# Showing a Hit Counter

With your embed script loaded, you can add a classic-style hit counter to your website and style it as needed. Remember those from the early web days? We're bringing them back, but better!

## Availability

This feature is available on all plans.

## Setting Up the Hit Counter

It's a simple two-step process:

### 1. Modify Your Embed Script

Add the `hits` parameter to your embed script URL:

```html
https://tinylytics.app/embed/YOUR_EMBED_CODE.js?hits
```

This loads the additional hit counter functionality.

### 2. Add the Display Element

Add this HTML element wherever you want to display the hit count:

```html
<span class="tinylytics_hits"></span>
```

**Note:** You're not limited to using a `span` - you can use any HTML element. The important part is the `class="tinylytics_hits"` attribute.

### Showing unique hits

To show the unique hit count, add the `unique` string to your `hits` parameter in the embed script URL:

```html
https://tinylytics.app/embed/YOUR_EMBED_CODE.js?hits=unique
```

Unique hits are available on paid plans. Legacy free accounts ignore this parameter.

## How It Works

Once your page loads:

1. The script looks for any element with the `tinylytics_hits` class
2. When found, it replaces the element's content with your site's lifetime hit count
3. The count updates automatically

## Styling

You have complete control over the styling. The hit counter inherits your site's styles by default, but you can customize it with CSS to match your design.

## Examples

You can see the hit counter in action:

- On various sites in our [webring](/docs/showing_webring)

## Tips
- You can add multiple hit counters on the same page
- The count is updated in real-time
- Works great with any CSS framework
- Perfect for retro-style websites!