GoatCounter Setup for View Counts

Step 1: Enable Public Counter API

To display view counts on your GitHub Pages site, you need to enable the public counter API in GoatCounter:

1. Go to your GoatCounter dashboard: https://zguo0525.goatcounter.com
2. Click Settings (top menu)
3. Scroll down to “Allow adding visitor counts on your website”
4. Enable this option
5. Save settings

This allows the public API to return view counts for your pages.

Step 2: Verify It Works

After enabling the setting:

1. Visit one of your articles on GitHub Pages
2. The view count should appear automatically
3. Refresh the page - the count should update

How It Works

• GoatCounter tracks all page views automatically
• The JavaScript fetches view counts from: https://zguo0525.goatcounter.com/counter/PATH.json
• View counts are displayed on article pages
• No manual updates needed - fully automatic!

Troubleshooting

If you see “0 views” or “…” forever:

1. Make sure you enabled “Allow adding visitor counts” in GoatCounter settings
2. Check browser console for errors (F12 → Console)
3. Verify GoatCounter is receiving data (check your dashboard)
4. Wait a few minutes after enabling the setting for it to take effect

If the API returns 404:

• Make sure the article path matches exactly (e.g., /articles/the-openclaw-playbook.html)
• The path must match what GoatCounter sees in your dashboard

Alternative: Manual Sync

If the API doesn’t work, you can manually sync view counts:

1. Check view counts in your GoatCounter dashboard
2. Update data/article-views.json with the counts
3. Push to GitHub

But with the API enabled, this should work automatically!