Online Tally Counter

Common questions

Does the tally survive a reload?

When storage is available, the counters, names, counts, active counter, step and Never below zero setting are saved about 350 milliseconds after a valid change. Saved shows Not yet after an edit or undo, Yes only when the current tally has been written, and No if that write fails. Leaving the page also attempts to save the latest valid changed tally. An untouched visit does not overwrite the remembered tally; opening with different preset settings shows Not yet until you make a change and it is saved. Clearing site data removes the saved tally. Private browsing may keep it only for that private session, and embedded frames or browser settings can block storage. Export a CSV for a separate copy of your counts. A reload does not keep the undo history, and separate devices do not share a tally.

What are the keyboard shortcuts?

The space bar adds one step to the counter on the stage. The up arrow, K and the plus key do the same, and the down arrow, J and the minus key take a step off. Z undoes the last change, N moves to the next counter, and the number keys 1 to 9 put that counter on the stage. They work while the counter is on screen, and they are ignored completely while you are typing in a field, so a digit typed into a counter name is part of the name rather than a press. A space aimed at a button is left to the browser, which is already clicking it, so one press stays one count.

How many things can I count at once?

Up to 20 counters, each with a name of up to 32 characters. One of them is on the stage as the big number, and every counter is in the list below with its own plus and minus, so you can count two things with two thumbs without swapping screens. The total of all of them sits under the list and in the export. Counters are added and removed one at a time, the last one stays because the page has to be counting something, and a removal is undoable with its count intact.

Can I get the tally into a spreadsheet?

Yes. CSV writes a file with a Counter,Count header, one row per counter and a Total row at the end, named for the day you took it. A name with a comma or a quotation mark in it is escaped the way a spreadsheet reads it back, so a counter called Cars, left does not split into two columns. Copy puts the same tally on the clipboard as plain text, counters and total, which is the version to paste into a message. Both are built in the page from what is on the screen.

What happens if I press the wrong button?

Undo puts it back, two hundred changes deep: presses, a count typed straight in, a counter added or removed and a reset are all on the stack. Press Z, or the Undo button under the number. Reset takes two presses, the first arms it and says what the second will do, and undo brings the counts back even after that second press. Renaming a counter and changing the step are settings rather than counts, so they are not on the stack, and an undo never rewrites a name you have since typed.

Can a counter go below zero?

Yes, by default. A press takes it to -1 and on down, which is what a net tally needs when people are going in and out of a room. Turn Never below zero on and a press that would take a counter under zero is refused with a message naming the counter and the number it is standing on, rather than quietly holding at zero and leaving you to wonder how many presses were lost. A counter that is already below zero when you turn the setting on is left exactly where it is, and can still be counted back up.

How high can it count?

To 1,000,000,000, and to -1,000,000,000 the other way. Every number is whole-number arithmetic, so a count of 148 is 148 and not 147.99999: there is no rounding anywhere in the tool. A press that would pass either end is refused with a message saying which counter is at the limit and what to do about it, rather than overflowing or stopping without a word.

Are my counts or counter names uploaded?

Your counts and counter names stay in this browser. Counting, clipboard text and CSV content are prepared inside the page. The tally has no cloud synchronization or shared device session, and those values are not sent to analytics.

Is the counter free, and does it need an installation?

The counter can be used without payment or an account in a current browser. Click with a mouse, tap the buttons on a touch screen or use the keyboard shortcuts. There is nothing to install. This is a browser tally tool, rather than a shop for physical hand counters or a native app.

Can I make a tally chart?

Yes. Open Tally chart below the counter list. Each text group of four vertical strokes and a slash, ||||/, represents five, and a partial group shows one to four. Each counter shows its full numeric count. For readability, marks stop at 50 per counter and the chart states how many further marks are not shown. Zero and negative net counts have no positive marks. The chart updates when you count, edit a count, undo or reset. CSV exports the full numbers rather than the chart marks.

Can I use it as a manual tasbih counter?

Yes, for a manual repetition tally. Name a counter, use a step of 1 and turn Never below zero on if you want to prevent negative counts. Tap plus or press the space bar for each repetition. Undo corrects a mistaken press, and Zero resets that counter. You choose and watch your own target: the tool has no automatic target alert, vibration or cycle reset.