> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zyntex.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Counter

> Monotonically increasing totals for events and tallies.

**Counters** represent totals that only ever go **up** (reset on server restart). Use them for **events** that accumulate: joins, kills, items crafted, Robux spent.

## Create and use

```luau theme={null}
local Telemetry = Zyntex:Telemetry(10)

local kills = Telemetry:Counter("enemy_kills_total", {
    description = "Total enemy kills by weapon",
    labels = {"weapon"} -- optional, use to slice
})

-- +1 without labels
kills:inc()

-- +5 with a weapon label
kills:inc(5, {weapon = "Sword"})
```

## Snapshot → delta pattern

Counters expect **deltas**. If you poll a current snapshot and want to convert it into a counter:

```luau theme={null}
local shotsCtr = Telemetry:Counter("weapon_shots_total", { labels = {"weapon"} })
local last = 0

local function pushShots(current)
    local delta = current - last
    if delta > 0 then
        shotsCtr:inc(delta, {weapon = "Bow"})
        last = current
    end
end
```

<Info>
  Each `:inc(...)` updates the local running total and pushes it. Feed **deltas** into `:inc` to reflect true growth.
</Info>

## Best practices

* Prefer names ending in `_total` for clarity.
* Use labels sparingly (e.g., `{region="NA"}`) to avoid high cardinality.
* Counters are ideal for **bar**, **pie**, **table**, and **stat** panels.

<img className="block" src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/zyntex-8f2565ec/images/telemetry-counter.png" alt="Counter examples in dashboard" title={true} />