Mitch - Online Today Widget 1.1.0

Online Today Widget (24h / 48h Activity Tracker)

Ever wondered who’s actually been active today, not just who’s online right this second?


Online Today Widget gives you a beautiful, modern sidebar widget that shows all members who’ve been active within a configurable time period (24 hours, 48 hours, or any range you choose), complete with avatars, usernames, totals, and a clean expandable list.


Perfect for forums where “drive-by activity” matters more than momentary online status.



What It Does

Displays members active within the last X hours
Shows a clean, compact grid of recently active members
Includes a summary pill:

“There has been 23 members online in the last 24 hours”
Adds a collapsible overflow section to reveal everyone active in that period
Fully configurable per widget instance
Can be placed in ANY sidebar position

This isn’t a “who’s online right now” gimmick — it’s an activity health indicator for your community.



Smart by Design

Uses XenForo’s last_activity tracking (no session spam, no guest noise)
Built-in short-term caching to keep performance tight
No JavaScript dependencies — uses native HTML <details> for expand/collapse
Respects XenForo’s widget system and template architecture


Clean, Modern Styling

Rounded “pill” layout
Avatar + username alignment that works in narrow sidebars
Truncated names (no layout breakage)
Looks great on dark and light styles
Styling is fully addon-contained and exportable

No theme file editing required.



Widget Options

Each widget instance can be configured independently:


Activity period (hours)
Examples: 24, 48, 72, 168
Number of members shown in the grid
Overflow list size (optional cap for very large communities)


Placement

Forum list sidebar
Thread view sidebar
Any custom sidebar position
Multiple instances supported (e.g. “Today”, “This Week”)


Why Use Online Today Widget?

✔ Shows real engagement, not just idle sessions
✔ Encourages community participation (“people are active here”)
✔ Makes quiet forums look alive
✔ Gives staff an instant pulse check on activity
✔ Looks polished out of the box



Technical Details

XenForo version: 2.3+
Fully exportable add-on
No template or style hacks
Upgrade-safe Setup.php
Clean namespace and widget definition


Perfect For

Small & medium communities
Forums with global audiences (different time zones)
Activity-driven forums (support, hobbies, gaming, paranormal )
Admins who want meaningful engagement metrics