How to use the tally counter
Click anywhere on the large pad to add one. The counter starts its clock on your first click, so the elapsed time and clicks-per-second figures only begin once you are actually counting. Press −1 to correct a miscount, and Reset to clear everything back to zero. The pad also responds to the space bar and the Enter key, which is handy when you are counting with one hand and writing with the other.
For a closely related job, the reaction time test does it in one click.
What people count with it
Door staff use tally counters for headcounts at events, stocktakers use them for shelf counts, and knitters use them for rows and stitches. Coaches count laps and reps, birdwatchers count sightings, and teachers count how many times a behaviour comes up in a lesson. Because the count never leaves the page, it also works for anything sensitive you would rather not type into an app that syncs to a server.
Groups often move straight on to the typing speed test afterwards.
Using it as a CPS test
To measure clicks per second, reset first, then click as fast as you can for a fixed stretch — five or ten seconds is the usual benchmark. Around 6 CPS is a solid rate for ordinary clicking; specialised techniques push higher but tire your hand quickly. Note that the counter keeps no history: refreshing the page or closing the tab starts you at zero again, because nothing is stored on your device or ours.
The online stopwatch is the obvious companion when this one is not quite the right shape.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I count with the keyboard?
- Yes. The space bar adds one from anywhere on the page, and Enter works while the pad itself is focused.
- Is the count saved if I refresh?
- No. The counter lives only in the open page, so a refresh or a new tab starts again from zero.
- Can the count go below zero?
- No. The −1 button stops at zero so a stray click cannot leave you with a negative tally.
- How is clicks per second worked out?
- Total clicks divided by the seconds since your first click. Reset before a timed run for a clean CPS figure.
- Does the counter work on a phone?
- Yes. Tapping the pad on a touchscreen counts exactly like a mouse click, and the clicks-per-second figure works the same way. The space bar shortcut only applies if you have a physical keyboard.