Use Multi Counter correctly by giving every counter a clear, distinct name, changing a value only in its matching panel, checking the combined total against the day’s named values, and exporting a copy when the record must outlive the browser.
Multi Counter is a local browser workspace for comparing several named quantities side by side. It starts with two counters and supports up to twenty named counters, so the safest approach is to add only the comparisons your task actually needs. Each panel represents a quantity you define; the tool does not infer what a label means, collect sensor data, or independently verify a number you enter.
Know What Multi Counter Measures
The combined total is the figure most likely to be misunderstood. In Multi Counter, it represents the sum of the named counter values for the device’s current local calendar day. It is not a lifetime score, a record from several devices, or a value collected automatically. Every panel value is tied to the local date on your device. When a new local day begins, the visible panels start at zero, while earlier nonzero days remain available in Daily history.
Understanding those boundaries prevents a correct set of counter updates from being compared or interpreted incorrectly.
| Feature | Correct interpretation |
|---|---|
| Starting layout | Two named counters are available when the workspace opens. |
| Counter range | At least one counter remains available, and the tool supports up to twenty named counters in total. |
| Counter values | User-entered values displayed in separate panels; there is no sensor input or independent verification. |
| Combined total | The sum of the named values for the current local calendar day. |
| Daily history | Earlier nonzero local days retained in one place for review. |
| Data location | Browser localStorage under the tool’s key on the device where the comparison is created. |
Name Each Panel for Its Actual Quantity
Begin by renaming the two starting counters so their names describe the values you intend to compare. Short, specific labels such as “North queue” and “South queue” are more useful than broad words such as “Counter 1” and “Counter 2.” The label should let you identify the correct panel immediately, especially when several kinds of events are being recorded.
Add another counter only when you need another distinct named comparison. More panels are not automatically more informative: every active column adds another value to check and another label to maintain. The tool permits as many as twenty named counters, but a short list is usually easier to review correctly.
Each counter has a stable internal identifier. Renaming changes the display name without moving an older value to another counter. This makes it safe to improve a label without resetting its history. By contrast, removing a counter also removes its stored values from the local comparison; Multi Counter does not leave a hidden value attached to a recycled name. The page always keeps at least one counter available.
Count in the Matching Panel
Use the panel controls as the record-keeping action for each value. The sequence below keeps the daily comparison consistent and makes an incorrect result easier to spot.
- Read the panel name before changing a value. Confirm that the quantity you are about to record belongs to that named counter rather than another comparison on the page.
- Use Increase in the matching panel when its value should rise. Use Decrease in that same panel when the value should fall. Make the adjustment only in the column that represents the relevant quantity.
- Check all three results together. The named panel value, the combined total, and the value recorded for the current local day update together after an Increase or Decrease action.
- Do not use the combined total as an input. It is a summary of the named values, not a separate quantity to count. Enter each underlying value through its own panel.
- Stay within the built-in boundaries. Increase and Decrease are bounded so a count cannot silently become negative or overflow. If a result appears extreme, verify the correct panel and the intended adjustment before continuing.
- Recheck the result after the local date changes. The visible panels return to zero for the new local day, and earlier nonzero days remain in Daily history. Do not treat yesterday’s combined total as today’s total.
Check the Daily Result Before Moving On
A quick verification prevents the most common comparison errors: applying an event to the wrong panel, carrying an old total into a new day, or interpreting the combined figure as something other than a daily sum. Review the labels, current panel values, combined total, and Daily history together rather than relying on one number alone.
| Item to check | What it represents | What confirms correct use |
|---|---|---|
| Named panel value | The current local-day value for that particular quantity. | The panel name matches the quantity being recorded. |
| Combined total | The sum of all named values for the current local calendar day. | It is used as a daily summary, not as a lifetime score. |
| Daily history | Saved values from earlier nonzero local days. | The date and side-by-side values belong to the day you intend to review. |
If a result looks wrong, first check the label-to-panel mapping and the local date, then review whether the same event was recorded more than once. Also confirm that a rename was only cosmetic: a renamed counter keeps its own values because its internal identifier remains unchanged. Multi Counter does not determine whether a manually entered figure is factually correct, so your own category definition and recording process remain part of the check.
Choose the Right Export for the Record
Export when you want a file outside the browser. The formats contain different information, so choose based on how you need to review or preserve the comparison.
| Format | What the file contains | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | A 1080 by 1350 image with the Lizely mark, a combined total, and recent date rows. | It includes no URL and deliberately omits user-entered counter names, so the image alone does not identify each label. |
| CSV | A Date column, one column for each current counter name, and one row per saved local day containing the corresponding side-by-side values. | Because it includes names and dates, the file should be handled as private data. |
PNG is useful when you want a portable visual record while keeping the labels out of the image. CSV is the better choice when you need to open the daily comparison in a spreadsheet, because it preserves the current counter names beside the dated values. Both files are created directly by the browser with native canvas and Blob APIs. Nothing is sent to an export service.
Protect the Local Record and Recognize Its Limits
Counter names, values, and Daily history stay only in browser localStorage under the Multi Counter key. There is no account, upload, shared board, cloud synchronization, API request, or cross-device merge. Another phone or computer has a separate empty record, so a comparison created on one device does not appear automatically on another.
Clearing browser data removes the saved comparison. That makes a deliberate export important when the record needs to remain available independently of the browser. For a focused explanation of the local-only model, see Are Counter Names and Values Uploaded in Multi Counter?.
If browser storage is disabled or full, the current page remains usable for the interaction that is open and displays that it cannot save history. This is not a blocked counting session, but the affected session should not be treated as a durable saved record. Check the storage message before relying on the day’s comparison.
Use a More Specialized Counter for a Different Task
Correct use also means recognizing when another tool fits the data better. Multi Counter is designed for neutral, named quantities whose side-by-side contrast matters. It does not interpret labels or maintain directional entries and exits.
- Use People Counter when entries and exits must remain separate and a user-set capacity threshold is useful.
- Use Online Tally Counter for one general click value rather than several named comparisons.
- Use Daily Habit Counter when preset habit labels and a streak are the required output.
For queue splits, small inventories, approach comparisons, or similar neutral tasks, Multi Counter is the relevant choice because the named values stay visible together in one daily record.
Run a Final Correct-Use Check
Before considering the day complete, run this short review:
- Every panel has a clear name that matches the quantity it holds.
- Only the counters needed for the comparison remain active.
- Every Increase or Decrease was made in the matching panel.
- The combined total is understood as the current local-day sum, not a lifetime score.
- Daily history was checked after any local date change.
- Renames were used for clearer labels, while removals were treated as deliberate deletion of that counter’s stored values.
- A PNG or CSV was exported if the record must survive outside the browser.
- The page did not display a warning that history could not be saved.
Related reading: How Do I Fix a Wrong People Counter Result?.