Post Views Count | Post Views Tracking with Shortcode and Admin Column

/*

Description: 

Enhance your WordPress site with a post view tracking system. This snippet uses a one-hour cookie to avoid inflating counts, offers a get_post_views() function for developers, a [post_views] shortcode for users, and adds a sortable "Views" column to your post list in the admin.

Key elements covered in these descriptions:

Core Functionality: Tracking post views. metakey "post_views_counting"

Prevention of Duplicate Counts: Creates a cookie for 1 hour to avoid multiple counting from current user.

Display Options: Shortcode [post_views] for front-end, column in admin.

Ease of Use: Simple implementation.

Benefits: Understanding content popularity, tracking engagement.

Want to show trending posts ticker? 

You can get the snippet "WordPress Trending Posts | Popular Posts Ticker Shortcode" from Snippets Library.

*/

// Function to track post views

function track_post_views($post_id) {

    if (!is_single() || (is_user_logged_in() && current_user_can('manage_options'))) { //bypass admin view count

    return;

    }

    $key = 'post_views_counting';

    $current_views = get_post_meta($post_id, $key, true);

    $current_views = $current_views ? $current_views : 0;

    // Prevent multiple views in a short period

    $cookie_name = 'post_viewed_' . $post_id;

    if (!isset($_COOKIE[$cookie_name])) {

        setcookie($cookie_name, 'true', time() + 3600, '/'); // Expires in 1 hour

        update_post_meta($post_id, $key, $current_views + 1);

    }

}

// Hook into WordPress template

function track_views_on_single_post() {

    if (is_single()) {

        global $post;

        track_post_views($post->ID);

    }

}

add_action('wp', 'track_views_on_single_post');

// Function to display view count

function get_post_views($post_id) {

    $key = 'post_views_counting';

    $views = get_post_meta($post_id, $key, true);

    return $views ? $views : 0;

}

// Shortcode to display post views

function post_views_shortcode($atts) {

    global $post;

    return get_post_views($post->ID);

}

add_shortcode('post_views', 'post_views_shortcode');

// Add post views column to admin

function add_views_column($columns) {

    $columns['post_views'] = 'Views';

    return $columns;

}

add_filter('manage_posts_columns', 'add_views_column');

function display_views_column($column_name, $post_id) {

    if ($column_name === 'post_views') {

        echo get_post_views($post_id);

    }

}

add_action('manage_posts_custom_column', 'display_views_column', 10, 2);