How to get post view count in WordPress?

In WordPress, the term “post view count” refers to the number of times a specific post or page has been viewed by visitors on your website. It is a metric used to measure the popularity or engagement of a particular piece of content.

Post view count is typically tracked and displayed using plugins or tracking tools specifically designed for WordPress. These plugins integrate with your website and keep a record of the number of times a post or page has been accessed.

To get the post view count in WordPress, you can use a combination of WordPress functions and plugins. Here are two methods you can try:

Method 1: Using a Plugin (such as “Post Views Counter”):

1. Install and activate the “Post Views Counter” plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
2. Once activated, the plugin will automatically start tracking the view count for your posts.
3. To display the view count on your posts, you can use a shortcode provided by the plugin. Edit your post or page and add the shortcode [post-views] to the desired location. This will display the view count when the post is viewed.

Method 2: Manual Implementation:

1. Open your theme’s functions.php file for editing. You can find this file in your WordPress theme’s directory.
2. Add the following one of functions code below to the functions.php file:

function get_post_view_count($post_id) {
    $count_key = 'post_views_count';
    $count = get_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, true);
    if ($count == '') {
        delete_post_meta($post_id, $count_key);
        add_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, '0');
        return "0";
    }
    return $count;
}

function set_post_view_count($post_id) {
    $count_key = 'post_views_count';
    $count = get_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, true);
    if ($count == '') {
        $count = 0;
        delete_post_meta($post_id, $count_key);
        add_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, '0');
    } else {
        $count++;
        update_post_meta($post_id, $count_key, $count);
    }
}

// Add the following code where you want to display the view count, e.g., single.php, content.php, etc.
$post_id = get_the_ID();
set_post_view_count($post_id);
$view_count = get_post_view_count($post_id);
echo 'Post Views: ' . $view_count;

3. Save the functions.php file and upload it back to your server.
4. The code will update the view count whenever a post is viewed, and you can display the view count using the provided echo statement.

Note: If you’re not comfortable editing theme files directly, you can use a child theme or a custom plugin to add the code instead.

Remember to backup your theme files or create a child theme before making any changes to avoid losing your modifications in case of future theme updates.