Add a Visitor Counter to Your WordPress Blog

IMPORTANT NOTE: This Article Has Been Updated

We all want to know how we’re doing, right? One of the first things everyone wants to put on their website is a counter. I still remember in the mid-90s trying to find code that would let me put a counter on my site, each and every page.

Of course, web logs today are quite detailed, and you really don’t need a counter, but in case the urge is just too much, here’s a quick and simple counter for your WordPress page:

• Edit your blog’s index.php file, and look for a place in the php to add code � right after this entry is a good place to start:

  require('./wp-blog-header.php');

• At that point, add this code function:

  function displayCounter()
  {
    // simple php counter - copyright (c) 2005 D.Pankhurst
    // (BigBizBlog.com) free to use - just please keep copyright in
    $counternum=dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME'])."/counter.txt";
    $counter="";
    if ( $fp = @fopen($counternum,'r+') ) // success?
    {
      $counter = fgets($fp,9);
      $counter=$counter+1;
      rewind($fp);
      fputs($fp,$counter);
      fclose($fp);
    }
    echo $counter;
  }
  

• Now look through your php code for a place to display your counter. When you have a spot, add this code to the html there:

  <?php displayCounter(); ?>

  (Note: leave off the <?php and ?> if you want to place the code in a php section).

• Now create an empty text file, and call it counter.txt
• Upload your modified index.php file and the new counter.txt file – for safety, back up the old index.php file first.
• Change the permissions on your text file � if Unix, you want to CHMOD the file to 777.

Now when you load the main page, you’ll have a text display of how often the page has been viewed. Be warned � this will be anytime an article is looked at, not just a main page view.

The code can be made quite fancy, with as many bells and whistles as desired � but for a simple, easy to use WordPress counter, it’s a great way to plug one in fast.

This entry was posted Saturday, February 5th, 2005, and is filed under WordPress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Comments are open. Pings are open. You can use this trackback URl.

3 Responses to “Add a Visitor Counter to Your WordPress Blog”

1. web tasar Says:
   June 15th, 2008 at

   Thanks this is unique counter?

2. David Pankhurst Says:
   June 15th, 2008 at

   No, it just displays a count for each page view, with repeated visits by the same person counting again.

   Also, be sure to use the latest, a WordPress counter plugin here:

   http://www.utopiamechanicus.com/37/wordpress-visitor-counter/

3. Alex Says:
   August 12th, 2008 at

   I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!

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