Yoast SEO 文档

Why does my sitemap have gray links?

The gray links in your XML sitemap identify the URLs that your browser has recently visited. As this is browser-specific, you may or may not see different gray URLs depending on the browser and computer you are using to view your sitemap.

So, you don』t have to do anything. This is not something for concern!

Note: Google does not see the browser formatting as they retrieve the xml source code.

Are you getting a different error? Check out this article on common XML sitemap errors to see more errors, their causes, and their solutions.

How to exclude content from the sitemap

Posts and pages can be assigned to multiple taxonomies and thus may unexpectedly show up in your sitemap when you thought it would be hidden. You can exclude individual posts or pages from the sitemap inside the metabox in both Yoast SEO and Yoast SEO Premium, or exclude certain content types by customizing the sitemap index. Log in to your WordPress website. When you』re logged in, you will be in your 『Dashboard』. Edit the post or page. On the left-hand side, you will see a menu. In that menu, navigate to the post or page (or other custom post type) you』d like to exclude. Expand the 『Advanced』 section and change the 『Allow search engines to show this Post in search results?』 to 『No』 for this post or page. Publish or update the post or page.

Use a filter to bulk exclude posts or pages

You or your developer can also use a filter to bulk exclude posts or pages from the Yoast SEO sitemap. The filter would be placed in your functions.php file. If you』re not sure where that is, please contact your theme developer. As a best practice, we recommend making a backup prior to editing theme files.

Cost per category calculation for Local SEO

When you use WooCommerce together with the Local SEO plugin, you will see an additional WooCommerce settings tab in the Local SEO settings screen.

Click on the Click here link to access the specific Local Store Pickup settings. These allow people to pickup their ordered products (WooCommerce) at the Locations, setup by the Local SEO plugin.

On this settings page the Locations can be setup, together with the pricing for every pickup location (or locations per category).

Just as with the default WooCommerce shipping pricing input fields, some shortcodes are allowed to calculate the prices. We apply the same calculations as WooCommerce.

For example, this is how some calculations are made, according to the Woo docs:

10 + ( 2 * [qty] ) – A base shipping cost of $10 plus $2 for each item in the cart.20 + [fee percent="10" min_fee="4"] – A base shipping cost of $20 plus 10%

For more information, see the WooCommerce docs.

Want to learn all about local SEO? For free?! In our Local SEO training, you』ll learn how to optimize the website of your local business for search engines. So you』ll start ranking in your area! Check out our Local SEO training.

Shops & restaurants: easy curbside pickup with WooCommerce and Local SEO

How to install Local SEO for WordPress

Configuration guide for Local SEO for WordPress

Common Purchase Errors

Our payment options are credit cards (processed by Adyen) and PayPal (credit, debit, echeck, etc).

In some cases, you may receive an error message when purchasing a product from our site.

Below are the common errors and resolutions.

ErrorResolutionYour card number is incorrect.Please verify you entered the correct card number.If you receive this error with a valid card, please contact your credit card company or bank.Your card』s security code is incorrect.Please verify you entered the correct security code number.If you receive this error with a valid card, please contact your credit card company or bank.The zip code you supplied failed validation.The zip code entered during checkout did not match the billing zip code of the payment method. Please use the billing information your payment provider has on file. This may also appear if you have not filled out the state/province field.Your card has insufficient funds.Please contact your credit card company or bank for more information.Your card was declined.Please contact your credit card company or bank for more information.We cannot verify this VAT number, this means you will have to pay VAT.Please make sure you』ve entered the VAT number correctly. If you receive this error with a valid VAT number, please review this article regarding VAT validation.We cannot check if your VAT number is correct because the VAT checking system for the EU is currently down.There are moments when the VIES API is extremely slow or not available. Please try again at a later time.

How to generate and set a Google Maps API key

Warning: You must have a Google account with billing enabled to generate a key for Google Maps API.

Google Maps requires a special Google Maps API key. Without this key, you cannot display Google Maps on your website. There used to be two separate keys, the Google Maps API browser key and the Google Maps API GeoCoding key. Since Yoast Local SEO 11.9, only one Google Maps API key is required.

Want to learn all about local SEO? In our Local SEO training, you』ll learn how to optimize the website of your local business for search engines. So you』ll start ranking in your area! Check out our Local SEO training.

Before you can set this API key in your Local SEO installation, you』ll need to generate it. This tutorial will show you how to do that.

For ultimate SEO optimization, you need Yoast SEO Premium! For example, its advanced text analysis helps you write naturally flowing texts. The internal linking tool and the content filters make your posts easy to find. 404 errors become a thing of the past with the redirect manager. And the social previews give you full control of how your posts appear on social media. Get Yoast SEO Premium!

Table of contentsAPIs in the Local SEO pluginMaps JavaScript API (browser key)Directions API (browser key)Timezone API (browser key)Geocoding API (server key)Generate a new API keyView your existing API keysAdd API key to Yoast SEO: LocalCheck to see if Google Maps API keys are workingAre Google Maps not working?Securing your Google Maps API keyBilling prices

APIs in the Local SEO plugin

The Local SEO plugin uses four different APIs. These APIs can be enabled depending on your needs. We have outlined them below and described which features are used by them.

Maps JavaScript API (browser key)

This API key is used to show a Google Map on your site. If you want to show a Google Map, enabling this key is required. This guide explains more about how to enable API keys.

Directions API (browser key)

This API key is used to provide directions between places. You need to enable this if you wish to use our Route Planner feature. Otherwise, it is not needed. This guide explains more about how to enable API keys.

Timezone API (browser key)

This API key tells Google to translate your latitude and longitude coordinates into the right timezone. This API key is needed if you want to use our Show Open/Close Message Widget. Otherwise, it is not needed. This guide explains more about how to enable API keys.

Geocoding API (server key)

This API key is used to translate address information into longitude and latitude coordinates. This API key is needed if you wish to use our Calculate Coordinates feature which automatically translates your physical address into longitude and latitude coordinates for Google to use. This key is also used to output coordinates for the Store Locator feature. It is also required if you wish to show a Google Map on your site. This guide explains more about how to enable API keys.

Generate a new API key

Go to the Google Maps PlatformClick the Get Started button in the middle of the screen. Click on the Google Cloud Platform home in the upper left corner. Click on Billing to make sure your billing details are up-to-date. If they are not, your Google Maps will not work properly.Once you』ve confirmed your billing is up-to-date, click on the Google Cloud Platform home in upper left corner again. Hover to APIs & Services and go to Credentials. If you want to use an existing project, please select it from the list. Otherwise, select 『Create a new project』 and enter a project name.Click Create credentials and select API key. You will see a new dialog that displays the newly created API key.Click the Close button in the API key dialogue. Your new API key will be listed on the Credentials page under API keys.

View your existing API keys

Go to the Google Maps PlatformIf the side menu is not visible, click the three-line (hamburger) menu iconClick 『APIs & Services』 (API icon)Click 『 Credentials』 (key icon)

If the above steps are not clear enough then please follow the tutorial video from the Google Maps Platform Team below. This video will show you how to generate and restrict API keys.

Add API key to Yoast SEO: Local

Copy the API key you created from the Google Maps Platform. Log in to your WordPress website. When you』re logged in, you will be in your 『Dashboard』. Click on 『SEO』. On the left-hand side, you will see a menu. In that menu, click on 『SEO』. Click on 『Local SEO』. The 『SEO』 settings will expand providing you additional options. Click on 『Local SEO』. Click on 『API Keys』. Paste the API key you copied in step 1 into the 『Google Maps API key』 field. Click 『Save Changes』.

If you have trouble displaying Google maps on your site, please verify that the Google Maps Javascript API is enabled in the Google Maps API Manager.

Check to see if Google Maps API keys are working

To check to see if your Google Maps are working try adding one by using a shortcode.

Are Google Maps not working?

If your Google Maps are not working for some reason, be sure to check out our troubleshooting article.

Securing your Google Maps API key

It』s recommended to secure your Google Maps API key against quota theft. In this article, we explain exactly how you can secure your Google Maps API key.

Billing prices

Pricing for the Google Maps, Routes and Places and the APIs connected with them (Maps JavaScript API, Directions API, Timezone API, Geocoding API ) is pay as you go, and you only pay for what you use. You get a recurring $200 credit on your billing account each month to offset your usage costs, and you can also set usage limits to protect against unexpected cost increases.

For a table of Google』s pricing, see Pricing for Maps, Routes, and Places. If you need to enable billing, please go to APIs and billing.

How to write a good bug report?

Despite all the measures, such as Code Reviews and automated Unit-testing, we take to create the highest quality code, it is virtually impossible to make software completely bug-free. As a consequence, sometimes, you may run into a bug. Of course, once you find it, we want to fix the bug as quickly as possible.

Before we can write a fix, we』ll first need to reproduce the problem. Best case scenario is when we can just follow the steps you took and reproduce the problem on our own testing environment. Slightly less optimal is when we have to rebuild your environment, for example by matching your PHP version or installing the plugins that (may) cause the problem. Worst case scenario is when we cannot reproduce the problem at all, as this means we won』t be able to fix it.

So, when you encountered a bug while using some of our plugins, we really need your help. You are the only one who knows how to reproduce this bug, so the better you help us, the better we』ll be able to reproduce and fix it. Therefore we made a small checklist you can use when writing a bug report for us.

Bug report checklist

Environment Details

Steps to Reproduce
Error messages
WordPress Version and Plugins
(Web)server details

General Questions

What did you expect would happen?
What device/browser did the problem occur on?
Do you have an (educated) guess as to the cause of the problem?
Can you suggest a solution?
Did you submit the bug in the proper place?

Steps to reproduce

As said, we』ll need to reproduce the problem you encountered. The very first we need to know is what you did/clicked/typed to produce the problem. Generally speaking, there are three ways to provide this information which are not mutually exclusive;

Written step by step description; explain every step you took in a clear and unambiguous way. Numbering your steps really helps when communicating about the problem you encountered.Screenshots; take a screenshot of every step you took. A free program like Skitch can be very handy to add notes or markers to your screenshots to point out anomalies.Screen recordings; make a video of your screen of every step you took. A free program like Camstudio can do this for you. Sharing the video can, for example, be done via Youtube or Screencast.

Error messages

We』ve tried to build in as many error messages as possible, so both of us get informed when something is going wrong. If you saw an error message, please copy it fully and/or make a screenshot of it.If you know your way around websites, you may be able to take a look at the (JavaScript) console to check it for errors. When there are any, please copy them completely and put them in your bug report. Or if you expanded the message in the console, you can take a screenshot and send that to us.Error messages can be really useful when we try to pinpoint a problem, as they give valuable information about the expected location of the cause.

WordPress Version and Plugins

There are two main reasons we need to know the version of your WordPress installation. The first one is quite simple; if you』re using an outdated version of WordPress, we will require you to update to the current version. The second reason is that WordPress Core changes with each release. So a problem may have been fixed/caused in a later update. Therefore it may be necessary for us to mimic the WP version you』re using.

We would also like to know if you』re running a multi-site, as some problems may be specific to that.

Your WordPress installation consists of WordPress Core, a theme and usually one or more plugins. Unfortunately, some themes or plugins conflict with each other, therefore we』d advise you to test if your problem still exists when you』ve deactivated all other plugins and switch to a default WordPress theme. You can use our conflict check guide to determine if your issue is related to a plugin/theme conflict.

(Web)server details

Problems can be related to a certain setup of your (web)server. Therefore we would like you to fill in as much as possible in the following list:

Operating system of your webserverWebserver in use (Apache, NGINX, IIS, other) and what versionPHP Version and (extensions if applicable)MySQL Version

What did you expect would happen?

Most of the time you weren』t searching for a bug, but trying to do something on your website. Please explain briefly what behavior you expected when the problem occurred.

What device/browser did the problem occur on?

There are a few questions that may help us get to the root of the problem. Questions like: What device were you using when the problem occurred? What operating system is it running? What browser were you using? Does the problem also occur on another browser and/or another device?

Do you have an (educated) guess as to the cause of the problem?

The answer will vary greatly depending on your level of experience. And it』s perfectly OK to have no guess at all.

Can you suggest a solution?

Again, this will vary but if you』re a developer and can provide a solution, the issue may be resolved much faster.

Submit the bug report to the right place

Before you submit a new bug, please check if there already is an existing bug report for it. If so, it may be far more valuable to add to the existing one, than to create a new bug report.

And although it may seem obvious, we often see that bugs are reported in the wrong place. Sometimes we don』t even see perfectly written bug reports because of this. So here』s a short list of correct places for the Yoast plugins:

Yoast PluginCorrect place to report a bugYoast SEOGitHubYoast SEO PremiumPremium Email SupportVideo SEOPremium Email SupportLocal SEOPremium Email SupportNews SEOPremium Email SupportWooCommerce SEOPremium Email SupportOther Yoast PluginsGitHub

How to install Yoast News SEO for WordPress

Thank you for purchasing Yoast News SEO. Please make sure that your website has been submitted to Google News, and you』ve installed Yoast SEO or Yoast SEO Premium already, as these are required for the news add-on plugin to work.

Table of Contents

Download the add-on
Download is a folder, not a zip
Install the add-on
Install through Composer

Add custom fields to the Video SEO plugin settings

The Video SEO plugin can analyse the videos in your custom fields. To do that, you will need to add the custom fields so the Video SEO plugin settings. In this post, we provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to do that.

To be able to add the custom fields to Yoast SEO, you need to know their names. If you are not sure what the names of the custom fields are, follow the steps in this post – Find the correct custom field name.

Create your own custom field for use with Video or Yoast SEOAdd custom fields to Yoast SEO Premium plugin settings

How to add custom fields to the Video SEO plugin

To add a custom filed to Video SEO, follow these steps: Log in to your WordPress website. When you』re logged in, you will be in your 『Dashboard』. Click on the SEO menu item in the admin menu on the left hand side. The menu expands and shows additional menu items. In the expanded menu, click on Video SEO. The Video SEO screen opens. Add the custom fields to the 『Custom fields』 input box. You can add multiple custom fields in a comma separated list like this: customfield,anotherfield2,onemore3custom Click 『Save Settings』. Scroll down and click on save settings. Do a Force Reindex On some sites you may need to do a force re-index. Click the box to do a force reindex and then click the button to run it. The Video SEO will then scan all your posts/pages etc., to try to find those videos in the custom field

Using Advanced Custom Fields (free or pro)

If you use Advanced Custom Fields you can add a video into the field and the Video SEO plugin will detect it. Make sure you are using a Text Field to add the video and no other field. Then take the Field Name (not the Field Label) and add it to the plugin using the steps we describe above.

Troubleshooting with Video SEO

If the video does not get picked-up use the Force Reindex Option to make Video SEO re-scan all your posts/pages.

Can we use Yoast plugins on WordPress.com?

The basic WordPress.com plan does not allow plugin installation.

Upgrading to the WordPress.com Business or eCommerce plan allows you to install plugins from the official WordPress repository, like Yoast SEO, or upload custom plugins, like Yoast SEO Premium.

Learn more about the different WordPress platform options here.

Please know that certain code snippets, such the ones needed to implement Yoast SEO Breadcrumbs, may not work.

How to find JavaScript errors with your browser』s console?

Table of contentsJavaScript errorsHow to check for general JavaScript errors?How to recognize JavaScript errors?

Yoast SEO relies more and more on JavaScript. This allows the plugin to interact with your WordPress admin in real-time, for example for the snippet editor, the SEO analysis and the readability analysis. Having real-time feedback on your content allows for a much smoother web experience. So, you really want this to be in JavaScript!

Not sure why you should upgrade to Yoast SEO Premium? Check this features chart to compare both versions at a glance.

JavaScript errors

Unfortunately, not everything in the garden is rosy. JavaScript does have a minor downside. The downside of JavaScript is that a single error may stop all of the scripts on a page from working. Yes, that means that another plugin can break Yoast SEO』s JavaScript, and vice versa.

How to check for general JavaScript errors?

If you suspect that an issue on your website is caused by a JavaScript error, there luckily is an easy way to check that. And it』s built into your browser!

Depending on your browser its naming is slightly different, but following Chrome and FireFox, we』ll call it the 『Console』. Every browser has a different way of accessing the console, so please select your browser for detailed instructions.

Chrome
FireFox
Microsoft Edge
Edge
Safari
Opera

How to recognize JavaScript errors?

Alright, so you』ve opened the console. Great! Now let』s see if there are any JavaScript errors.

Use the tab you opened the console with to navigate to the page you want to check, or if you』re already on that page, reload it.

If there are no errors, you should see something like this:

If there are errors on the page, you』ll see a red line. For example like this:

You can expand the error in the console by clicking the black arrow. It』ll then show something like this:

If you』ve found a JavaScript error, please take a screenshot of the expanded version of the error to include with your bug report.