Overview #
If you use share counters on your website, the data can be stored in two different ways.
The most common method is to store share counters in the post meta table. This is the default option in Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress versions before 10.6, and it remains enabled by default for all existing installations.
Starting with version 10.6, a new high-performance storage method is available. When enabled, share counters are stored in a separate, indexed table instead of the post meta table. This approach is optimized for speed and helps your posts load faster by reducing the amount of data read.
We recommend using the optimized storage method for better performance. However, if you need direct access to the share counter values (for example, to display the number of shares), you might prefer using post meta storage, as it allows for easier integration.
How to switch between different share counter storage modes #
You can change the share counter storage method by going to Advanced → Features and using the Enable high-performance share counter storage option.
- If this option is set to Yes, share counters will be stored in a separate, optimized table.
- If it is set to No, share counters will be stored in the standard post meta data.
⚠️ Important Notice About Changing Share Counter Storage
Before switching to high-performance share counter storage, please note the following:
- Switching the storage method does not automatically migrate existing share counter values.
- A one-time conversion tool is available to migrate share counters from post meta storage to the optimized storage without data loss.
- However, migration is one-way only — once counters are stored in the optimized table, they cannot be reverted back to post meta storage.
- If your site already has share counters saved by the plugin, it’s strongly recommended to run the migration tool before enabling the optimized storage option.
By following these steps, you can safely switch storage methods without losing any share data.
How to migrate existing share counters and enable high-performance storage #
If you’re already using Easy Social Share Buttons for WordPress on your website, your share data is currently stored in the post metadata. Enabling high-performance storage directly will result in the loss of these share values.
To prevent this, we’ve provided a migration tool that allows you to convert your existing share counter data to the optimized storage. After the migration is complete, the tool will automatically enable the high-performance storage option.
To use the migration tool, go to Import/Export/Reset → Migrate & Update and click the Migrate button in the Migrate Share Counter Information panel.
⚠️ Important Notice About Clearing Old Data
There is a Clear Old Data button available to erase all share counter values stored in the post meta table. Please use this button only after confirming that your data has been successfully migrated to the optimized storage.
Important:
- Once the Clear Old Data button is pressed, all share counter values in the post meta table will be deleted.
- If you later decide to revert back to post meta storage, the share counter values will be reset and start from zero — especially for internal share counters.
We recommend checking the migrated data before using the Clear Old Data option to avoid losing any valuable share data.