ForestSEO

Publication Workflow

Step-by-step guide to publishing, managing, and troubleshooting content distribution across multiple platforms.

This guide walks you through the complete publication workflow in Forest SEO - from creating your first publication to managing content across multiple platforms.

📋 Before You Begin

Prerequisites

✅ Required:

  • Forest SEO account with active project
  • Generated content ready to publish
  • At least one integration connected

✅ Recommended:

  • Test integration connection first
  • Review content for quality
  • Understand target platform requirements

🚀 Method 1: Quick Publish from Content Page

Best for: Publishing a specific article to one or more platforms

Step 1: Navigate to Content

  1. Go to Dashboard → Content
  2. Find the article you want to publish
  3. Click on the article to open details

Step 2: Access Publications Section

Scroll to the Publications section in the content detail page.

What you'll see:

  • List of existing publications (if any)
  • + Add Platform button
  • Quick action buttons for each publication

Step 3: Create New Publication

  1. Click + Add Platform button
  2. Select target integration from dropdown
  3. Click Create Publication

Result: Publication created with status Pending

Step 4: Publish to Platform

  1. Locate the new publication in the list
  2. Click the Publish button
  3. Wait for confirmation

Publishing Process:

  1. Content is formatted for platform
  2. API call sends content to WordPress
  3. WordPress creates/updates post
  4. External post ID is stored
  5. Status updates to Published

Step 5: Verify Publication

After successful publish:

  1. External URL appears in publication details
  2. Click the URL to view live post
  3. Verify content displays correctly

Quick Checks:

  • ✅ Title matches
  • ✅ Content formatting is correct
  • ✅ Images are displayed
  • ✅ Categories/tags applied
  • ✅ SEO metadata present

📤 Method 2: Batch Publish from Publications Page

Best for: Managing multiple publications across different content

Step 1: Navigate to Publications

  1. Go to Dashboard → Publications
  2. View all publications across all content

Step 2: Filter & Search

Use filters to find specific publications:

Filter Options:

  • Status: Pending, Published, Failed
  • Integration: Platform type
  • Search: Content title or ID

Example Workflow:

  1. Set filter to Status: Pending
  2. See all unpublished content
  3. Publish in batches

Step 3: Bulk Actions (Coming Soon)

Future capability to publish multiple items at once:

🔄 Managing Existing Publications

Sync Publication Status

Keep platform status in sync:

When to Sync:

  • After manual edits on platform
  • If status seems outdated
  • Before important operations

How to Sync:

  1. Find publication in list
  2. Click Actions → Sync
  3. Wait for status update

Unpublish from Platform

Remove content from a platform:

Steps:

  1. Click Actions → Unpublish
  2. Confirm action
  3. Content removed from platform

What Happens:

  • Post deleted or moved to trash on platform
  • Publication status → Pending
  • External URL removed
  • Can be republished later

Note: Unpublishing from one platform doesn't affect other platforms.

Update Existing Content

Scenario: You edited content in Forest SEO and want to update published version.

Option 1: Republish with Update Flag

  1. Edit content in Forest SEO
  2. Go to publication
  3. Click Publish with "Update Existing" checked
  4. Platform post is updated (not duplicated)

Option 2: Manual Sync

  1. Edit content on platform directly
  2. Click Sync in Forest SEO
  3. Metadata updates but content unchanged

Delete Publication

Remove publication record:

When to Delete:

  • Content no longer needed
  • Wrong platform selected
  • Duplicate publication created

Steps:

  1. Click Actions → Delete
  2. Confirm deletion
  3. Publication record removed

Warning: Deleting a publication in Forest SEO does NOT remove content from the platform. Unpublish first if you want to remove from platform.

📊 Publication Detail View

Click on any publication to see full details:

Information Displayed

Publication Metadata:

  • Content title and excerpt
  • Target integration name
  • Current status
  • Created/published timestamps

Platform Details:

  • External post ID
  • External post URL
  • Platform categories
  • Platform tags

Error Information (if failed):

  • Error message
  • Error timestamp
  • Suggested fixes

🎯 Common Workflows

Workflow 1: Single Content, Multiple Platforms

Goal: Publish one article to 3 different WordPress sites

Steps:

  1. Open article in Content page
  2. Click + Add Platform → Select "myblog.com"
  3. Publish to myblog.com
  4. Click + Add Platform → Select "news.com"
  5. Publish to news.com
  6. Click + Add Platform → Select "resources.com"
  7. Publish to resources.com

Result: Same article live on 3 different sites

Workflow 2: Batch Content to Single Platform

Goal: Publish 10 pending articles to WordPress

Steps:

  1. Generate or prepare 10 articles
  2. Go to Content page
  3. For each article:
    • Click article → + Add Platform → Select WordPress
    • Creates publication (Pending status)
  4. Go to Publications page
  5. Filter: Status = Pending, Integration = WordPress
  6. Publish each one (or use bulk publish when available)

Workflow 3: Review & Approve Before Publishing

Goal: Generate content, review, then publish approved items

Steps:

  1. Generate 50 articles via schedule
  2. Review each article for quality
  3. For approved articles:
    • Open article → + Add Platform
    • Create publication but don't publish yet
  4. Once all reviewed:
    • Go to Publications page
    • Filter: Status = Pending
    • Batch publish approved items

Workflow 4: Scheduled Publishing (Coming Soon)

Goal: Publish content at specific times

Future Capability:

  1. Create publication
  2. Set publish date/time
  3. System automatically publishes at scheduled time
  4. Receive notification when published

⚠️ Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Publishing Fails

Symptoms:

  • Publication status → Failed
  • Error message displayed
  • Content not on platform

Common Causes & Fixes:

ErrorCauseSolution
"Authentication failed"Integration disconnectedReconnect integration in Integrations page
"Network timeout"Slow/unstable connectionRetry publishing
"Invalid API key"Credentials expiredUpdate integration credentials
"Post not found"Platform issueCheck platform status

Issue 2: Duplicate Content

Symptoms:

  • Same article appears twice on platform
  • Multiple external post IDs

Cause: Publishing multiple times without "Update Existing" flag

Solution:

  1. Identify duplicate posts on platform
  2. Delete duplicates manually on platform
  3. In Forest SEO, keep one publication
  4. Delete extra publication records
  5. Use "Update Existing" for future updates

Issue 3: Status Not Updating

Symptoms:

  • Status shows "Published" but content not on platform
  • Or vice versa

Solution:

  1. Click Sync button
  2. Wait for status refresh
  3. If still incorrect, check platform directly
  4. Unpublish and republish if needed

Issue 4: Missing External URL

Symptoms:

  • Status is "Published"
  • No external URL shown
  • Can't visit live post

Solution:

  1. Click Sync to fetch URL
  2. If still missing, check platform manually
  3. Note post ID and update publication metadata
  4. Contact support if issue persists

🎛️ Advanced Options

Custom Publishing Settings

When creating publications, advanced settings include:

WordPress-Specific:

  • Post status (draft, publish, future)
  • Post format (standard, aside, gallery, etc.)
  • Author assignment
  • Comment status
  • Ping status

Ghost-Specific:

  • Visibility (public, members, paid)
  • Featured flag
  • Email newsletter inclusion
  • Custom excerpt

Platform-Agnostic:

  • Categories mapping
  • Tags mapping
  • Featured image URL
  • Custom publication date

📈 Monitoring & Optimization

Track Publication Performance

Key Metrics to Monitor:

MetricWhat It Tells YouAction
Success Rate% of successful publishesInvestigate failures if < 95%
Avg. Publish TimeHow long publishes takeOptimize if > 30 seconds
Platform DistributionWhere content goesBalance across platforms
Failed PublicationsPublications with errorsFix and retry

Regular Maintenance Tasks

Daily:

  • ✅ Review failed publications
  • ✅ Retry failed publishes
  • ✅ Verify critical content is live

Weekly:

  • ✅ Sync all published content
  • ✅ Clean up old/unused publications
  • ✅ Review platform distribution

Monthly:

  • ✅ Audit all integrations
  • ✅ Update integration credentials if needed
  • ✅ Review publication success rates

🎓 Best Practices

1. Start Small, Scale Up

Recommended Progression:

  1. Week 1: Publish to 1 platform
  2. Week 2: Add 2nd platform
  3. Week 3: Add 3rd+ platforms
  4. Week 4: Optimize workflows

2. Test Integration Before Bulk Publishing

Before publishing 100 articles:

  1. Publish 1 test article
  2. Verify it appears correctly
  3. Check all settings are right
  4. Then proceed with bulk publishing

3. Use Descriptive Integration Names

Instead of:

  • ❌ "WordPress"
  • ❌ "Site 1"

Use:

  • ✅ "WordPress - Main Blog (myblog.com)"
  • ✅ "WordPress - News Site (news.myblog.com)"

Makes publication management clearer.

4. Leverage Filters

Use publications page filters to:

  • View pending publications needing action
  • Find failed publications to retry
  • Audit publications by platform
  • Search for specific content

5. Document Your Workflow

Keep notes on:

  • Which content goes to which platforms
  • Publishing schedules and timing
  • Common issues and solutions
  • Platform-specific requirements

🔗 Related Documentation

📊 Publications Overview

Understand publication concepts and features

🔌 Integrations

Set up and manage platform connections

📄 Content Management

Manage content before publishing

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I publish to multiple platforms at once?

Not yet, but coming soon! Currently, create separate publications for each platform and publish individually.

What happens if I delete content in Forest SEO?

The content is removed from Forest SEO but remains on published platforms. Unpublish first if you want to remove from platforms.

Can I schedule publications for the future?

Scheduling is coming soon! Current workaround: create publication now, publish manually at desired time.

Do I need to create a publication before publishing?

Yes, publications are the link between content and platforms. Create publication first, then publish.

Can I edit content after publishing?

Yes! Edit in Forest SEO, then republish with "Update Existing" flag to update platform post.

What's the difference between Sync and Publish?

  • Publish: Sends content to platform (creates/updates post)
  • Sync: Fetches current status from platform (doesn't modify post)

💡 Pro Tips

Tip #1: Create all publications first, review the list, then batch publish. Gives you overview before committing.

Tip #2: Use Publications page filters to find "Published" items and bulk sync their status weekly.

Tip #3: Name your integrations descriptively - makes publication management much easier with multiple platforms.

Tip #4: Failed publications can always be retried. Don't delete them immediately - fix the issue and retry.

Tip #5: External URLs are clickable - use them to quickly verify published content looks correct.

🎬 Quick Start Checklist

Ready to publish? Follow this checklist:

  • Content generated and reviewed
  • Integration connected and tested
  • Navigate to Content page
  • Open article detail
  • Click "+ Add Platform"
  • Select integration
  • Create publication
  • Click "Publish"
  • Wait for confirmation
  • Click external URL to verify
  • ✅ Content is live!

Next: Set up additional integrations and repeat the process to expand your reach!