How to create and share a counter online
To create a counter online, you name a list, add one entry for each thing you count and give every person the link that matches their role. This guide walks through that setup in TeamCounter, including starting values, goals and a quick test before anyone else joins.
By Maximilian Holstein · Published: · Updated: · 8 min read
Quick answer
How do you set up and share a counter online?
Type a list name, select Create list and choose Create online list. Add one entry per category with a name and, if useful, a starting value or goal, then tap + and − once to test it. Finally, copy the management link for people who count, the view link for people who only watch and the display link for a shared screen.
The steps use the general online tally counter. If a tap should stand for points, a priced drink, attendance or a fixed amount, a dedicated TeamCounter tool does part of the work for you; the first section helps you choose.
Which kind of counter do you need?
Decide first what a single tap should stand for. The answer points to the right tool:
- One tap counts one occurrence, such as a finished task, an item handed out or a guest at the door: use the general online counter and give each category its own entry.
- One tap adds points for a team or player: use the score counter.
- One tap records a drink with a price: use the drink list, which multiplies the count by a price per entry.
- One tap marks someone present or absent at a session: use the attendance list.
- One tap adds a fixed amount or value: use the value counter, which adds up a total per category.
Then decide where the list should be kept. An online list is stored by TeamCounter and other people can open it through its links. A local browser list stays on the device where you create it and cannot be shared, so it only suits counting on your own.
Step 1: name the list and choose online or local
On the start page of the online counter, type a name into the List name field and select Create list. TeamCounter then asks how the list should be saved.
- Create online list: TeamCounter stores the list and gives you a view link and a management link. Choose this whenever someone else will count or watch, or when you want to open the list on a second device.
- Create local list: the list stays in this browser only. It has no links and is lost when browser or site data are cleared.
Pick a name that says what is counted and when, for example “Club work day – October”. Everyone who opens the list sees this name at the top, and you can change it later. A list name can have up to 80 characters.
Step 2: add one entry for each category
Each entry is a separate counter with its own name and value. Under Add entry, type a name such as “North entrance”, “Size M” or “Benches painted” and select Add; repeat this for every category that must stay separate.
Keep apart anything you want to compare later: two entries, “Adults” and “Children”, can be compared, but a single entry called “Adults and children” cannot be split afterwards. Short, specific names are quicker to find on a phone screen. Entry names can have up to 60 characters, and an online list holds up to 150 entries. Use first names, initials or neutral labels rather than sensitive personal details.
Step 3: set a starting value or a goal where it helps
The Add entry form has two optional fields. If you leave both empty, the entry simply starts at 0 and has no goal.
- Starting value: continue a count that began elsewhere. If a paper tally already shows 37, enter 37 instead of tapping 37 times.
- Goal: show progress towards a target. An entry at 3 with a goal of 8 shows 38% progress; at 8 it is marked as reached.
Goals suit work days, collections or challenges. For a plain count at an entrance, no goal is needed.
Step 4: test the counter before you share it
Tap + and then − on one entry: the value should go up by one and return to where it was.
Then open the view link in a private browser window or on a second device. It should show the same list, a note that the page is view-only and no buttons for changing values. If an entry is wrong, fix it now with the tools described further down.
Step 5: give each person the right link
Under Links and views, TeamCounter offers three kinds of access. Give each one only to the people who need it.
- Copy view link: for people who should follow the values without changing them.
- Copy management link: only for people who count. Anyone with this link can add entries, change values and delete the list.
- Open display view or Copy display link: for a monitor, tablet or projector that shows the values to a room.
Save the management link straight away, for example as a bookmark or in a password manager. There is no user account to recover it from, and My lists only remembers lists in the browser where you used them.
What can you change after setup?
With the management link, every entry has a small set of tools next to its name:
- Edit: change the entry’s name or goal; a goal of 0 removes it.
- +5: add five in one tap.
- Amount: add or subtract any number; negative numbers subtract.
- Reset: set this entry back to 0.
- Delete: remove the entry for good.
Below the entries, Change list name renames the whole list and Delete list permanently removes all counters, values and links. People using the view link or the display view see none of these tools.
Phone, tablet or computer: who uses which device?
The web version runs in the browser, so the people counting can use their own phones while a laptop, TV or projector shows the display view. Nothing needs to be installed.
Open lists refresh themselves: the display view about every 10 seconds and other open views about every 15 seconds. A tap on one phone can therefore take a few seconds to appear elsewhere; reloading the page shows the current state straight away.
On Android, the TeamCounter app can also open an online list through its view or management link. Local browser lists work differently: they stay in the browser and on the device where they were created and are not copied to the app or to other devices.
Three example setups
Club work day with goals
List: Club work day – October
Benches painted: 3 (goal 8)
Hedges trimmed: 5 (goal 5)
Bags of rubbish collected: 11
Two team leaders count on their phones with the management link. The club chair follows along through the view link and can see which job is still short of its goal.
Shirt handout by size
A youth team hands out new shirts. The list “Shirt handout” gets one entry per size: S, M, L and XL. One person at the table taps + for every shirt, so the totals show how many of each size have gone. Shirts handed out the day before go into Starting value.
Laps at a charity run
Each start number gets its own entry, and two helpers at the finish line split the start numbers between them and tap + for every completed lap. A display view on a screen near the finish shows the laps to runners and spectators. If every lap should also be worth a fixed amount, for example for sponsors, the value counter calculates the amounts instead.
When is the score counter the better choice?
A tally counter answers “how many?”, a score counter answers “who is ahead?”. If the entries are teams or players competing for points, the score counter is built for that: it offers point steps of +1, +5 and +10, shows the leading team automatically and lets you mark a winner by hand. It can also export the score as a CSV file.
If the teams play several rounds, see how to keep a running score over several rounds without counting points twice.
For categories that do not compete, such as entrances, sizes or tasks, the general tally counter is the simpler choice: it needs no teams or winner, and each entry can have its own goal.
Tally counter or score counter: which fits your task?
| Criterion | Online tally counter | Score counter |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | how many times did something happen? | who has how many points? |
| One entry stands for | a category, such as an entrance, a size or a task | a team or a player |
| Counting | + and −, +5 and any custom amount | point steps of +1, +5 and +10; − takes back one point |
| Extra display | progress towards an optional goal | leading team shown automatically, winner marked by hand |
| Sharing | management link, view link and display view | the same three kinds of access |
| CSV export | yes | yes |
Conclusion
A shared counter works when every tap has one clear meaning. Choose the tool that matches that meaning, create an online list if anyone else takes part, add one entry per category and use a starting value or goal only where it helps.
Test the list once, then give the management link only to the people who count. Everyone else gets the view link or the display view.
Frequently asked questions
How many entries can one counter list have?
An online tally list holds up to 150 entries. Each entry name can have up to 60 characters and the list name up to 80. On a phone, a short list is easier to tap without mistakes, so a large count is often clearer as separate lists, for example one per area or day.
Can you rename an entry or change its goal after sharing the list?
Yes, with the management link. Edit changes the name and the goal of an entry; a goal of 0 removes it. People using the view link or the display view see the change once their page refreshes, which happens automatically every 10 to 15 seconds.
Can a counter start at a number other than zero?
Yes. Enter the number in Starting value when you add the entry, for example 120 if the first hour was counted with a hand clicker. Later corrections work with Amount, which adds or subtracts any number, or with Reset, which sets the entry back to 0.