Share counts
Share count not updating or not accurate: a fix list
Quick answer
When share counts stop updating, check in this order: the network still provides a count, your access token is valid, WordPress scheduled tasks are running, page caches are not serving old numbers, the plugin checks the right URL variants, and you have not hit a rate limit. Fix the first failure you find, then clear caches and wait for the next refresh.
On this page
Work through it in order
Is there still a count to fetch?
X and LinkedIn no longer publish counts. If those buttons show zero, that is correct. See how share counts work.
Is the token valid?
Facebook counts need an access token. User tokens expire; app tokens stop working if the app secret is reset. Test the token in the Graph API Explorer.
Are scheduled tasks running?
Many plugins refresh counts from WP-Cron. On low-traffic or fully cached sites, WP-Cron may rarely run. Set up a real cron job; see external cron jobs for WordPress.
Is a cache serving old numbers?
Page caching stores the HTML with the old count. Counts refresh in the database but visitors see the cached page until it expires or is purged.
Which URL is being checked?
After moving to https or changing permalinks, the network holds the old count on the old address. Plugins that check both variants recover it.
Rate limited?
If counts work on some posts and not others, the plugin may be asking too often. Slow the refresh schedule for older posts.
Symptoms and their usual causes
| Symptom | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| Every network shows zero | Token missing or cron not running |
| Only X or LinkedIn show zero | Those networks removed counts |
| Count dropped after moving to https | Shares recorded on the http address |
| Counts update in admin, not on the page | Page cache |
| Counts stuck at an old value | Scheduled refresh stopped or rate limit |
| Facebook page shows more shares than the post | Page shares and URL shares are counted separately |
Third-party count services
Some plugins fetched counts through an aggregator service instead of each network, using an API key from that service. If that service changes plans or limits, counts stop without any change on your site. Check whether your plugin relies on one and whether the key still works.
Editing counts by hand
Several plugins, MashShare among them, let site owners adjust counts manually or add a multiplier sometimes called fake shares. Restoring a count you lost in an https move is defensible if you can show the old number. Inflating counts is not: it misleads readers, and in many places presenting invented social proof to consumers can fall foul of advertising and consumer protection rules. If a count is low, hide it until it is not.
Questions
Why are my share counts stuck?
Usually a scheduled refresh stopped, a token expired, or a page cache is serving old HTML.
Why did my share counts drop after switching to https?
Networks count http and https addresses separately. Use a plugin that checks both and adds them.
Is it OK to add fake shares?
No. Inflated counts mislead readers and can breach consumer protection rules. Hide low counts instead.
Hannah Voss, Editor. Checks every guide against a working WordPress install and the networks' current documentation. Last reviewed September 2026.
Related guides
- Facebook share count: getting it from the Graph APIHow to get the Facebook share count for a URL from the Graph API, why the old REST API stopped working, rate limits, and how plugins should cache the result.3 min read
- External cron jobs for WordPress, the right wayReplace WP-Cron's visit-triggered schedule with a real server cron job: disable WP-Cron, call wp-cron.php or WP-CLI on a schedule, and check tasks actually run.3 min read
- How to create a Facebook access tokenCreate the right Facebook access token for share counts and plugins: user, page and app tokens compared, how long each lasts, and how to keep the token safe.3 min read