WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Plugins» How to Display Last Visited Posts to a User in WordPress

How to Display Last Visited Posts to a User in WordPress

Last updated on April 12th, 2013 by Editorial Staff
44 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Display Last Visited Posts to a User in WordPress

Did you ever wonder how websites like Amazon show you recently viewed items even when you are not logged in? Most online shopping sites use cookies to display recently viewed items to their users. This helps users review their options, compare products, and revisit items they liked. In this article we will show you how to display last visited posts to a user in WordPress. The goal is to keep users interested, remind them of usefulness of your website and build brand recognition.

First thing you need to do is to install and activate the Last Viewed Posts plugin. After activating the plugin, go to Appearance » Widgets. Drag and drop Last Viewed Posts widget to your sidebar and it will immediately start showing posts a user last viewed.

Last viewed posts widget

This plugin uses cookies to keep track of posts a user has viewed on your website. This cookie expires in 360 days, but you can change that by editing the code. Go to Plugins » Editor and select Last Viewed Posts from plugin edit drop down. Find the parameters and edit them to suit your needs:

/* Here are some parameters you may want to change: */
$zg_cookie_expire = 360; // After how many days should the cookie expire? Default is 360.
$zg_number_of_posts = 10; // How many posts should be displayed in the list? Default is 10.
$zg_recognize_pages = true; // Should pages to be recognized and listed? Default is true.

We would recommend 60 days for cookie expiration, and 5 posts to be displayed in the list. If you just want to show the last visited post then set the number of posts to 1. It is also advised that you inform users about cookie usage on your site in your privacy policy page. We hope that this article helps you build a loyal user base. For question and feedback please leave a comment.

44 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

16 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Suyash Ekhande says:
    May 31, 2018 at 11:18 pm

    Any new plugins to show recently viewed post in a carousel format?.

    Reply
  2. Jordan Smith says:
    Feb 14, 2018 at 1:31 pm

    Is this plugin still maintained? I’m looking for this exact functionality. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Matthew Dalli says:
    Apr 27, 2017 at 11:12 am

    Is there a way to do this to have it highlighted next to the post title rather than in a widget?

    Reply
  4. kalico says:
    Apr 12, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    This is a fantastic little gem. Is there a way to make this display other (custom) post types, or history across a multisite network?

    Reply
  5. Brian says:
    Jun 12, 2015 at 3:29 pm

    Is there a way to show the whole post (i.e. get_post) instead of just the title? Would you be able to provide the code and the location or where to place it in the plugin code? Thanks!

    Reply
  6. tony roberts says:
    Apr 15, 2014 at 7:55 am

    I have installed the plugin but have trouble installing the widget. Go to Appearance > Widgets > Click on Last Viewed Posts> Click Primary Sidebar>Add Widget, nothing happens. If I drag and drop the Last Viewed Posts still nothing happens.

    Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

    Tony

    Reply
  7. RA says:
    Sep 15, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Is there a shortcode for this plug in? I would like to insert this within a post.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Sep 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm

      No currently it does not have a shortcode. However, you can try our tutorial on how to add WordPress widgets in posts or page content.

      Reply
  8. frebro says:
    Sep 2, 2013 at 2:18 am

    This works nicely on my localhost but throws a “Cannot modify header information – headers already sent” error on the production server. Seems like content has already begun to output when you set the cookie.

    I’m using Roots theme and WordPress 3.6. Any suggestions on how to solve this?

    Reply
  9. musa garip says:
    Aug 6, 2013 at 7:32 pm

    Hi this plugin is great i have a questions

    can you add a image ( featured image )
    thanks

    Reply
    • Editorial Staff says:
      Aug 11, 2013 at 12:37 pm

      Yes, but you would have to edit the plugin file.

      Reply
  10. David Rwell says:
    May 2, 2013 at 2:48 am

    Thank you for this lovely little plug-in. It greatly adds to the personalization experience on a site.

    David.

    Reply
  11. Jacopo Tarantino says:
    Apr 24, 2013 at 9:59 am

    Is the plugin on github? I’d love to contribute.

    Reply
    • Editorial Staff says:
      Apr 26, 2013 at 8:39 am

      No it is not on Github yet. Please get in touch via the contact form, so we can communicate further :)

      Reply
  12. Jacopo Tarantino says:
    Apr 23, 2013 at 11:49 pm

    Wouldn’t it be better to use some kind of override in your own theme or plugin to change the value of those variables? If you edit the plugin directly, when you update the plugin(which you should always do!) you’ll lose those changes. It shouldn’t be too hard to hook in right after the plugin is activated and assign new values to what I’m assuming are global variables.

    Reply
    • Editorial Staff says:
      Apr 24, 2013 at 9:09 am

      Agreed. That is in the list of things to add to that plugin when we create a settings page :)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
WPForms Logo
WPForms
Drag & Drop WordPress Form Builder Plugin. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2021 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2021)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2021)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4464 Users & Our Experts (2021)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2021)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2021 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
DesignEvo
DesignEvo Coupon
Get 25% OFF on DesignEvo premium logo making service.
Themify
Themify Coupon
Get 20% off Themify's beautiful, responsive WordPress themes. Choose any theme or get all 42 for just $71.20 ($1.69 per theme)!
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).

Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
  • Growth Fund
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon
  • AIOSEO

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress Security by Sucuri.