{"id":15383,"date":"2026-01-31T06:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T06:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/?p=15383"},"modified":"2026-02-06T14:04:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T14:04:48","slug":"display-popular-posts-day-week-month-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Display Popular Posts by Day, Week, Month &amp; All Time in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Showing your most popular posts \u2014 filtered by day, week, month, or all time \u2014 is one of the smartest ways to keep visitors engaged longer, reduce bounce rates, and guide new readers to your best-performing content. with user behavior signals playing a bigger role in Google rankings, displaying trending or evergreen popular content helps improve time-on-site, internal linking, and overall site authority. At Cope Business, we frequently add dynamic \u201cpopular posts\u201d sections for clients during our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/technical-seo-services\/technical-seo-audit-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">technical SEO audit services<\/a> to boost engagement and help high-value articles stay visible.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">On this page<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Why_Display_Popular_Posts_by_Time_Period\" >Why Display Popular Posts by Time Period?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Method_1_Using_a_Plugin_Easiest_Most_Flexible\" >Method 1: Using a Plugin (Easiest &amp; Most Flexible)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Method_2_Using_Custom_Code_with_WP_Query_Lightweight_%E2%80%93_No_Plugin\" >Method 2: Using Custom Code with WP_Query (Lightweight \u2013 No Plugin)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Method_3_Using_Widgets_or_Shortcodes_with_Plugins_Visual_Fast\" >Method 3: Using Widgets or Shortcodes with Plugins (Visual &amp; Fast)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Best_Practices_for_Popular_Posts_Sections\" >Best Practices for Popular Posts Sections<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/de\/wordpress\/anzeige-popular-posts-tag-wochen-monat-wortsdruck\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This beginner-friendly guide shows you three easy and effective ways to display popular posts by different time periods in WordPress \u2014 using plugins (easiest) and lightweight code (no extra plugin).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Display_Popular_Posts_by_Time_Period\"><\/span>Why Display Popular Posts by Time Period?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keeps Content Fresh<\/strong> \u2014 Highlights trending articles (day\/week) and timeless ones (all time)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improves User Experience<\/strong> \u2014 Readers discover what others found valuable<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increases Pageviews<\/strong> \u2014 More internal clicks \u2192 longer sessions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SEO Boost<\/strong> \u2014 Higher engagement signals + better internal linking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Proof<\/strong> \u2014 \u201cMost popular this week\u201d creates curiosity and trust<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perfect for blogs, news sites, tutorials, or any content-heavy website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_1_Using_a_Plugin_Easiest_Most_Flexible\"><\/span>Method 1: Using a Plugin (Easiest &amp; Most Flexible)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plugins give you beautiful layouts, thumbnails, time-based filtering, and zero coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recommended Plugin: WordPress Popular Posts (Free &amp; Pro)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the most popular and reliable plugin for time-based popular posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-by-Step Setup<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Install and activate <strong>WordPress Popular Posts<\/strong> from <strong>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to <strong>Settings &gt; WordPress Popular Posts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>Tools<\/strong> tab \u2192 Generate new popular posts data (initial setup).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>Widget<\/strong> tab \u2192 Add a new widget to sidebar\/footer:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Title: \u201cTrending This Week\u201d, \u201cPopular This Month\u201d, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time Range: Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 30 days, All time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Post Type: Posts (or pages\/custom types)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Number of posts: 5\u201310<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sort by: Views<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Show: Thumbnail, excerpt, author, date, views count<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Style: Choose layout (list, grid), thumbnail size, custom CSS if needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save \u2192 Drag the widget to your desired sidebar or footer area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Optional: Use shortcode <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;wpp range=\"weekly\" posts_per_page=\"5\" thumbnail_width=\"150\"]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> anywhere (posts, pages, custom areas).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pro Version (~$39\/year)<\/strong>: Adds custom post types, advanced filters, trending topics widget, REST API.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pros<\/strong>: Very accurate, multiple time ranges, thumbnails, views counter, shortcode + widget support.<br><strong>Cons<\/strong>: Free version has basic styling (customize with CSS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Alternative Plugin<\/strong>: <strong>Top 10 \u2013 Popular Posts<\/strong> (free) \u2014 also supports time ranges and shortcodes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_2_Using_Custom_Code_with_WP_Query_Lightweight_%E2%80%93_No_Plugin\"><\/span>Method 2: Using Custom Code with WP_Query (Lightweight \u2013 No Plugin)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For full control without adding extra plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Install <strong>WPCode<\/strong> (free) from <strong>Plugins &gt; Add New<\/strong> \u2014 safest way to add code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to <strong>Code Snippets &gt; Add Snippet<\/strong> \u2192 Create new snippet titled \u201cRecently Popular Posts by Time\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paste one of these shortcodes (choose time range):<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Weekly Popular Posts (last 7 days)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PHP<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>function cope_weekly_popular_posts_shortcode($atts) {\n    $atts = shortcode_atts(array('number' =&gt; 5), $atts);\n\n    $args = array(\n        'post_type'      =&gt; 'post',\n        'posts_per_page' =&gt; $atts&#91;'number'],\n        'meta_key'       =&gt; 'views',\n        'orderby'        =&gt; 'meta_value_num',\n        'order'          =&gt; 'DESC',\n        'date_query'     =&gt; array(\n            array(\n                'after'     =&gt; '7 days ago',\n                'inclusive' =&gt; true,\n            ),\n        ),\n    );\n\n    $query = new WP_Query($args);\n\n    if (!$query-&gt;have_posts()) return '&lt;p&gt;No popular posts this week.&lt;\/p&gt;';\n\n    $output = '&lt;ul class=\"weekly-popular-posts\"&gt;';\n    while ($query-&gt;have_posts()) {\n        $query-&gt;the_post();\n        $output .= '&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href=\"' . get_permalink() . '\"&gt;' . get_the_title() . '&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;';\n    }\n    $output .= '&lt;\/ul&gt;';\n    wp_reset_postdata();\n\n    return $output;\n}\nadd_shortcode('weekly_popular', 'cope_weekly_popular_posts_shortcode');<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use shortcode: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;weekly_popular number=\"6\"]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For <strong>monthly<\/strong> change &#8218;7 days ago&#8216; \u2192 &#8217;30 days ago&#8216;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For <strong>all time<\/strong> remove the date_query part entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pros<\/strong>: Zero extra plugins, fully customizable.<br><strong>Cons<\/strong>: Needs a views counter plugin (e.g., Post Views Counter \u2013 free) to track views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_3_Using_Widgets_or_Shortcodes_with_Plugins_Visual_Fast\"><\/span>Method 3: Using Widgets or Shortcodes with Plugins (Visual &amp; Fast)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recent Posts Widget Extended<\/strong> (free): Set \u201corderby=modified\u201d or use views if you have a counter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Display Posts<\/strong> shortcode: <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;display-posts orderby=\"modified\" order=\"DESC\" posts_per_page=\"5\"]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_Practices_for_Popular_Posts_Sections\"><\/span>Best Practices for Popular Posts Sections<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Limit Number<\/strong> \u2014 5\u20138 posts to avoid clutter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Show Thumbnails<\/strong> \u2014 Increases click-through rate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Add Date\/Views<\/strong> \u2014 Builds trust (\u201cUpdated 2 days ago\u201d, \u201c1.2K views\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mobile-Friendly<\/strong> \u2014 Ensure responsive layout<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Performance<\/strong> \u2014 Use caching; lazy-load thumbnails<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SEO<\/strong> \u2014 Use descriptive headings; add internal links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Highlighting popular content keeps your site feeling active and valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Displaying recently updated or most popular posts in WordPress is a simple yet powerful way to showcase fresh content, improve engagement, and signal to Google that your site is actively maintained. Use WordPress Popular Posts for beautiful, time-filtered lists \u2014 or lightweight shortcodes if you want no extra plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Freshness still matters \u2014 use it to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Need help adding dynamic content sections, optimizing your blog for SEO, or improving overall site performance? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.copebusiness.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Contact Cope Business<\/a> for a free technical SEO consultation \u2014 we\u2019ll review your site and implement tailored improvements to keep your content visible and valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Showing your most popular posts &mdash; filtered by day, week, month, or all time &mdash; is one of the smartest 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