Init View Count

Init View Count is a fast, clean plugin to track post views without clutter. It:

• Uses REST API and JS to count real views
• Prevents duplicate counts with session/local storage
• Stores counts in meta keys like _init_view_count, _init_view_day_count, etc.
• Provides [init_view_count] and [init_view_list] shortcodes
• Includes [init_view_ranking] shortcode with tabbed ranking by time range
• Supports template overrides (like WooCommerce)
• Lightweight. No tracking, no admin bloat.
• Includes REST API to query most viewed posts
• Supports pagination in [init_view_list] via the page attribute
• Batch view tracking support to reduce REST requests on busy sites
• Optional strict IP-based filtering to block fake view requests posted directly to the REST endpoint
• Includes a Dashboard widget to monitor top viewed posts directly in wp-admin
• Learns site-wide traffic shape (hourly & weekday) via AI-powered smoothing
• Shapes cached and updated efficiently with minimal overhead
• Safe reset action to rebuild patterns automatically
• Fully integrated with Trending Engine v3 for uplift-based scoring
• Native Block Editor (Gutenberg) support with 3 dedicated blocks, no build step required
• Abilities API support (WordPress 6.9+) — read-only abilities for AI agents and automation tools

This plugin is part of the Init Plugin Suite — a collection of minimalist, fast, and developer-focused tools for WordPress.

GitHub repository: https://github.com/brokensmile2103/init-view-count

Highlights

• REST-first design — no jQuery or legacy Ajax
• View tracking powered by time + scroll detection
• Realtime display with optional animated counters
• Fully theme-compatible with overrideable templates
• Developer-friendly with rich filter support
• Optional [init_view_ranking] shortcode for tabbed view by day/week/month/total
• Assets are only loaded when needed – perfect for performance-conscious themes
• Fully compatible with headless and SPA frameworks (REST-first + lazy)
• Supports batch mode: delay view requests and send in groups (configurable in settings)
• Includes optional Dashboard widget for quick admin overview of top viewed posts
• AI-powered Traffic Shape Learner – understands your site’s hourly & weekly rhythm
• Auto-integrated with Trending Engine v3 for seasonality-aware uplift detection
• Smart fallbacks (day → week → month → total) ensure rankings never run empty
• Ultra-light: only 1 write per increment + 1 rollup per day, cache-first design

Shortcodes

[init_view_count]

Shows current view count for a post. Only works inside a post loop.

Attributes:
– field: total (default), day, week, month – which counter to display
– format: formatted (default), raw, or short – controls number formatting
– time: true to show time diff from post date (e.g. “3 days ago”)
– icon: true to display a small SVG icon before the count
– schema: true to output schema.org microdata (InteractionCounter)
– class: add a custom CSS class to the outer wrapper

[init_view_list]

Show list of most viewed posts.

Attributes:
– number: Number of posts to show (default: 5)
– page: Show a specific page of results (default: 1)
– post_type: Type of post (default: post)
– template: sidebar (default), full, grid, details (can be overridden)
– title: Title above list. Set to empty (title="") to hide
– class: Custom class added to wrapper
– orderby: Sort field (default: meta_value_num)
– order: ASC or DESC (default: DESC)
– range: total, day, week, month, trending
– category: Filter by category slug
– tag: Filter by tag slug
– empty: Message to show if no posts found

[init_view_ranking]

Show tabbed ranking of most viewed posts. Uses REST API and JavaScript for dynamic loading. Optimized for SPA/headless usage.

Attributes:
– tabs: Comma-separated list of ranges. Available: total, day, week, month (default: all)
– number: Number of posts per tab (default: 5)
– class: Custom class for outer wrapper

Read the full description on the official page →