=== Coug Network Links ===
Contributors: coug
Tags: links, redirects, analytics, campaigns, tracking
Requires at least: 6.2
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.2
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Create one campaign, track every platform, and discover where and when your audience clicks.

== Description ==

Coug Network Links creates a separate trackable link for every platform in a network campaign. Enter one destination, add your platforms, and compare where and when your audience clicks without relying on an external tracking service.

= Why did I create this plugin? =

I needed to measure precisely how much traffic each of my platforms sent to the same destination. I wanted to know which networks actually generated clicks, which days performed best, and when my audience responded most.

Existing solutions often felt too complex, too focused on affiliate marketing, or dependent on external services. I created Coug Network Links to provide a simple, self-hosted answer to that real need. I now share it so creators, freelancers, bloggers, and small businesses can understand where their traffic comes from without another subscription or complicated tool.

Features:

* Unlimited campaign links at the site root.
* Network Campaigns that generate multiple platform links from one destination.
* One shared destination that can be updated across an entire campaign.
* Editable 302 destinations.
* Optional automatic UTM parameters.
* Total, monthly, yearly, and estimated unique click statistics.
* Statistics dashboard shown first in the plugin administration.
* Campaign, month, and year filters.
* Best month, best day, and best platform.
* 30-day performance change.
* Click heatmap by weekday and hour.
* Device and top referrer reports.
* Filtered CSV export without IP addresses or anonymous visitor identifiers.
* Monthly and yearly history.
* Platform ranking and visual comparison chart.
* Basic bot filtering, device type and referrer storage.
* No raw IP address storage.
* Complete French and US English admin interfaces.

External impressions and conversions cannot be measured by this plugin.

== Installation ==

1. Upload and activate the ZIP from Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.
2. Open Coug Links in the WordPress admin menu.
3. Create a Network Campaign, enter one platform per line, and share the generated URLs.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does the plugin store IP addresses? =

No. It creates a one-way anonymous hash to estimate unique visitors. Raw IP addresses are never stored.

= Can I change a destination later? =

Yes. The public short link stays the same when its destination changes. When a link belongs to a Network Campaign, changing its destination updates every link in that campaign.

= What does the heatmap show? =

It shows the weekdays and hours when your short links receive clicks. Times follow the timezone configured in WordPress.

= What is included in the CSV export? =

The export contains the click date, campaign, platform, slug, referrer, and device for the selected filters. It does not contain raw IP addresses or anonymous visitor identifiers.

= Why is my link slug unavailable? =

A link slug cannot use the same address as an existing WordPress page, post, or another network link.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.2 =

* Reworked CSV output to remove direct fwrite() and fclose() calls flagged by Plugin Check.
* Added the plugin origin story to the readme and the built-in US English and French guides.

= 1.0.1 =

* Added Network Campaigns with one shared destination and automatic platform link generation.
* Made Statistics the first and default administration tab.
* Added campaign filtering and campaign labels.
* Added a weekday and hourly click heatmap.
* Added 30-day performance comparison.
* Added device and top referrer reports.
* Added filtered CSV export.
* Changed the default language for new installations to US English while keeping the complete French interface.
* Added a Ko-fi development support footer to every plugin administration page.
* Expanded the built-in French and US English user guide.

= 1.0.0 =

* First stable release.
* Redesigned the settings page with clear groups and plain-language explanations.
* Renamed the WordPress admin menu to Coug Links.
* Renamed the data retention setting to Keep statistics.
* Marked UTM parameters as an advanced option and disabled them by default for new installations.

= 0.0.3 =

* Updated compatibility information for WordPress 7.1.
* Improved SQL identifier handling with WordPress identifier placeholders.
* Expanded the French and US English user guide.
* Added a clear explanation of the plugin purpose, click flow, measured data, and limitations.

= 0.0.2 =

* Renamed the plugin to Coug Network Links.
* Added complete French and US English interfaces.
* Replaced specific promotional examples with neutral platform examples.
* Removed all prefilled destination URLs.
* Improved output escaping, nonce validation, URL validation, and SQL handling.
* Added the required GPL license information.
* Improved WordPress compatibility.

= 0.0.1 =

* Initial development release.
