing.
Have you ever noticed the WordPress Reader menu?
I don’t use the WordPress Reader much. However, I use the WordPress Reader menu because it contains great features every blogger should consider.
Let’s take a look at each feature.
Following – This is the one the majority of us know. It shows the latest blog posts from the blogs we follow, plus a list of how long ago these posts were published. You can also manage the blogs you follow by clicking the ‘Manage’ button. Click here for more details.
Conversations: Clicking on this button lets you read and reply to your conversations in one place. WordPress posts you’ve liked or commented on will appear when they have new comments. You can follow or unfollow a conversation using the ellipsis menu (the three dots to the right of a title) in the reader.
Of course, you can also view when somebody replies to your comment in the notification centre of your blog, but what I like about the Conversations button is that you can also load and view other readers’ comments.
You can also leave further comments on posts you’ve already commented on. The comments sections of many blogs are a wonderful source of ideas for new blog posts.
Lists: This is the place to create lists of the blogs you love reading the most. However, it’s important to note that you must be logged into WordPress to view lists.
I think this is the best feature and have created two lists (so far) – ‘Favourite Blogs’ and ‘Blogging Tips’ blogs.
To create a new list, click ‘Create new list‘ and give your list a title.
Click the Manage button (the small cog) to access the menu of the list you’ve created.
You’ll see a menu across the top – Details – Sites – Export – Delete.
Let’s have a look at what each tab does.
Details – on this tab, you can do the following –
- Name your list.
- Decide who can view the list (visibility).
- Describe what the list is about.
Remember to click the ‘Save‘ button when making any changes.
Sites – click this tab to add blogs to your list.
To add a blog, type the name in the search box and click the add button next to the blog you want to add.
Click the Remove button to remove a blog from the list.
I recommend that everyone creates a ‘Favourite Blogs’ list that contains the blogs you enjoy reading the most. I agree that those blogs already appear on your WordPress Reader, but not all the blogs I follow are ones I want to read whenever a new post is published.
How do other bloggers view and follow the lists I’ve created?
First and most importantly, they must be logged into WordPress to follow and view your lists.
Ensure you have selected the ‘Everyone can view this list‘ option of the list you want to share with your readers.
Copy and paste the slug of the list to the end of your reader URL.
Share the new URL of your list with your followers. You can do this at the bottom of blog posts or your ‘about’ page (like I did at the bottom of this post).
A follow button will appear on your list when they open it. They need to click the follow button to follow your list.
New blog posts on your list will also appear on their WordPress Reader.
You can also grab the URL from your browser in the list editor. However, remove the ‘/edit’ from the URL before sharing it.
There is a downside to sharing lists via the above methods in that there is no option to open lists in a new window. Therefore, lists will open on the same page, and the reader will lose the page they are reading.
To get around this. I recommend you create a pingback to your lists (like I have done in this post). Copy and paste the URL address of your list and create a pingback to it.
Click here to learn what a pingback is and how to create one.
Remember that all lists are public to all logged-in WordPress.com users. Visitors who are not logged into WordPress cannot view or follow lists.
Export – You can export the list to use on other services. The file will be in OPML format.
Delete – Click the delete button to delete the list.
Let’s go back to the last button on the WordPress Reader menu.
Tags – When you click this button, a search box opens where you can add tags to find related blog posts from other bloggers. For example, I’ve added the tags’ time travel’ and ‘blogging tips’ to my list to find posts related to those subjects.
When using tags, you don’t need to scroll through long lists of blogs to find relevant content, as all the posts in the search results are relevant to the tag word you entered.
Have you used any of the features I’ve mentioned? Which ones do you use? What are your thoughts about them? Do you have questions about them? Leave them in the comments section.
Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
My thanks to Terri Webster Schrandt for her help in helping me with this post. Click here to view Terri’s blog.
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Hugh's Views & News 
Well, wa-da-ya know! Now I’m going to have to go through all of your tips and give them a try for myself. Thanks for the post, otherwise I wouldn’t have known.
You’re welcome. I hope my blogging tips help.
Reader packs more of a punch than I gave it credit for Hugh. I am going to explore more of these features you have told us about.
The ‘List’ feature is excellent, Linda. But I also like the ‘Tag’ feature.
Yes, similar to social media. A very good idea.
Another great tip Hugh, I use the reader but didn’t know about these features, so many thanks 🙂 I’m starting to make a list at the moment.
Great to hear you’ve started creating your lists, Debbie. I’m sure you’ll find them very useful.
Wow! I usually visit reader, but I think I have not utilized some of these features. Glad to learn about them especially the lists.
I’m glad the post has been of some help, John. Enjoy creating those new lists.
I’ve never used it because I read blogs that are not on WP as well as blogs that are. To keep them all in one place, I read them through Feedly. Feedly isn’t terribly reliable, though. There are some blogs it used to load but it doesn’t any more. I didn’t know WP Reader had all these other features, so thank you for telling us about that.
You’re welcome, Barbara. I’m glad the post was of interest.
I downloaded the reader a few months ago. I don’t think I’ve ever used it though. I guess I need to start.
I don’t use it to read blog posts, but some of the features it has in its menu are amazing.
Thank you for this very useful post. I had no idea one could do so much with the Reader. I’m off to make some lists and search the tags!
You’re welcome. I hope you have fun creating those lists and finding new blogs to follow via the tags.
I had no idea the Reader had so much to offer. Thank you for the information, Hugh.
You’re welcome, Eugenia. I hope it was all helpful.
Hi Hugh – I use the Reader all the time, but I’ve never paid much attention to the menu. The Lists feature looks like something I could get into. Thanks for sharing this info!
Creating your own lists is a great way to ensure you’re not missing the posts of those blogs that are a must-read, Barbara. I’m delighted to have introduced the list feature to you. Have fun making those lists.
That’s great – thank you again, Hugh!
I rely on the Reader to keep up with blogs I follow but didn’t know about some of these features. Thanks! I need all the help I can get.
You’re welcome. I’m delighted the post has helped.
Thanks Hugh for making me look closer. I use many of the features you mentioned, but today I added tags. I found way more blogs to follow using tags than any search criteria used to date.
I like the tag feature, Danny. It brings up the posts I want to read, and I don’t have to look for them. They’re all there. It’s also a great way of finding new blogs to follow.
Commenting from my mobile, Hugh, so much great stuff to see and read! I’ll be back to check it all out from my desktop!
I hope you find all or some of these features useful, Terri. And thanks for your help in checking the link and screenshot for me.
I’m sure I will, and I was happy to help you, Hugh.
Interesting, as usual Hugh. I do use the Reader as I do not get notifications from some of my favorite blogs and so I have to go find them. These lists will help a lot. Thanks!
Good to hear the list feature will help, Jan. I’m already using lists and finding them of great benefit.
I use lists like this on Twitter. I didn’t know they were available on WordPress – thanks!
Glad to have been of some help, Dan. Enjoy creating your lists.
Your blogging tips posts make me realize what I have not paid attention to so far. Thanks a lot for these explanations, Hugh!
I’m glad they help you and many others, Erika.
They do 👍
Thanks for this, Hugh. I didn’t know about these features.
Me neither, until recently, Cathy. I love the list feature. I’m going to have fun with that feature.
Thanks for this reminder, Hugh. I follow quite a few bloggers, but there are a handful I never want to miss. I already have two lists made based on location or subject matter. Now I need to create a new list and use it!
Good to hear you’re already using the list feature, Maggie. I wish I’d discovered it earlier. It’s amazing.
Oh! I like the Conversations! I’ve never open the reader menu. Thanks so much, Hugh!
I’ve only just discovered the Reader menu, Elizabeth. Now I wish I’d checked it out sooner.
I’m having a look at the LIST, it also seems great!
The list feature is my favourite. I’ve got two lists so far, but I’m sure I’ll add more.
I had no idea about any of these features in the Reader, Hugh, since I never use the Reader. I don’t even know how to get into it.
I’m a lazy blogger. I read the blogs that arrive in my inbox (which is also how I receive replies to my comments) and that interest me. That’s it.
Unfortunately, my life is too busy to poke around the Reader and find more interesting blogs or organize the ones I like. That being said, I appreciate the tutorial as you provided; another good job laying things out!
Funny to see one of my comments show up in your screenshots.
I don’t believe the WordPress Reader is available on a self-hosted blog, Liesbet. However, I could be wrong.
Likewise, I prefer getting notifications of new blog posts from the blogs I follow via email.
I enjoy finding new blogs that publish content I enjoy reading and am interested in reading. I used to follow nearly 500 blogs but am now down to only following about 50! I had a big clearout of them and unfollowed the ones I felt obliged to follow. They now have to publish content I’m interested in reading, making me want to engage before I follow.
Thanks for the great feedback about my tutorials.