Dashboard Widgets

Key Concepts

Dashboard Widget Containers — The plugin creates widget containers on the WordPress dashboard. Lite provides a single container (pvc_dashboard) with two core items. Pro adds a second container (pvc_dashboard_traffic) titled "Traffic Information" for visitor analytics.

Widget Items — Each widget item displays specific data visualizations:

Permission Gating — Dashboard widget visibility is controlled by the pvc_user_can_see_stats filter, ensuring only users with appropriate permissions can view tracking data.

User Preferences — Each user’s dashboard widget configuration (collapsed/expanded state, position) is saved in their user meta with the key pvc_dashboard, allowing personalized dashboard layouts per administrator.

Configuration

Dashboard widgets automatically reflect the data collected by your tracking configuration. To influence what appears in the widgets:

Tracking Targets

Configure which content types the plugin tracks at Post Views > Counting > Tracking Targets:

• post_types_count — Select post types to include in tracking. Views for tracked post types appear in the Post Views chart and Top Posts list. Default: ["post"].

• taxonomies_count — Enable taxonomy term tracking. When enabled, the Term Views widget displays view counts for category, tag, and custom taxonomy archive pages. Default: True.
• users_count — Enable author archive tracking. When enabled, the Top Users widget shows which author pages receive the most views. Default: True.
• technology_count — Enable technology tracking. When enabled, Traffic Information widgets populate with browser, device, and operating system data. Default: True.

Visitor Exclusions

Settings at Post Views > Counting > Visitor Exclusions affect dashboard accuracy by filtering which visitors contribute to view counts:

• exclude_groups — Exclude crawlers, AI bots, logged-in users, guests, or specific roles from tracking. Default: [].
• exclude_roles — Fine-tune exclusions for specific user roles. Default: [].
• exclude_ips — Exclude specific IP addresses from tracking. Default: [].

Admin Interface

Settings at Post Views > Display > Admin Interface control admin-related display options:

• toolbar_statistics — When enabled, adds a statistics link to the WordPress toolbar for quick access to detailed reports. Default: True.
• post_views_column — Adds a Views column to post and page list screens in the admin area (separate from dashboard widgets). Default: True.

Troubleshooting

Widgets Not Appearing

If dashboard widgets do not appear:

1. Check user permissions — The pvc_user_can_see_stats filter controls widget visibility. Ensure your user role has the required capability.
2. Verify Screen Options — Click the Screen Options tab at the top of the dashboard and ensure the Post Views widget is checked.
3. Check for plugin conflicts — Some plugins modify the dashboard and may interfere with widget registration. Temporarily deactivate other plugins to identify conflicts.

Empty or Zero View Counts

If widgets show no data:

1. Verify tracking is enabled — Navigate to Post Views > Counting > Tracking Targets and ensure at least one post type is selected for tracking.
2. Check counter mode — The counter mode at Post Views > Counting > Tracking Behavior affects how views are recorded. PHP Mode, JavaScript Mode, REST API Mode, and Fast AJAX each have different requirements for proper tracking.
3. Review visitor exclusions — Settings at Post Views > Counting > Visitor Exclusions may be excluding all traffic. Check that exclude_groups and exclude_ips are not overly restrictive.
4. Allow time for data collection — If the plugin was recently installed, widgets require accumulated view data to display meaningful charts and lists.

Pro Widgets Not Showing

If Pro-specific widgets (Site Views, Term Views, Top Users, Popular Search, Traffic Information) do not appear:

1. Verify Pro is active — Ensure the Pro version is installed and properly licensed at Post Views > Other > Plugin Status.
2. Enable tracking targets — Pro widgets require their respective tracking targets to be enabled. For example, Term Views requires taxonomies_count enabled at Post Views > Counting > Tracking Targets.
3. Check technology tracking — Traffic Information widgets require technology_count to be enabled for browser, device, and operating system data.

Widgets Load Slowly

Dashboard widgets use AJAX to load data asynchronously. If widgets appear slow:

1. Database optimization — Large view counts databases can slow queries. Consider using data retention settings to prune old data.
2. Object caching — Enable object caching at Post Views > Counting > Performance & Caching to improve dashboard query performance. Default: False.
3. Server resources — Ensure your hosting environment has adequate resources for database queries, especially for sites with high traffic volumes.

Charts Not Rendering

If chart visualizations fail to render:

1. Check browser console — JavaScript errors may prevent chart rendering. Open browser developer tools and check for errors.
2. Verify script loading — Ensure admin scripts are loading correctly. Some security plugins or server configurations may block script execution.
3. Clear browser cache — Cached scripts or styles may cause conflicts. Clear your browser cache and reload the dashboard.