WordPress Integration

Connect your WordPress site to Forest SEO for automated content publishing using REST API and application passwords.

Connect your WordPress site to Forest SEO for automated content publishing—the most popular CMS integration with full feature support.

✅ Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Requirement	Minimum Version	Notes
WordPress	5.6+	For Application Passwords
Access Level	Administrator	Required for integration setup
Hosting	Any	Self-hosted or WordPress.com Business+
SSL	Recommended	HTTPS for secure connection
REST API	Enabled	Usually enabled by default

🚀 Setup Process

Method 1: Application Password ⭐ Recommended

Application Passwords are the most secure and WordPress-native authentication method.

Step 1: Generate Application Password

Login to WordPress
- Navigate to your WordPress admin dashboard
- URL: https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin
Access Your Profile
- Go to Users → Profile (or click your name in top-right)
- Scroll down to Application Passwords section
Create Password
- Enter name: Forest SEO
- Click Add New Application Password
- ⚠️ Copy the password immediately — it won't be shown again

💡 Pro Tip

Save the application password in a secure location (password manager). If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.

Step 2: Connect in Forest SEO

Navigate to Integrations
- Go to Project Settings → Integrations
- Click Add Integration button
Select WordPress
- Choose WordPress from the platform list

Enter Connection Details

Field	Example	Description
Site URL	`https://yourdomain.com`	Your WordPress site URL (no trailing slash)
Username	`admin`	Your WordPress username
Application Password	`xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx`	The password you copied (spaces are OK)

Test & Save
- Click Test Connection
- Wait for ✅ Connection Successful
- Click Save Integration

⚙️ Configuration Options

Publishing Settings

Configure how content is created on your WordPress site:

Setting	Options	Default	Purpose
📊 Post Status	Draft, Pending, Published	Published	Control visibility immediately
📝 Post Type	Post, Page, Custom	Post	Standard blog posts
✍️ Default Author	Any WordPress user	Admin	Attribution for articles
📁 Default Category	Any category	Uncategorized	Fallback organization
🏷️ Auto Tags	Enabled/Disabled	Enabled	Use keywords as tags

Content Mapping

Forest SEO automatically maps content fields to WordPress:

Forest SEO Field	WordPress Field	Notes
Title	`post_title`	Article headline
Content	`post_content`	Full article body (HTML)
Excerpt	`post_excerpt`	Auto-generated summary
Slug	`post_name`	URL-friendly identifier
Featured Image	`_thumbnail_id`	First image or specified
Categories	`post_category`	Multiple categories supported
Tags	`tags_input`	From keywords + custom

🔌 SEO Plugin Integration

Forest SEO works seamlessly with popular WordPress SEO plugins:

Yoast SEO

Forest SEO Field	Yoast Meta Field	Purpose
Meta Title	`_yoast_wpseo_title`	SEO title tag
Meta Description	`_yoast_wpseo_metadesc`	Search snippet
Focus Keyword	`_yoast_wpseo_focuskw`	Primary keyword
Canonical URL	`_yoast_wpseo_canonical`	Duplicate control

RankMath SEO

Forest SEO Field	RankMath Meta Field	Purpose
Meta Title	`rank_math_title`	SEO title tag
Meta Description	`rank_math_description`	Search snippet
Focus Keyword	`rank_math_focus_keyword`	Primary keyword

All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

Forest SEO Field	AIOSEO Meta Field	Purpose
Meta Title	`_aioseo_title`	SEO title tag
Meta Description	`_aioseo_description`	Search snippet

🎯 Publishing Workflow

Publishing Options

Mode	Behavior	Best For
🤖 Auto-Publish	Articles publish immediately after approval	High-volume content workflows
👤 Manual	Review then click publish per article	Quality-focused workflows
⏰ Scheduled	Queue for specific date/time	Content calendar management

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
🔴 Authentication Failed	Invalid credentials or expired password	Regenerate application password and reconnect
🔴 Permission Error	User lacks publish permissions	Use admin account or grant `publish_posts` capability
🟡 Media Upload Fails	File size limits or permissions	Increase `upload_max_filesize` in php.ini
🟡 Slow Publishing	Server resource limits	Contact host to increase PHP memory/execution time
🔴 REST API Disabled	Security plugin blocking API	Whitelist Forest SEO IP or disable REST API blocks
🟡 Missing Categories	Categories don't exist	Create categories in WordPress first

REST API Verification

Test if your WordPress REST API is accessible:

Visit: https://yourdomain.com/wp-json
Expected: JSON response with API routes
If blocked: Check security plugins (Wordfence, iThemes Security, etc.)

🔒 Security Plugin Note

Some security plugins block REST API access by default. You may need to whitelist Forest SEO's IP addresses or add an exception for authenticated requests.

Debug Mode

Enable detailed error logging:

Go to Integration Settings
Enable Debug Mode
Attempt publishing
Check Activity Log for detailed errors
Share logs with support if needed

✅ Best Practices

For Optimal Results

Practice	Benefit	Priority
🔒 Use Application Passwords	Most secure native method	🔴 Critical
✍️ Set Default Author	Proper attribution	🟡 Important
📁 Configure Categories	Better organization	🟡 Important
🧪 Test with Draft First	Verify before going live	🔴 Critical
📊 Monitor First Week	Catch issues early	🟡 Important

WordPress Optimization

Optimize your WordPress site for integration:

✅ Use Caching Plugin — WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache
✅ Optimize Database — Regular cleanup with WP-Optimize
✅ Update WordPress — Keep to latest version
✅ Quality Hosting — Adequate resources for API calls
✅ CDN for Media — Cloudflare or similar for images

🚀 Advanced Features

Custom Post Types

Publish to custom post types:

// In your theme's functions.php or plugin
add_post_type_support( 'your_custom_post_type', 'forest-seo' );

Custom Field Mapping

Map Forest SEO fields to custom fields:

Forest SEO Field	Custom Field	Use Case
Reading Time	`_reading_time`	Display estimated reading time
Word Count	`_word_count`	Show article length
AI Generated	`_ai_generated`	Track content source