iftiarhossain

Webxperthub Post Views & Reading Time is a lightweight WordPress plugin that automatically tracks how many times each post is viewed and measures the total reading time accumulated from all visitors. Perfect for bloggers, content creators, and site owners who want to understand their audience engagement at a glance.
Key Features:
<ul>
<li>View Tracking – Automatically count the number of unique sessions viewing each post with intelligent bounce filtering</li>
<li>Reading Time Analytics – Measure actual time visitors spend reading your posts</li>
<li>Admin Dashboard Widget – Beautiful analytics widget showing total views, posts, and cumulative reading time</li>
<li>Post List Columns – Display views and reading time directly in the post list for quick reference</li>
<li>Smart User Filtering – Automatically excludes administrators, editors, authors, and contributors from view counts to track real visitor engagement</li>
<li>Session-based Counting – Prevents artificially inflating counts by tracking views per session, not per page load</li>
<li>Security First – Built with WordPress security standards including nonce verification, input sanitization, and proper output escaping</li>
<li>Lightweight & Efficient – Minimal database footprint with optimized AJAX requests and prepared statements</li>
<li>Zero Configuration – Works automatically after activation, no settings to configure</li>
<li>Responsive Design – Dashboard widget looks great on all screen sizes</li>
</ul>
<h3>How It Works</h3>
View Tracking Process: 
1. When a visitor loads a post, JavaScript waits 2 seconds (bounce filter) before sending a tracking request 
2. An AJAX request is sent to your WordPress backend 
3. The view count for that post is incremented in the post meta 
4. SessionStorage records that this post was counted in the current session to prevent duplicates
Reading Time Tracking Process: 
1. JavaScript monitors how long a visitor spends on the page 
2. Timing begins after the initial 2-second bounce delay 
3. Timing ends when the visitor leaves the page or switches browser tabs 
4. Only intervals of 3+ seconds are counted (minimum threshold) 
5. A maximum of 30-minute intervals are recorded (filters outliers like tabs left open) 
6. The accumulated time is added to the post’s total reading time meta
Dashboard Widget: 
The admin dashboard displays: 
– Total number of published posts 
– Sum of all views across all posts 
– Cumulative reading time from all visitors (formatted as “X hours Y minutes”)
Post List Columns: 
Two new columns in the Posts list show: 
– Views: Total view count for each post 
– Read Time: Total accumulated reading time (click column header to sort)
<h3>Technical Details</h3>
Database: 
– <code>_webxperthub_pvrt_view_count</code> — Stores the total view count for each post 
– <code>_webxperthub_pvrt_reading_time</code> — Stores total reading time in seconds for each post 
– Uses standard WordPress post meta (no custom tables)
Security: 
– All AJAX endpoints verify nonces for CSRF protection 
– User input is sanitized and validated before use 
– Output is properly escaped for display 
– User roles are verified to exclude staff accounts 
– Only published posts are tracked
Performance: 
– Efficient prepared statements for all database queries 
– Asynchronous AJAX requests do not block user interaction 
– SessionStorage prevents redundant database calls 
– Minimal CSS and JavaScript payload 
– No external API calls or third-party services
<h3>Support</h3>
For support, feature requests, or bug reports, please visit the plugin’s WordPress.org support forum. When posting, please include:
<ol>
<li>A clear description of your issue</li>
<li>Your WordPress version and PHP version</li>
<li>A list of your currently active plugins</li>
<li>Any error messages from your browser console (press F12)</li>
</ol>
<h3>Credits</h3>
Developed by Iftiar Hossain — Webxperthub
<h3>License</h3>
This plugin is licensed under the GPL-2.0-or-later license. You are free to use, modify, and distribute this plugin under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
For more information about the GPL, visit: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Webxperthub Post Views & Reading Time

Track post views and accumulate total reading time from visitors. Display engagement metrics in your admin dashboard and post list columns.

Init HTML

Init View Count is a fast, clean plugin to track post views without clutter. It:
<ul>
<li>Uses REST API and JS to count real views</li>
<li>Prevents duplicate counts with session/local storage</li>
<li>Stores counts in meta keys like <code>_init_view_count</code>, <code>_init_view_day_count</code>, etc.</li>
<li>Provides <code>[init_view_count]</code> and <code>[init_view_list]</code> shortcodes</li>
<li>Includes <code>[init_view_ranking]</code> shortcode with tabbed ranking by time range</li>
<li>Supports template overrides (like WooCommerce)</li>
<li>Lightweight. No tracking, no admin bloat.</li>
<li>Includes REST API to query most viewed posts</li>
<li>Supports pagination in <code>[init_view_list]</code> via the <code>page</code> attribute</li>
<li>Batch view tracking support to reduce REST requests on busy sites</li>
<li>Optional strict IP-based filtering to block fake view requests posted directly to the REST endpoint</li>
<li>Includes a Dashboard widget to monitor top viewed posts directly in wp-admin</li>
<li>Learns site-wide traffic shape (hourly & weekday) via AI-powered smoothing</li>
<li>Shapes cached and updated efficiently with minimal overhead</li>
<li>Safe reset action to rebuild patterns automatically</li>
<li>Fully integrated with Trending Engine v3 for uplift-based scoring</li>
</ul>
This plugin is part of the <a href="https://en.inithtml.com/init-plugin-suite-minimalist-powerful-and-free-wordpress-plugins/" rel="nofollow ugc">Init Plugin Suite</a> — a collection of minimalist, fast, and developer-focused tools for WordPress.
GitHub repository: <a href="https://github.com/brokensmile2103/init-view-count" rel="nofollow ugc">https://github.com/brokensmile2103/init-view-count</a>
<h3>Highlights</h3>
<ul>
<li>REST-first design — no jQuery or legacy Ajax</li>
<li>View tracking powered by time + scroll detection</li>
<li>Realtime display with optional animated counters</li>
<li>Fully theme-compatible with overrideable templates</li>
<li>Developer-friendly with rich filter support</li>
<li>Optional <code>[init_view_ranking]</code> shortcode for tabbed view by day/week/month/total</li>
<li>Assets are only loaded when needed – perfect for performance-conscious themes</li>
<li>Fully compatible with headless and SPA frameworks (REST-first + lazy)</li>
<li>Supports batch mode: delay view requests and send in groups (configurable in settings)</li>
<li>Includes optional Dashboard widget for quick admin overview of top viewed posts</li>
<li>AI-powered Traffic Shape Learner – understands your site’s hourly & weekly rhythm</li>
<li>Auto-integrated with Trending Engine v3 for seasonality-aware uplift detection</li>
<li>Smart fallbacks (day → week → month → total) ensure rankings never run empty</li>
<li>Ultra-light: only 1 write per increment + 1 rollup per day, cache-first design</li>
</ul>
<h3>Shortcodes</h3>
<h3>[init_view_count]</h3>
Shows current view count for a post. Only works inside a post loop.
Attributes: 
– <code>field</code>: <code>total</code> (default), <code>day</code>, <code>week</code>, <code>month</code> – which counter to display 
– <code>format</code>: <code>formatted</code> (default), <code>raw</code>, or <code>short</code> – controls number formatting 
– <code>time</code>: <code>true</code> to show time diff from post date (e.g. “3 days ago”) 
– <code>icon</code>: <code>true</code> to display a small SVG icon before the count 
– <code>schema</code>: <code>true</code> to output schema.org microdata (InteractionCounter) 
– <code>class</code>: add a custom CSS class to the outer wrapper
<h3>[init_view_list]</h3>
Show list of most viewed posts.
Attributes: 
– <code>number</code>: Number of posts to show (default: 5) 
– <code>page</code>: Show a specific page of results (default: 1) 
– <code>post_type</code>: Type of post (default: post) 
– <code>template</code>: <code>sidebar</code> (default), <code>full</code>, <code>grid</code>, <code>details</code> (can be overridden) 
– <code>title</code>: Title above list. Set to empty (<code>title=""</code>) to hide 
– <code>class</code>: Custom class added to wrapper 
– <code>orderby</code>: Sort field (default: meta_value_num) 
– <code>order</code>: ASC or DESC (default: DESC) 
– <code>range</code>: <code>total</code>, <code>day</code>, <code>week</code>, <code>month</code>, <code>trending</code> 
– <code>category</code>: Filter by category slug 
– <code>tag</code>: Filter by tag slug 
– <code>empty</code>: Message to show if no posts found
<h3>[init_view_ranking]</h3>
Show tabbed ranking of most viewed posts. Uses REST API and JavaScript for dynamic loading. Optimized for SPA/headless usage.
Attributes: 
– <code>tabs</code>: Comma-separated list of ranges. Available: <code>total</code>, <code>day</code>, <code>week</code>, <code>month</code> (default: all) 
– <code>number</code>: Number of posts per tab (default: 5) 
– <code>class</code>: Custom class for outer wrapper
This shortcode automatically enqueues required JS and uses skeleton loaders while fetching data.
<h3>REST API</h3>
This plugin exposes two REST endpoints to interact with view counts: one for recording views and another for retrieving top posts.
<code>POST /wp-json/initvico/v1/count</code> 
Record one or more views. Accepts a single post ID or an array of post IDs.
Parameters: 
– <code>post_id</code> — (int|array) Required. One or more post IDs to increment view count for.
This endpoint checks if the post is published, belongs to a supported post type, and applies delay/scroll config (via JavaScript). It updates total and optionally day/week/month view counters.
Note: The number of post IDs processed per request is limited based on the batch setting in plugin options.
<code>GET /wp-json/initvico/v1/top</code> 
Retrieve the most viewed posts, ranked by view count.
Parameters: 
– <code>range</code> — (string) <code>total</code>, <code>day</code>, <code>week</code>, <code>month</code>. Defaults to <code>total</code>. 
– <code>post_type</code> — (string) Post type to query. Defaults to <code>post</code>. 
– <code>number</code> — (int) Number of posts to return. Default: <code>5</code>. 
– <code>page</code> — (int) Pagination offset. Default: <code>1</code>. 
– <code>fields</code> — (string) <code>minimal</code> (id, title, link) or <code>full</code> (includes excerpt, thumbnail, type, date, etc.) 
– <code>tax</code> — (string) Optional. Taxonomy slug (e.g. <code>category</code>). 
– <code>terms</code> — (string) Comma-separated term slugs or IDs. 
– <code>no_cache</code> — (bool) If <code>1</code>, disables transient caching.
This endpoint supports filtering and caching, and can be extended to support custom output formats.
<h3>Filters for Developers</h3>
This plugin provides multiple filters to help developers customize behavior and output in both REST API and shortcode use cases.
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_should_count</code> 
Allow or prevent counting views for a specific post. 
Applies to: REST <code>/count</code> 
Params: <code>bool $should_count</code>, <code>int $post_id</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_meta_key</code> 
Change the meta key used to read or write view counts. 
Applies to: REST & Shortcodes 
Params: <code>string $meta_key</code>, <code>int|null $post_id</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_after_counted</code> 
Run custom logic after view count has been incremented. 
Applies to: REST <code>/count</code> 
Params: <code>int $post_id</code>, <code>array $updated</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_api_top_args</code> 
Customize WP_Query arguments used for <code>/top</code> endpoint. 
Applies to: REST <code>/top</code> 
Params: <code>array $args</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_api_top_item</code> 
Modify each item before it’s returned in the <code>/top</code> response. 
Applies to: REST <code>/top</code> 
Params: <code>array $item</code>, <code>WP_Post $post</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_api_top_cache_time</code> 
Adjust cache time (in seconds) for <code>/top</code> results. 
Applies to: REST <code>/top</code> 
Params: <code>int $ttl</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_top_post_types</code> 
Customize the list of post types returned by the <code>/top</code> endpoint. 
Applies to: REST <code>/top</code> 
Params: <code>array $post_types</code>, <code>WP_REST_Request $request</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_query_args</code> 
Filter WP_Query args for <code>[init_view_list]</code> shortcode. 
Applies to: <code>[init_view_list]</code> 
Params: <code>array $args</code>, <code>array $atts</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_empty_output</code> 
Customize the HTML output when no posts are found. 
Applies to: <code>[init_view_list]</code> 
Params: <code>string $output</code>, <code>array $atts</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_view_list_atts</code> 
Modify shortcode attributes before WP_Query is run. 
Applies to: <code>[init_view_list]</code> 
Params: <code>array $atts</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_default_shortcode</code> 
Customize the default shortcode used when auto-inserting view count into post content. 
Applies to: <code>[init_view_count]</code> auto-insert 
Params: <code>string $shortcode</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_auto_insert_enabled</code> 
Control whether auto-insert is enabled for a given context. 
Applies to: <code>[init_view_count]</code> auto-insert 
Params: <code>bool $enabled</code>, <code>string $position</code>, <code>string $post_type</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_engagement_meta_keys</code> 
Change the meta keys used to retrieve <code>like</code> and <code>share</code> counts when calculating engagement quality. 
Applies to: Engagement algorithm 
Params: <code>array $meta_keys</code> (<code>likes</code>, <code>shares</code>), <code>int $post_id</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_trending_post_types</code> 
Override the list of post types used by the Trending cron calculation. 
Applies to: Cron Trending 
Params: <code>array $post_types</code>
<code>init_plugin_suite_view_count_trending_component_weights</code> 
Adjust weights for Trending score components. 
Applies to: Trending algorithm 
Params: <code>array $weights</code> (<code>velocity</code>, <code>engagement</code>, <code>freshness</code>, <code>momentum</code>)
<h3>Template Override</h3>
To customize output layout, copy any template file into your theme:
Example: <code>your-theme/init-view-count/view-list-grid.php</code>
<h3>License</h3>
This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later. 
You are free to use, modify, and distribute it under the same license.

Init View Count – AI-Powered, Trending, REST API

Count post views accurately via REST API with customizable display. Lightweight, fast, and extensible. Includes shortcode with multiple layouts.

Webxperthub Post Views & Reading Time vs Init View Count – AI-Powered, Trending, REST API