TopPosts for Google Analytics

Do I need to be a developer to use GA Top Posts?

Absolutely not! You don’t need to write any fancy queries or even a single line of code to use this plugin. Once you connect and give access to your Google Analytics property, your top content will be retrieved automatically. You can then filter the results according to your needs and feature the content using predefined layout through Gutenberg blocks and widgets.

Is there a separate plugin for the Premium version?

Please note we have two separate plugins:
one for the free version available on wordpress.org
one for the premium version that you can download from our dashboard

How do I upgrade to the premium version?

Visit your dashboard, press on the “Upgrade to Premium” button and follow the wizard to complete the payment. The upgraded site will be moved to the Premium Sites section of your dashboard where you will see a link to download the premium version and a new premium API key. You will not need to reconnect and authorize your Google Analytics property. Install and activate the premium version and copy paste the premium API Key to the configuration tab of the plugin. Please deactivate the free version to avoid any conflict.

I upgraded my plan, how do I download and set up the Premium plugin?

After upgrading your site to the premium version or adding a premium site, it will appear in the premium list on your dashboard page. You will be provided with a new API key specifically for premium sites. Additionally, a banner will be displayed with a button to download the premium version of the plugin.
To install the premium plugin:
1. Click the download button in the dashboard to obtain the plugin file.
2. In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New.
3. Upload and install the downloaded plugin file. Please make sure to deactivate the free version to avoid any conflict.
4. Once activated, navigate to the configuration page.
5. Copy the Premium Key from the dashboard by pressing “Show API Key” and then “copy key”. Paste the premium API key in the designated field.
6. Enjoy the premium features!

Can I customize the appearance of the GA Top Posts Widget?

Sure. In the widget UI, you can specify the number of top posts to display and whether to include separator lines. Additionally, you can update the display settings for name, excerpt, tag, category, image, and control the card styles.

I have installed the plugin and connected my Google Analytics property. What happens next?

Upon your first access of the Top Posts Manager tab, a default “Top Posts” filter is automatically created to retrieve data from Google Analytics. You can customize this filter according to your needs.

Can I display only posts or only pages through GA Top Posts?

Yes, you can select either posts or pages separately when editing a filter, rather than having one combined option for both.

Is GA Top Posts compatible with Elementor?

Absolutely. We’ve added an Elementor widget that allows you to display a filter in a section on your page. It includes similar customization options as those available on the widget page. If you don’t see the widget, please make sure to update to the latest version of GA Top Posts.

I am using the shortcode to display my top posts. Can I still limit the number of posts to display?

Yes. When you copy a filter’s shortcode, the limit set for that filter is included as a parameter in the shortcode. You can modify this limit if needed for display purposes.

How can I manage the display of categories and tags in the plugin?

On the configuration tab, under “display options per content type”, you can select the content type you are targeting and enable or disable the display of categories and tags.

How often is the data refreshed from Google Analytics?

You have the option of refreshing the Google Analytics data every 1 hour, 2 hours, or 6 hours. This can be adjusted from the plugin’s configuration page.

How can I exclude a post from being displayed in the list of my top posts?

You can easily exclude any post from being displayed by hovering over it and clicking the “Exclude” button. To include the post again, simply hover over it and click the button once more.

Is there a way to pin a post to the top of the displayed posts?

Yes, you can pin a post to the top by hovering over it and clicking the “Pin” button. Similarly, you can unpin it by hovering and clicking the “Unpin” button.

Which metric from Google Analytics does this plugin use for ranking?

The plugin tracks page views using the screenPageViews metric which is defined by Google as “The number of app screens or web pages your users viewed. Repeated views of a single page or screen are counted. (screen_view + page_view events).” This may not necessarily match up to a page view number you see in Google Analytics dashboard.

Can I have multiple widgets and filters on my site?

Yes. In the Premium version, you can create multiple filters with different criteria such as date range, scope (content type), language (if your site is multilingual using the WPML Plugin), and the number of items to display. You can also add multiple widgets using these filters.
In the Free version, you can only set one filter, but you can still display it in multiple widgets.

Can I place different widgets on different pages and locations of my site?

Yes. You can place widgets in different areas of your site with different options. You can:

• Add a WordPress widget and select the filter you want to display.
• Use the Gutenberg block and choose a filter to show the top posts within post pages.
• Copy the filter shortcode and place it anywhere in your theme or page.

Can I control what kind of content goes into each widget and filter?

Yes. Each filter allows you to choose which posts to display. You can select from different post types (e.g., posts, pages, or any custom post type registered on your site) and taxonomies (categories, tags, or any custom taxonomies registered on your site).

Can I filter down to a specific post type within a certain category or tag?

Not yet. This feature is on our backlog and may be added in a future release.

I have tried the free version. Can I get a trial of the premium version before I commit?

Yes. Reach out to us and we’ll provide you with a 7-day trial code for the Premium version.

Hide FAQ

1.4.2

Release date: 2026-02-19

• New Features

  • Flexible Image Layouts: You can now position images to the left, right, or as a full-width “Cover” image above your content for a bolder visual impact.
  • Enhanced Badge Styling: Added the ability to display numbered badges directly on images. Includes custom background colors and support for Right-to-Left (RTL) language positioning.
  • Title Icons: New option to display decorative icons next to post titles to grab reader attention.
  • Smart Tag Display: Added automatic “overflow” detection for posts with many tags. Hidden tags are now accessible via a tooltip to keep your layout clean.

• Improvements

  • Performance Boost: Implemented advanced caching for large cover images to ensure faster page load times.
  • WordPress 6.9 Ready: Fully tested and confirmed compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
  • Accessibility: Updated color contrasts to meet WCAG standards, making your content more accessible to all visitors.
  • Editor Experience: Modernized the block architecture for a smoother editing experience in the backend.

• Fixes

  • Stability: Improved compatibility with older and newer PHP versions (7.2.5+).
  • Infinite Scroll: Fixed an issue where infinite scroll would occasionally stall or lag.
  • User Interface: Added clearer notifications if copying text to the clipboard fails.

1.4.1

Release date: 2025-08-29

• New Features

  • Dark mode support has been added for the widget and page UI, allowing users to switch between light and dark themes.
  • A “Configure” link has been added to the plugin options page for easier access to settings.
  • The “Change API” button is now hidden after a successful API key verification to prevent accidental changes.

• Improvements

  • We’ve improved the customization options for search result cards, allowing you to select the number of description lines.
  • Thumbnail images are now used instead of full-sized images to improve page load speed on the top posts page and widget.
  • To simplify the display settings, we’ve removed the Fetch Limit. The Display Limit is now set by default to 5, with a range of 1 to 30. The fetch limit will now be automatically set based on the display limit.
  • You can now choose to hide the date per post type, giving you more control over the display.

• Fixes

  • We’ve corrected issues with Arabic post alignment when WPML plugin is not active.
  • Mixed results no longer occur for posts that have the same slug but are in different languages.
  • Fixed issue that caused a wrong API update-settings call when a user tried to verify an incorrect API key.
  • We have also resolved a bug where no empty state was shown when there were no posts to display.

1.4.0

Release date: 2025-04-23

• New Features

  • Enroll, manage and upgrade your site directly from your GA Top Posts plugin.
  • Get instant support without leaving wordpress

• Improvements

  • Minor UI/UX improvements:
    • Reorganized the Configuration screen
    • Added a cog icon to the Top Posts Manager for quick access to Display Options.

• Fixes

  • Customizable cards now display as per configured line numbers on the frontend.

1.3.3

Release date: 2025-03-25

• Bug Fixes
  • Fixing Elementor widget

1.3.1

Release date: 2025-03-14

• Improvements
  • UI improvement for Display Options dialog in Search Results card
  • Enhance excerpt display control on the Customizable Card
  • Remove API Key masking when user pastes it
  • Ingest API Key in plugin to trigger verification on Top Posts plugin
• Bug Fixes
  • Resolve data type not showing on Posts Manager page
  • Optimize filter results rendering for compatibility with GTranslate plugin
  • Fix excerpt not displayed for Pages in Top Posts results
  • Correct pinning post functionality

1.3.0

Release date: 2025-01-20

• New Features
  • Enhance Widget UI with additional display options.
  • Automatically create and display “Top Posts” filter on first access to the plugin page.
  • Separate selection capability for posts and pages in WordPress plugin.
  • Setup an Elementor widget for Top Posts filters.
• Improvements
  • Include filter limit in shortcode parameters for copy action.
  • Enable hide/show functionality for category & tag in display options.
  • Modify frequency options and remove the “Default” label from settings.
  • Include plugin version in request headers.
  • Increased options for selecting frequency of data refresh from Google Analytics
• Bug Fixes
  • Resolve issue where plugin reset does not clear data and save functionality fails.

1.2.6

• Release date: 2025-01-13
• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed a bug causing errors when saving filters if the homepage URL is among the top data.

1.2.5

• Release date: 2025-01-12
• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed a bug causing errors when saving filters.

1.2.4

• Release date: 2025-01-10
• Improvements:
  • Add custom start and end date input fields for the date range picker.
  • Change notifications UI for enhanced user experience.
  • Improve the functionality of the refresh button for better efficiency.
• Bug Fixes:
  • Resolved an issue where selecting the same language displayed an incorrect reset button.
  • Fixed a problem where excluded content settings reset after updating the Top Posts plugin.
  • Addressed a UI error occurring when a filter page is deleted.
• New Features:
  • Optimize API calls by implementing the nextGASync header check.

1.2.3

Release date: 2024-12-09

• Strip HTML Entities from Descriptions, tags and Titles
• Fix label name for post name in display options modal
• Show Custom Date Range option in Date Range popover
• Enable Free Version Users to Select and Change Post Type Display Options Without Locking
• Disable Future Dates in Date Range Picker Popover
• Fix Popover is not closing after clicking outside
• Start sending supported_languages with the updateFilter API call
• Handle the different cases of sending the language field with updateFilter API

1.2.2

Release date: 2024-12-04

Fixed toggle filter disabling issue for non-existent pages.
Improved reset button functionality.
Cleaned up unnecessary placeholder in the rich text editor.
Corrected language tag redirection in Top Posts Widget.
Resolved empty state display when adding new filters.
Set default values for Scope and Language in filters.
Optimized language parameter handling without WPML.
Adjusted visibility of reset button for default filters.

1.2.1

Release date: 2024-11-29

Enhancements:
Made titles in the Top Posts Widget clickable.
Enhanced Free Plugin Version to support post type selection.
Merged posts and pages into a unified scope selection.
Added page privacy toggle to the Top Posts Plugin.
Disabled link title feature for private pages, ensuring accurate page status reflections.
Enhanced UI with tooltips and addressed filter page layout inconsistencies.
Bug Fixes:
Optimized the application by eliminating redundant API calls.
Rectified issues with popovers and inaccurate UI filter limit displays.
Ensured top posts shortcode displays post types by default.

1.1.5

Release date: 2024-10-22

Resolved an alignment issue in the widget editor page when viewed in RTL Language.
Enhanced the Fancy Card to display the entire title if an image is not available.
Fixed an issue where post types were not being displayed on the frontend page.
Updated the filter manager page to reflect changes made in the Top Posts block for better accuracy and usability.

1.1.4

Release date: 2024-10-14

Implemented wp_enqueue functions for JavaScript and CSS to ensure proper inclusion and management of scripts and styles.
Added a unique prefix to all functions and classes to prevent potential conflicts with other plugins or themes.
Enhanced security by adding protection against direct file access for all PHP files.
Renamed the main plugin file to maintain consistency with WordPress file-naming conventions.

1.1.3

Release date: 2024-10-11

Filter Management: Introduced a Filter Info Component to manage filter slug, title, and subtitle efficiently.
UI and UX Enhancements: Updated the UI for the Top Posts Manager page, and introduced a rich text editor for filter descriptions.
Performance Boost: Improved performance on both the frontend and manager pages by implementing cached results and optimizing API calls.

1.1.2

Release date: 2024-09-12

Add a skeleton loader for TopPosts block while loading content.
Add subtitle for API Key section in configuration page.
Enhancements and bug fixes

1.0.0

Release date: 2024-05-05

Initial release of TopPosts for Google Analytics Plugin.
Integration with Google Analytics Reporting API.
Widget and shortcode support.
Basic filter and refresh functionality.