Understanding link click counters

Documentation Using Discourse
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:bookmark: This is a guide about Link Click Counters in Discourse, explaining what they are, how they work, and their behaviors.

:person_raising_hand: Required user level: All users

What are link click counters?

Link Click Counters are numbered indicators next to all links shared through Discourse. They are enabled for all http and https links on a site and apply to both internal and external links. They track and display the number of times a link is clicked. This allows users to see the popularity or engagement level of shared links.

:mega: Try clicking this link to see the counter in action: Click this link!

How link click counters work

Here are some important points about the functionality and behavior of Discourse Link Click Counters:

  • Intelligent tracking: The click counter tracks clicks from other users but ignores clicks from the user who posted the link. Each user’s click is only counted once.
  • Anonymous user IP tracking: If an anonymous user clicks a link, it is counted but only once per IP address. Repeated clicks from the same IP won’t increase the counter.
  • Client-side updates: The counter increases on the client side when a link is clicked and updates when the page is refreshed.
  • Left-click only: The counter only increases with a left-click. Middle-click, control-click, or right-click actions that open links in new tabs do not increase the counter.

Last edited by @hugh 2024-06-17T09:58:24Z

Last checked by @hugh 2024-06-17T09:58:29Z

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Can the counter be disabled? We’re running a small, internal Discourse, and users mistake it for some kind of footnote or important detail. Click count is rarely an important piece of information for us, and we’d like to just hide the counter.

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You can hide them with css

Make CSS changes on Your Site

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