=== Share Count Display ===
Contributors: snehalpancholi
Tags: share count, facebook shares, social proof, share buttons
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 6.7
Requires PHP: 8.1
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPL-2.0+
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Display live Facebook share counts on your posts using the Facebook Graph API.

== Description ==

Share Count Display fetches the Facebook engagement count for each post URL using a server-side app access token (no user login required) and caches the result in a transient to minimise API calls.

**Note on other networks:** Twitter/X removed their public share-count API in 2015, LinkedIn in 2019, and Pinterest in 2017. Facebook is the only major network with a usable server-side count endpoint as of 2024.

**Features:**

* Fetches live Facebook share/engagement count via Graph API v19.0
* Server-side app access token — no OAuth user flow
* Configurable cache duration (default 6 hours)
* Auto-appends count below post content or shortcode placement
* Two display styles: inline or pill badge
* Hides automatically when below a configurable minimum count
* `[share_count]` shortcode with optional `id` attribute

== Installation ==

1. Upload the `share-count-display` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`
2. Activate through **Plugins > Installed Plugins**
3. Create a Facebook App at [developers.facebook.com](https://developers.facebook.com/)
4. Go to **Settings > Share Counts** and enter your App ID and App Secret
5. Optionally enable auto-display and choose post types

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Do I need a Facebook app? =
Yes. A free Facebook App in **App Type: Business** mode provides the App ID and App Secret needed to generate an app access token for the Graph API.

= Does this work without a Facebook app? =
No. The plugin returns nothing if the credentials are missing.

= How often are counts updated? =
The count is cached per post URL for the duration set in Settings (default 6 hours).

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release.

== Screenshots ==

1. Inline share count displayed below post content.
2. Pill-style badge variant.
3. Settings page showing App ID / Secret and display options.
