The Hits List can import compatible Top 10 overall and daily view counts so you can keep historical popularity data while moving to a free, local tracking plugin.
Before You Start
- Back up the WordPress database.
- Run the migration on staging first when possible.
- Keep Top 10 installed until you confirm migrated counts.
- Install and activate The Hits List.
- Open Settings > The Hits List.
If compatible Top 10 data is detected, The Hits List shows an import option on the settings screen.
Running The Import
Use the import button on the settings screen to migrate compatible overall and daily counts.
The importer is rerun-safe. If you repeat the import without changing the Top 10 source data, The Hits List does not double-count unchanged views.
Large imports run in batches with progress, and can be resumed if the browser or connection drops. Very large sites can run the import over SSH instead, which does not depend on keeping a browser tab open:
wp the-hits-list top10-import status
wp the-hits-list top10-import start
What Keeps Working After Top 10 Is Deactivated
Two things usually break when you swap popular-post plugins. The Hits List handles both.
Existing Top 10 widgets keep rendering, using your migrated counts. The settings screen can also convert those saved placements into native The Hits List widgets so future edits use the current interface.
Existing Top 10 shortcodes keep rendering too. If your post content contains [tptn_list] or [tptn_views], those tags continue to work after Top 10 is deactivated rather than appearing as raw text on the page. While Top 10 is still active it keeps its own shortcodes, so the two plugins never conflict.
This means you can deactivate Top 10 without editing existing content first.
After The Import
Check the migrated output before removing Top 10:
- Confirm expected popular posts appear in The Hits List displays.
- Check post list view columns for representative content.
- Review dashboard cards for daily and all-time top posts.
- Spot-check important posts against their previous Top 10 counts.
Cleaning Up
Once the import is complete and any legacy widgets have been converted, the settings screen offers two final steps:
Clean Up Top 10 removes leftover Top 10 database tables, options, transients, post metadata, and scheduled tasks.
Remove Top 10 Plugin deactivates and deletes the old plugin, then runs one final cleanup pass.
Cleanup is deliberately blocked while an import is still running or while unconverted Top 10 widgets are still placed, so old settings stay available until The Hits List no longer needs them.
Production Rollout
For production sites, use a calm rollout:
- Import on staging.
- Confirm counts and display output.
- Repeat the import on production.
- Swap blocks, widgets, or template tags where needed.
- Remove Top 10 only after the new output looks right.
Large sites should budget extra time for database backups and count validation. If your old Top 10 daily table is very large, test the import path on staging before touching production.