Troubleshooting Reader issues in Jetpack

Find solutions to common Reader issues in Jetpack such as missing posts, delayed updates, and navigation problems.

The WordPress.com Reader lets you discover and follow posts from WordPress sites you care about. If you’re using Reader through Jetpack, most functionality matches the WordPress.com Reader, but some behavior can depend on how your site is connected and where Reader is accessed.

How Reader updates followed sites

The Reader automatically checks the sites you follow and refreshes their content in the background throughout the day. You don’t need to manually reload Reader to see new posts.

Feed updates are handled by WordPress.com’s Reader infrastructure, even when accessed through Jetpack. Update timing is the same across platforms.

When new posts appear

How quickly new content shows up depends on the type of site:

• WordPress.com sites: New posts usually appear almost immediately after publishing.
• External sites (Jetpack sites): Feeds are checked at least once per day, though exact timing may vary.

Why posts may appear later

It’s normal for a post to be visible on its original site before appearing in Reader. To balance freshness and performance, Reader limits how often it checks external feeds, which can result in short delays.

Post order in Reader

Posts are shown in reverse chronological order (newest first). Because WordPress.com feeds refresh faster than external ones, you may see:

• Very recent posts from WordPress.com sites at the top.
• Slightly older posts from external sites appearing lower when those feeds update.

This behavior is expected and ensures the newest content is prioritized.

Manual refresh availability

There’s currently no option to manually refresh individual feeds. The Reader automatically manages updates to ensure reliable performance for all users.

My post isn’t showing in Reader

If you’ve published a post but don’t see it in Reader, the steps below can help you narrow down the cause.

Allow time for new sites

Newly created sites may take a few days to appear on Reader tag pages. WordPress.com reviews new blogs before adding them to tag feeds to reduce spam. During this time, posts will still appear in the Reader feeds of existing followers.

This review process applies equally to Jetpack-connected sites and WordPress.com-hosted sites.

Check your personal Reader feed

Your post should appear in your own Reader feed shortly after publishing. To check this:

• Log in to your WordPress.com account.
• Open the Reader using the glasses icon in the top-right of the admin bar.
• Use the search icon in the top-left to search for the post by title.

Confirm site visibility settings

Private sites or sites hidden from search engines won’t appear on Reader tag pages and can’t be discovered by new readers.
To verify this:

• Go to your site dashboard.
• Open Settings → Reading.
• Make sure “Site visibility” is set to Public and the discouraging search engines option is disabled.

My post doesn’t appear under Reader tags

If you’re browsing posts by tag and don’t see yours, there are a few common possible reasons.

Review tag and category limits

Posts with more than 15 combined tags and categories won’t appear on Reader tag pages. This limitation affects only tag-based discovery, not personal Reader feeds.
To fix this:

• Open your site dashboard.
• Go to Posts and select the post.
• In the post settings sidebar, locate Tags and Categories.
• Reduce the total number to 15 or fewer.
• Save your changes.

Check content quality requirements

Some posts may be excluded from Reader tag pages if they don’t meet content quality guidelines. These limits do not affect Reader feeds for people who already follow your site.

Common reasons may include:

• Post age: Content older than 18 months doesn’t appear in Reader.
• Tag relevance: Misleading or unrelated tags can result in temporary exclusion.
• Promotional content: Posts that are primarily promotional or duplicated may not be shown.
• Mature content: Sites with frequent adult or sensitive material may have reduced visibility.

I can’t find another site’s posts in Reader tags

Reader tag pages only show posts written in the same language as your account’s interface language. This doesn’t affect posts from sites you already follow.

To check or update this setting:

• In the WordPress.com/ Jetpack Cloud dashboard, hover over your profile in the top-right.
• Select My WordPress.com account.
• Open Account Settings.
• Choose your preferred language under Interface language. The Interface language is tied to your WordPress.com account, even when using Reader through Jetpack.

Fixing Reader navigation issues

If you’re having trouble switching between Reader and your site, or navigating within Reader, try the following:

Clear your browser cache

Most browsers allow you to clear cached data from their settings. Clearing the cache can resolve display or loading issues.

Check for browser extension conflicts

Some browser extensions can interfere with Reader. To test this:

• Open your browser in private or incognito mode.
• Use the Reader in that mode.
• If the issue disappears, disable extensions one by one in normal mode to identify the cause.
• Keep the problematic extension disabled or contact its developer for help.

Private browsing typically disables extensions by default, making it easier to identify conflicts.