# webpage counters **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037 "2005-02-20T18:13:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/1 "2005-02-20T18:13:39Z")
how does one go about setting up a counter on a website? (one based on the actual site and not from a “free counter provider”) I’m trying to set up a site for my dads small buisness and hes vehement on knowing how much traffic he’s getting… ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/2 "2005-02-20T18:16:34Z")
You don’t need a web page counter. Just read your site statistics. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/3 "2005-02-20T18:27:15Z")
he’s wanting a counter. i’m just the wheel man so to speak ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/4 "2005-02-20T18:44:17Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > he’s wanting a counter. i’m just the wheel man so to speak If you want an “accurate” web page counter you will need to use an internal script, written in Perl, PHP or other language. Such counters rely on the server logs for an accurate count. Hence, my initial comment to just view your web statistics, i.e., server logs. Java and JavaScipt counters are inaccurate. However, many people use them because they are easy to set up and maintain, even if they are mere eye candy. Go here to find some Perl counters -----\> [Perl Archive: Counters](http://perlarchive.com/Counters/index.shtml) There are others available but the above is a link I have at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/5 "2005-02-20T18:45:34Z")
A webpage hit counter is for the visitors, not the site admin. The site statistics give a lot more useful information than a simple counter, which tells you nothing beyond how many times the index page was loaded. But, if he insists on a page counter, there are lots of free javascript or ASP counters you can copy-and-paste into the page code, like [these](http://www.cryer.co.uk/resources/websitecounters.htm). Some of them have more features than merely counting hits but few, if any, of them provide the functionality of the site statistics log. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/6 "2005-02-20T19:06:30Z")
By the way… where is the website hosted? Do you have access to set up server-side scripts or CGI of any sort?? If you or someone else are directly administering it… what’s the server operating system and web server software?? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/webpage-counters/291037/7 "2005-02-20T19:40:41Z")
i’m tryin to get hitched soon and was just told by somebody that before i get married i will be legally required to take marriage counseling prior to the wedding in tennessee? anyone got a cite for this? sounds like someones blowin smoke up my ass so to speak.