Add a Post Counter to WordPress Archive Pages

The Problem

The Fix

Add the following with Code Snippets or a child theme. In Code Snippets, omit the opening PHP tag.

function wpbn_post_count_shortcode( $atts ) {
    $atts = shortcode_atts(
        array(
            'label'     => '',
            'post_type' => '',
        ),
        $atts,
        'wpbn_post_count'
    );

    global $wp_query;

    // On an archive/search/filter results page, use the current query count.
    if ( ! is_singular() && isset( $wp_query->found_posts ) ) {
        $count = (int) $wp_query->found_posts;
    } elseif ( ! empty( $atts['post_type'] ) ) {
        $post_type = sanitize_key( $atts['post_type'] );
        $counts = wp_count_posts( $post_type );
        $count = isset( $counts->publish ) ? (int) $counts->publish : 0;
    } else {
        $count = 0;
    }

    $label = trim( sanitize_text_field( $atts['label'] ) );

    if ( $label !== '' ) {
        return sprintf(
            '<span class="wpbn-post-count"><strong>%s</strong> %s</span>',
            esc_html( number_format_i18n( $count ) ),
            esc_html( $label )
        );
    }

    return '<span class="wpbn-post-count"><strong>' .
        esc_html( number_format_i18n( $count ) ) .
        '</strong></span>';
}
add_shortcode( 'wpbn_post_count', 'wpbn_post_count_shortcode' );

Place [wpbn_post_count] in the archive or results template where you want the number to appear.

For a friendlier output, add a label:

If you need a total on a normal page rather than the current archive query, specify a post type:

The output uses the class wpbn-post-count, so you can style the number and label globally without changing the PHP.

Apply your archive/search filters and confirm the count follows the current results. If a filtering plugin replaces the results with AJAX, make sure the shortcode area is part of the content that the plugin refreshes.

Quick Summary

Add the snippet, then place [wpbn_post_count] in the archive template. Use label for descriptive text or post_type for a site-wide published total.

Common Problem

If the number does not change after an AJAX filter, the counter may be outside the results area being refreshed. Move it into the plugin’s refreshed results wrapper or use that plugin’s update hook.