Analytics Spotlight - GA4 Popular Posts
Display your most popular posts using real Google Analytics 4 data. Skip the database overhead and resource-intensive tracking—leverage GA4's powerful insights directly in your WordPress site.
Why Choose Analytics Spotlight?
The smartest way to display popular posts in WordPress
Real GA4 Data
Get accurate page view data directly from Google Analytics 4, the same analytics platform you already trust for insights.
Zero Performance Impact
No database writes for tracking views. No heavy queries to retrieve popular posts. Keep your site lightning fast.
No Database Overhead
Traditional popular post plugins write to your database on every page view. We don't—saving resources and reducing load.
Automatic Updates
Popular posts data refreshes automatically from GA4. Always show fresh, relevant content to your visitors.
Flexible Display Options
Widget, shortcode, and block support. Display popular posts wherever you need them with customizable styling.
Easy Setup
Connect your GA4 account in minutes with our simple setup wizard. No complex configuration required.
How It Works
Three simple steps to display popular posts
Connect GA4
Link your Google Analytics 4 property using our secure OAuth connection. Your credentials stay safe and private.
Configure Settings
Choose your date range, number of posts, and display preferences. Customize how popular posts appear on your site.
Display & Enjoy
Add the widget, shortcode, or block to any page. Your most popular posts appear automatically based on real GA4 data.
The Problem with Traditional Popular Post Plugins
Most plugins slow down your site. Here's why we're different.
Traditional Plugins
- Write to database on every page view
- Heavy SQL queries to count views
- Slow down page load times
- Increase server resource usage
- Database bloat over time
- Inaccurate due to caching and bots
Analytics Spotlight
- Zero database writes for tracking
- No heavy queries on your server
- Lightning fast performance
- Minimal resource usage
- Clean, efficient database
- Accurate GA4 analytics data
Performance First
Built with WordPress performance best practices. Optimized queries, smart caching, and efficient data retrieval.
Secure & Private
OAuth authentication ensures your GA4 credentials are never stored. All data transfers use secure, encrypted connections.
Developer Friendly
Extensive hooks, filters, and template functions. Customize everything to match your exact needs.
Support Open Source Development
Our plugins are free because we believe in accessible WordPress solutions. Your support helps us continue developing, maintaining, and releasing high-quality free plugins for the community.
Every contribution makes a difference
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Analytics Spotlight
Yes! Analytics Spotlight is completely free and open-source. There are no premium versions or hidden costs. We believe in giving back to the WordPress community.
Traditional plugins write to your database on every page view and run heavy queries to retrieve popular posts. Analytics Spotlight uses GA4 data directly, which means zero database overhead, no performance impact, and more accurate analytics based on Google's robust tracking.
Yes, you'll need an active GA4 property tracking your WordPress site. If you're still using Universal Analytics, you'll need to upgrade to GA4 (which Google requires anyway as Universal Analytics has been sunset).
No! In fact, it's faster than traditional solutions. We use smart caching to store GA4 data, and there are no database writes or heavy queries on every page load. The plugin is designed with performance as a top priority.
You can configure the refresh interval based on your needs. Data is cached to ensure performance, but you can set it to refresh hourly, daily, or on a custom schedule. This keeps your popular posts current without impacting site speed.
Absolutely! The plugin includes a widget, shortcode, and Gutenberg block. You can customize the number of posts shown, date range for analytics, display format, and styling. Developers can also use template functions for complete control.
Yes! We use OAuth authentication, which means your credentials are never stored on your server. All communication with Google Analytics uses secure, encrypted connections following Google's security best practices.
The plugin works with sites of all sizes. You can adjust the date range to show popular posts from the last week, month, or year. As your traffic grows, your popular posts list becomes more valuable for engaging visitors.