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Understanding and Fixing WP Statistics Data Discrepancies After Updates

35 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Wp statistics – the most popular privacy-friendly analytics plugin

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If you've recently updated your WP Statistics plugin and noticed that your historical visitor data has vanished, counts are no longer updating, or your numbers seem wildly inaccurate, you're not alone. A common theme across many support threads is data-related issues following an update. This guide will help you understand why this happens and walk you through the most effective solutions to get your analytics back on track.

Why Do Data Issues Occur After an Update?

Plugin updates often introduce new features, improvements to data tracking accuracy, and changes to the underlying database structure. While these changes are made for the better, they can sometimes cause temporary conflicts or require the database to be updated, which may result in missing historical data or incorrect counts until the process is fully completed and synchronized.

Common Solutions to Try First

1. Update to the Latest Version

This is the most crucial first step. The WP Statistics team is proactive about fixing bugs reported by the community. In many cases, like the one reported in Thread 16, a fix for missing historical data was promptly released in version 14.10.2. Always ensure you are running the most recent version of the plugin, as your issue may have already been resolved.

2. Deactivate and Reactivate the Plugin

As suggested in Thread 17, a simple deactivation and reactivation can often resolve issues where data (like visitor counts) stops recording. This process can trigger the plugin to check for and create any missing database tables or columns that are required for the new version to function properly.

3. Perform a Hard Reload

Sometimes, the problem is not with the data itself but with how it is being displayed in your browser. If your overview pages or widgets seem off, try performing a hard reload of your WordPress admin panel by pressing Ctrl + F5 (or Cmd + Shift + R on a Mac). This bypasses the cached version of the page and loads the latest data from the server.

Advanced Troubleshooting: Database and Configuration

4. Check Your Tracking Settings

Updates can sometimes change or reset configuration options. Review your settings, paying close attention to:

  • Bypass Ad Blockers (Statistics > Settings > General > Tracker Configuration): Enabling this can significantly increase counted traffic by working around ad blockers, which may explain a discrepancy with other analytics services (Thread 19).
  • IP Detection & Filtering: Ensure your IP detection method is correct and that you are not accidentally excluding large groups of real visitors (Thread 6).

5. Review Role & Permission Settings

If certain users (like Editors) can no see statistics, as in Thread 3, navigate to Statistics > Settings > Roles & Permissions and verify that the "Minimum Role to View Statistics" is set appropriately (e.g., edit_posts for Editors). Simply re-saving these settings can sometimes resolve the issue.

6. Investigate Plugin Conflicts

A conflict with another plugin is a common source of unexpected behavior. To test for this, temporarily deactivate all other plugins and see if the issue with WP Statistics resolves itself. If it does, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.

When to Wait for a Patch

In some instances, the issue you're facing is a confirmed bug that the development team is already working on. For example:

  • Thread 13 described a bug where the "Most Visited Pages" report was blank; a fix was developed and scheduled for the next release.
  • Thread 18 involved a missing "page visits" overview section, which was also fixed in a subsequent update.

If you suspect your issue is a widespread bug, it can be helpful to search the official WordPress plugin forum or the plugin's GitHub repository to see if others have reported it and if a fix is imminent.

Conclusion

Data issues after an update can be frustrating, but they are usually temporary and solvable. The best course of action is always to (1) update the plugin, (2) perform basic troubleshooting like deactivating/reactivating, and (3) check your settings. For more persistent problems, checking for conflicts or awaiting a patch from the development team are your best bets for a resolution.

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