Installation & Activation

This guide walks you through installing the Free version of ReadNinja from WordPress.org and, if you need the extra features, activating ReadNinja Pro on top of it.

Requirements

• WordPress 6.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• Any theme — Classic or Full Site Editing (FSE)

ReadNinja has no database migration step and no dependency on third-party plugins. It works out of the box with any WordPress install that meets the requirements above.

Installing the Free version

You have two options to install ReadNinja Free.

Option 1 — From the WordPress dashboard

1. Log in to your WordPress admin.
2. Go to Plugins › Add New.
3. Search for ReadNinja.
4. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Option 2 — Manual upload

1. Download the latest ZIP from WordPress.org.
2. In your admin, go to Plugins › Add New › Upload Plugin.
3. Pick the ZIP, click Install Now, then Activate.

Once activated, the progress bar starts appearing on all single posts immediately — no configuration required.

Activating the Pro version

ReadNinja Pro is a separate plugin that runs on top of the Free version, not a replacement. You need both installed and active.

1. Purchase a license on read-ninja.com.
2. After checkout, download the Pro ZIP from your Freemius account email.
3. In WordPress, go to Plugins › Add New › Upload Plugin and upload the Pro ZIP.
4. Activate ReadNinja Pro. Keep ReadNinja (the Free plugin) active too.
5. Go to Progress Bar › License (the Progress Bar menu in your WordPress admin sidebar), paste your license key and click Activate license.

First setup (quick start)

1. Open the Progress Bar menu in your WordPress admin sidebar.
2. The bar is enabled on posts by default, so it already works.
3. Open any published post in a new tab to see the progress bar in action at the top of the page.
4. Come back to the settings page to tweak the color, position, indicator and targeting — see the Bar appearance & display guide next.