=== MC Visitor Tally ===

Contributors: Helen, Mike Hickcox
Donate link: https://mid-coast.com/mc-plugin-donations
Tags: Hit Counter,Traffic Counter,Visitor Counter,Visitor Stats,Traffic Stats
Requires at least: 4.7
Tested up to: 6.6.3
Stable tag: 2.8.3
Requires PHP: 7.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Displays unique daily visits. Web page tables. Dashboard widget with monthly comparisons.

== Description ==

Easy-to-use visitor counter designed for the website admin. With a clean look appropriate for a professional website. Features:

* Unique site visitor counts in these time frames: Today, Yesterday, Past 7 Days, Current Month, Current Year.
* Counts are shown in an admin dashboard widget which appears when the plugin is activated.
* The admin dashboard widget has an optional table of monthly totals for comparisons.
* The dashboard widget tells when the plugin was installed so you know when the counts on your website began.
* Use the front-end WIDGET (MC Visitor Tally) to place the tallies on website pages, sidebars, and/or footer.
* Use the SHORTCODE [mcvt-visitor-tally] to place the tallies in sidebars, pages, and other locations on the website.
* Use any of several styles of visitor tables on your website with the shortcode and widget.
* The year-to-date count on the shortcode and widget can be turned off if you don't want to show the YTD numbers at this time.
* Visitor data more than one year old are automatically deleted from the plugin's database table, removing unneeded records.
* Counts are real people, as most bots and crawlers will not be counted.

== Installation ==

* Download and Activate the plugin.
* The dashboard widget will automatically appear on your admin dashboard.
* The visitor counter will operate according to the timezone your website is set to, changing dates at midnight.
* Go to the settings page and set your preferences.

== Settings and Use ==

* SETTINGS LINK: Find "MC Visitor Tally" under "Settings" in the left menu. Also found under the plugin name in the list of installed plugins.
* MONTHLY COMPARISONS: Decide if you want month-to-month totals shown in the admin dashboard widget for comparisons. Also shows the total for the past 12 months.
* ONLINE TABLE STYLES: Choose a style for online tables. Experiment with this - themes and page builders display these tables very differently.
* YEAR-TO-DATE TOTALS: On the settings page, you can turn off the year-to-date counts on your website pages.
* WIDGET: Use the widget (MC Visitor Tally) to add the counter to sidebars or other widget-enabled areas of the website.
* SHORTCODE: Use the shortcode [mcvt-visitor-tally] to add the counter to any page, sidebar, or the footer.
* ON PLUGIN REMOVAL: On the settings page, you can decide not to delete the database table when removing the plugin - if you intend to re-install it later.


== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Where are the settings? =
The settings page is linked from the left vertical admin menu: "MC Visitor Tally" under "Settings." There is also a link under the plugin name on the installed plugins list.

= What settings are available to me? =
* Decide if you want month-to-month comparisons included in your admin dashboard widget.
* Select a style of tables if you use the shortcode or widget to add the visitor counts to your website pages.
* Turn off or on the year-to-date count that shows on your website pages.
* Decide to remove, or not remove, the database table and options on removal of the plugin.

= How do I use the SHORTCODE to put the counter on website pages? =
* Add the shortcode [mcvt-visitor-tally] where you want the counter to appear on pages, footer, or sidebar widgets.

= How do I use the WIDGET to add the counter to my website pages? =
* The widget (MC Visitor Tally) is with the other widgets in your admin area. Add it to any widget area.

= How do I set the plugin to work on the same timezone as my website? =
* It just will. The plugin will change dates at midnight in the timezone your site is set to work on in your website's General Settings.

= Will the records bloat my website's database? =
* No. This counter keeps records for the past year, and deletes all older records.


== Screenshots ==
1. This widget appears on your website's admin dashboard, showing current tallies and the date of installation of the plugin so you know when the counts started.
2. This is the optional table of month-to-month visitor tallies. Decide in the settings if you want this table included in your dashboard widget.
3. Samples of MC Visitor Tally as a shortcode or widget in various table choices.
4. This widget called "MC Visitor Tally" appears in the widget collection of the website.
5. Here's the widget dropped into a widget area. Simply add it to the area. Change the header name to whatever you wish.
6. This is the settings page. Here, you have several choices. You also see a confirmation of the timezone setting that determines when the day will change in the plugin.

== Changelog ==

2.8.3
* Updated the settings for online tables to make choices easier.

2.8.2
* Added a Total for the Past 12 Months to the bottom of the Month-to-Month Comparison table on the admin dashboard widget.

2.8.1
* NEW - added a month-to-month comparison of monthly visitor totals on the dashboard widget (removable in settings.)
* NEW - added a setting to determine the style of table to show on website pages (interpreted differently by various themes and builders.)
* Tested with WordPress 5.7

2.7.5
* Several small code refinements
* Text updates for clarity in readme.txt file and on the settings page
* Screenshots 1 and 2 replaced to reflect these changes

2.7.4
* Added a front-end widget for displaying visitor counts
* Added a settings link on the plugins page
* Code refinements in preparation for PHP 8

2.7.1
* Minor code changes. Compatible with PHP 7.4

2.7
* Incorporates code that keeps the majority of bots and crawlers from being counted as visitors. This includes bots from Google, Bing, Facebook, Yahoo, and Amazon. 

2.6
* On the settings page, you can decide to not delete the database table and selected options on plugin deletion if you plan to re-install the plugin.
* Information is added to the settings page: the website's current timezone settings and current time.
* Minor code updates.

2.4.8
* Settings page added, with the ability to turn-off the year-to-date row on the shortcode counter that appears on the website.

2.4.7
* Compatible with WordPress 5.5

2.4.6
* Further refinement in the plugin's online description and details.

2.4.3
* Initial release on WordPress.org


== Upgrade Notice ==

2.8.3
* Updated the settings for online tables to make choices easier.
