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Click Counter by Simple Tools

Description

Click Counter by Simple Tools for WP is a comprehensive click tracking solution that lets you monitor user interactions on any element of your WordPress site using CSS selectors. Track button clicks, link clicks, form submissions, or any other clickable element with detailed analytics and insights.

Key Features

Visual Element Picker
* Click-to-select any element on your site
* Automatically generates the CSS selector
* No coding knowledge required

Advanced Analytics
* View click counts with timestamps
* Track page URLs where clicks occurred
* Filter data by date range
* Visual charts showing click trends over time
* Detailed click logs with full information

Goal Tracking
* Set click goals for any tracked element
* Receive email notifications when goals are reached
* Track progress with visual progress bars
* Perfect for conversion tracking

Data Management
* Export click data to CSV
* Automatic data retention policies
* Rate limiting to prevent spam
* Bot detection and filtering

Smart Exclusions
* Exclude all logged-in users
* Exclude specific user roles (Admin, Editor, etc.)
* Self-ignore mode with cookie-based tracking
* IP-based rate limiting

Developer Friendly
* Shortcode support: [click_count selector=".buy-button"]
* Clean, efficient code following WordPress standards
* Custom database tables for optimal performance
* Translation ready

How It Works

  1. Add a Tracker: Use the visual picker or enter a CSS selector (like .buy-button or #signup-form)
  2. Set Goals (Optional): Define click targets and email notifications
  3. Track Clicks: The plugin automatically tracks all clicks on matching elements
  4. Analyze Data: View charts, logs, and export reports
  5. Take Action: Use insights to optimize your site’s performance

Perfect For

  • E-commerce: Track add-to-cart, checkout, and purchase buttons
  • Lead Generation: Monitor form submissions and signup clicks
  • Content Marketing: Measure engagement with CTAs and links
  • A/B Testing: Compare performance of different elements
  • Conversion Optimization: Identify high-performing buttons and links

Privacy & Performance

  • No external dependencies or API calls for tracking
  • Hashed IP addresses (never stores actual IPs)
  • Bot detection prevents false clicks
  • Lightweight JavaScript using native browser APIs
  • Works with all caching plugins

External Services

This plugin makes limited connections to external services under specific circumstances:

1. Deactivation Feedback (Optional)
When: Only when you deactivate the plugin and choose to submit feedback
What’s sent: Plugin slug, site URL, reason for deactivation (selected from predefined options), optional user comments, WordPress version, PHP version, and plugin version
Where: https://plugins-for-wp.com/wp-json/ssp-feedback/v1/submit
Why: To help us improve the plugin based on user feedback
User control: Completely optional – you can click “Cancel” or simply close the feedback dialog without submitting anything

2. Sweepstakes Tab
– The “Sweepstakes” tab contains links to plugins-for-wp.com
– No automatic connections are made
– Links only open when you click them
– No data is transmitted automatically

External Service Policies:
– Terms of Service: https://www.plugins-for-wp.com/terms-and-conditions/
– Privacy Policy: https://www.plugins-for-wp.com/privacy-policy/

Privacy

What This Plugin Does NOT Do:
– Does not store actual IP addresses (only hashed)
– Does not use cookies for tracking (only for self-ignore feature)
– Does not transmit data to third parties (except optional deactivation feedback)
– Does not track across sites
– Does not collect personal information

What Data Is Stored Locally:
– Click counts per CSS selector
– Timestamp of each click
– Page URL where click occurred (optional, can be disabled)
– Hashed IP address (for rate limiting only)
– User agent string (for bot detection)
– User ID (only if user is logged in)

All data is stored in your WordPress database and never leaves your server except for the optional deactivation feedback.

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/click-counter/
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
  3. Go to Click Counter in the WordPress admin menu
  4. Add your first click tracker using the visual picker or CSS selector
  5. Start tracking clicks!

Quick Start Guide

  1. Navigate to Click Counter Click Counter
  2. Click Add Click Tracker
  3. Use the element picker or enter a CSS selector
  4. Give it a friendly name (optional)
  5. Set a goal and notification email (optional)
  6. Click Save
  7. Your clicks are now being tracked!

FAQ

Do I need to know CSS selectors?

No! The plugin includes a visual element picker. Just click the picker button, click any element on your site, and the selector is automatically generated.

Will this slow down my site?

No. The tracking script is tiny (less than 1KB) and uses efficient event delegation. It only loads when you have active trackers and uses the browser’s native sendBeacon API for non-blocking requests.

Can I track the same element on multiple pages?

Yes! The plugin tracks all instances of a selector across your entire site. You can also see which specific pages received clicks in the analytics tab.

Does it work with caching plugins?

Yes! The tracking JavaScript works with all caching plugins including WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache.

Can I exclude my own clicks?

Yes! Use the “Self Ignore” tab to exclude your clicks via a browser cookie. You can also exclude all logged-in users or specific user roles in Settings.

How long is click data stored?

By default, data is kept for 90 days. You can adjust this in Settings or set it to keep data forever.

Can I export my data?

Yes! Use the CSV export feature in the Analytics tab to download your click data. You can filter by date range and specific trackers.

Does it track personal information?

No. IP addresses are hashed (not stored), user IDs are optional, and no personal data is collected. The plugin is GDPR-friendly.

What happens when a goal is reached?

You’ll receive an email notification at the address you specified. The notification includes the tracker name, goal count, and current click count.

Can I reset click counts?

Yes! You can reset individual trackers or all trackers at once from the Click Counter tab.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“Click Counter by Simple Tools” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.0.2

  • Changed: Updated all links to plugins-for-wp.com
  • Changed: Replaced “Our Plugins” tab with “Sweepstakes” tab
  • Changed: Updated branding from Stupid Simple Plugins to Simple Tools for WP

1.0.1

  • Fixed: Database charset collation handling for better compatibility across different MySQL configurations
  • Fixed: PHPCS compliance issues for WordPress.org submission
  • Improved: Security with enhanced nonce verification
  • Improved: Code structure following WordPress coding standards
  • Added: Comprehensive database migration from legacy option-based storage to custom tables
  • Added: Enhanced bot detection with expanded user agent patterns
  • Added: IP-based rate limiting to prevent spam clicks
  • Added: User role exclusion capabilities
  • Added: Automatic data retention management
  • Added: Visual element picker for easy CSS selector generation
  • Added: Goal tracking with email notifications
  • Added: Advanced analytics dashboard with charts
  • Added: Click logs with detailed information
  • Added: CSV export functionality
  • Added: Self-ignore feature with cookie-based exclusion
  • Added: Shortcode support for displaying click counts
  • Updated: Database schema to use custom tables instead of options
  • Updated: Admin interface with modern, user-friendly design
  • Updated: Frontend tracking script for better performance

1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • Basic click tracking by CSS selector with AJAX
  • Admin table with add/edit/delete and sortable rows
  • Per-row and global count reset functionality
  • Text-only showcase tab with external links
  • Translation ready
  • GPL-2.0-or-later license