diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c4422d6..1c9352e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Place the following shortcode right into the page. Either as shortcode block or
 | onlyMedia           | false                         | onlyMedia="true"          | Show only statuses containing media                               |
 | tagged              | false                         | tagged="tagname"          | Show only statuses that are tagged with given tag name (no #!)    |
 | linkTarget          | "_self"                       | linkTarget="_blank"       | Target for all links                                              |
+| showPreviewCards    | true                          | showPreviewCards="false"  | Show preview cards                                                |
 | darkmode            | false                         | darkmode="true"           | Enable dark mode                                                  |
 | text-loading        | "Loading Mastodon feed..."    | text-loading="Loading ⏳" | Loading text                                                      |
 | text-boosted        | "boosted 🚀"                  | text-boosted="🚀"         | Boosted status indicator text                                     |
diff --git a/config-example.php b/config-example.php
index b1bb4df..6958707 100644
--- a/config-example.php
+++ b/config-example.php
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
     // target for all links (e.g. new tab "_blank")
     define('INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_LINKTARGET', '_self');
 
+    // show / hide preview cards
+    define('INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_SHOW_PREVIEWCARDS', true);
+
     /*
      *  DEFAULT STYLES
      */
diff --git a/plugin.php b/plugin.php
index 25a9739..8b91873 100644
--- a/plugin.php
+++ b/plugin.php
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ $constants = [
     'key' => 'INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_LINKTARGET',
     'value' => '_self',
   ],
+  [
+    'key' => 'INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_SHOW_PREVIEWCARDS',
+    'value' => true,
+  ],
+
   // set styles
   [
     'key' => 'INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_DARKMODE',
@@ -524,7 +529,7 @@ function init_scripts() {
         }
 
         // handle preview card
-        if(showStatus.card != null) {
+        if(options.showPreviewCards && showStatus.card != null) {
           let cardElem = mastodonFeedCreateElementPreviewCard(showStatus.card);
           contentElem.appendChild(cardElem);
         }
@@ -584,6 +589,7 @@ function display_feed($atts) {
           'onlymedia' => filter_var(esc_html(INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_ONLY_MEDIA), FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN, FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE),
           'tagged' => INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_TAGGED,
           'linktarget' => INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_LINKTARGET,
+          'showpreviewcards' => filter_var(esc_html(INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_SHOW_PREVIEWCARDS), FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN, FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE),
 
           'text-loading' => INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_TEXT_LOADING,
           'text-boosted' => INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_TEXT_BOOSTED,
@@ -598,6 +604,7 @@ function display_feed($atts) {
           'darkmode' => filter_var(esc_html(INCLUDE_MASTODON_FEED_DARKMODE), FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN, FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE),
       ), $atts
   );
+
   if(false == $atts['instance']) {
     return error('missing configuration: instance');
   }
@@ -638,6 +645,7 @@ function display_feed($atts) {
         "<?php echo filter_var( $elemId, FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW ); ?>",
         {
           linkTarget: "<?php echo filter_var( $atts['linktarget'], FILTER_UNSAFE_RAW ); ?>",
+          showPreviewCards: <?php echo (filter_var( $atts['showpreviewcards'], FILTER_VALIDATE_BOOLEAN, FILTER_NULL_ON_FAILURE) ? "true" : "false"); ?>,
           text: {
             boosted: "<?php echo esc_js( $atts['text-boosted'] ); ?>",
             viewOnInstance: "<?php echo esc_js( $atts['text-viewoninstance'] ); ?>",
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index b69a666..e4d3a2f 100644
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ No leading #, case insensitive, e.g.: tagged="tagname"
 * **linkTarget**
 Target for all links e.g. new tab would be "_blank" (Default: _self)
 
+* **showPreviewCards**
+Show preview cards (Default: true)
+
 * **darkmode**
 Enable dark mode (Default: false)
 
@@ -123,6 +126,7 @@ Use the following URL to get your ID:
 == Changelog ==
 
 = 1.8.0 =
+* added option to show/hide preview cards
 * refactoring: introducing plugin namespace
 
 = 1.7.0 =