How to create a front page template with the best post views for your WordPress

To create a front page template with the best post views for your WordPress blog, you’ll need to work with a custom page template in your WordPress theme. Here’s how you can do it:

Steps

1. Locate Your Theme Folder: Go to your WordPress installation directory, navigate to wp-content/themes/your-theme-name.
2. Create a New File: Create a new PHP file for your custom page template, for example, template-best-posts.php.
3. Add Template Header: At the top of the file, include a comment to define it as a custom template.
4. Query Posts by Views: Use WordPress functions to query posts sorted by a custom field or plugin that tracks views (e.g., the “Post Views Counter” plugin).
5. Display Posts: Use a loop to display posts.

Here’s a full implementation:

<?php
/*
Template Name: Best Posts Page
*/
get_header(); ?>

<div class="best-posts-container">
    <h1>Top Posts</h1>
    <div class="posts-list">
        <?php
        // Check if the Post Views Counter plugin is installed and active
        if (function_exists('pvc_get_post_views')) {
            // Custom query to get posts sorted by views
            $args = array(
                'post_type' => 'post',
                'posts_per_page' => 10, // Adjust the number of posts to display
                'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', // Key used by Post Views Counter
                'orderby' => 'meta_value_num',
                'order' => 'DESC',
            );
            $query = new WP_Query($args);

            if ($query->have_posts()) :
                while ($query->have_posts()) : $query->the_post(); ?>
                    <div class="post-item">
                        <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
                        <p><?php echo get_the_excerpt(); ?></p>
                        <span>Views: <?php echo pvc_get_post_views(get_the_ID()); ?></span>
                    </div>
                <?php endwhile;
                wp_reset_postdata();
            else : ?>
                <p>No posts found.</p>
            <?php endif;
        } else {
            echo '<p>Post Views Counter plugin is not active. Please install and activate it to track views.</p>';
        }
        ?>
    </div>
</div>

<style>
.best-posts-container {
    max-width: 800px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 20px;
    font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
}

.posts-list .post-item {
    border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;
    padding: 10px 0;
}

.posts-list .post-item h2 {
    margin: 0 0 5px;
}

.posts-list .post-item span {
    font-size: 0.9em;
    color: #555;
}
</style>

<?php get_footer(); ?>

Key Notes:

1. Dependency on Post Views Counter:
   • The code assumes you’re using a plugin like Post Views Counter to track and store post views.
   • Replace meta_key and pvc_get_post_views with your own logic if you use a custom solution.
2. Styling:
   • Basic CSS is included for layout, but you can customize it to match your theme.
3. Activate the Template:
   • Go to your WordPress dashboard, create a new page, and select “Best Posts Page” under “Template” in the Page Attributes section.