Frequently Asked Questions
Does this plugin load any frontend assets?
No. RationalSEO loads zero CSS or JavaScript files on the frontend. All output is server-rendered HTML — meta tags, link elements, and a JSON-LD script block. There is no performance impact on page load.
Can I use this with other SEO plugins?
We recommend using only one SEO plugin at a time. Running multiple SEO plugins will produce duplicate meta tags, duplicate Open Graph tags, and duplicate structured data — all of which can confuse search engines. Deactivate other SEO plugins before activating RationalSEO.
Will I lose my SEO data if I deactivate the plugin?
No. Per-post data (titles, descriptions, noindex flags, etc.) is stored as post meta and remains in the database after deactivation. Global settings are stored in wp_options and also preserved. Data is only deleted on full uninstall (plugin deletion).
Where is the content scoring or readability analysis?
RationalSEO deliberately omits content scoring, readability checks, keyword density counters, and traffic lights. These features do not directly influence search engines and add unnecessary UI complexity. The focus keyword checks in the editor meta box are the extent of content analysis — and they are informational only.
How does the automatic meta description work?
When no custom meta description is set, RationalSEO falls back in this order: post excerpt → first sentence containing the focus keyword → first 160 characters of post content. Descriptions are truncated at word boundaries and limited to 160 characters.
How do I verify my site with Google Search Console?
Go to Settings → RationalWP → SEO → General → Webmaster Tools and paste just the content value (not the full meta tag) from Google Search Console. RationalSEO outputs the verification tag in your site’s <head>.
Troubleshooting
Duplicate title tags
If you see two <title> tags in your page source, another plugin or your theme is also outputting a title. RationalSEO removes theme title-tag support automatically, but some themes or plugins may output titles via hardcoded template code. Check your theme’s header.php for a hardcoded <title> tag.
Sitemap returns a 404
If /sitemap.xml returns a 404 error, flush your rewrite rules:
- Go to Settings → Permalinks in the WordPress admin
- Click Save Changes (no changes needed — this flushes rewrite rules)
This is commonly needed after first activation or after toggling sitemaps on/off.
Schema markup not appearing
RationalSEO outputs JSON-LD structured data inside wp_head. If you don’t see it in your page source, ensure no other plugin is removing or filtering wp_head output. View the page source and search for RationalSEO — all output is wrapped in comments.
AI buttons not appearing in the meta box
The AI suggestion and generation buttons only appear when an OpenAI API key is configured. Go to Settings → RationalWP → SEO → General → AI Assistant and enter your API key. The key must be valid and start with sk-.
Support
For bug reports and feature requests, visit the plugin’s GitHub repository or contact us through the contact page.