WordPress: Edit Page Excerpts

Summary

When content from a child page displays on a parent page, the content is pulled from the page excerpt, if it is defined. These instructions tell you how to edit the page excerpt. 

Note that the page excerpt should be edited on the Child Page, not the Parent Page

How To: Ensure the Page Excerpt field is showing

  1. In the editing view for the page you wish to edit (not the page that actually displays the excerpt, but the page that the excerpt refers to), click the Screen Options button, towards the top right of the editing view

    Screenshot showing Screen Options Button
     
  2. Make sure that the Excerpt checkbox is checked (see Figure 2)
    Screenshot highlighting location of Excerpt checkbox in Screen Options panel (third item, labeled Excerpt)

How To: Edit the Page Excerpt Field

The Excerpt field will appear below the main content area. If the area is empty, WordPress will automatically generate one from the first words on the page. Adding content to this field will replace this automatically generated excerpt with one of your choosing.

At this point the excerpt can only include plain text – no links, lists, or other complex content types are possible.

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