Facebook’s fast-loading Instant Articles have been slowly rolling out, but on April 12th every publisher will be able to create articles using the special format. Facebook is now making it even easier for small WordPress blogs to offer their content in Instant Articles. The social networking giant has worked with a small number of WordPress users and Automattic (parent company of WordPress) to test a new plugin that creates Instant Articles.
Automattic is planning to release the plugin as a free option for all WordPress users in time for the broader launch of Instant Articles in April. WordPress’s users that use standard WordPress templates will be able to activate the plugin immediately to create Instant Articles, but more customized WordPress blogs may need to extend the plugin to support extra features. Automattic is making the plugin open source, so the WordPress community of developers can contribute to it and improve it.
“The plugin is open source, and we encourage the community to participate in its development to help publishers of all types take full advantage of the fast, native experience of Instant Articles,” says a Facebook spokesperson. “We will continue to iterate the plugin over the coming weeks and look forward to collaborating with the WordPress community to improve the experience.”