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This workflow automates the update of Yoast SEO metadata for a specific post or product on a WordPress or WooCommerce site.
It sends a POST request to a custom API endpoint exposed by the Yoast SEO API Manager plugin, allowing for programmatic changes to the SEO title and meta description.
Prerequisites
- A WordPress site with administrator access.
- The Yoast SEO plugin installed and activated.
- The Yoast SEO API Manager companion plugin installed and activated to expose the required API endpoint.
- WordPress credentials configured within your n8n instance.
Setup Steps
- Configure the Settings Node: In the
Settingsnode, replace the value of thewordpress URLvariable with the full URL of your WordPress site (e.g.,https://your-domain.com/). - Set Credentials: In the
HTTP Request - Update Yoast Metanode, select your pre-configured WordPress credentials from the Credential for WordPress API dropdown menu. - Define Target and Content: In the same
HTTP Requestnode, navigate to the Body Parameters section and update the following values:post_id: The ID of the WordPress post or WooCommerce product you wish to update.yoast_title: The new SEO title.yoast_description: The new meta description.
How It Works
- Manual Trigger: The workflow is initiated manually. This can be replaced by any trigger node for full automation.
- Settings Node: This node defines the base URL of the target WordPress instance. This centralizes the configuration, making it easier to manage.
- HTTP Request Node: This is the core component. It constructs and sends a
POSTrequest to the/wp-json/yoast-api/v1/update-metaendpoint. The request body contains thepost_idand the new metadata, and it authenticates using the selected n8n WordPress credentials.
Customization Guide
- Dynamic Inputs: To update posts dynamically, replace the static values in the
HTTP Requestnode with n8n expressions. For example, you can use data from a Google Sheets node by setting thepost_idvalue to an expression like{{ $json.column_name }}. - Update Additional Fields: The underlying API may support updating other Yoast fields. Consult the Yoast SEO API Manager plugin's documentation to identify other available parameters (e.g.,
yoast_canonical_url) and add them to the Body Parameters section of theHTTP Requestnode. - Change the Trigger: Replace the
When clicking ‘Test workflow’node with any other trigger node to fit your use case, such as:- Schedule: To run the update on a recurring basis.
- Webhook: To trigger the update from an external service.
- Google Sheets: To trigger the workflow whenever a row is added or updated in a specific sheet.
Yoast SEO API Manager Plugin for WordPress
// ATTENTION: Replace the line below with <?php - This is necessary due to display constraints in web interfaces.
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: Yoast SEO API Manager v1.2
* Description: Manages the update of Yoast metadata (SEO Title, Meta Description) via a dedicated REST API endpoint.
* Version: 1.2
* Author: Phil - https://inforeole.fr (Adapted by Expert n8n)
*/
if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
exit; // Exit if accessed directly.
}
class Yoast_API_Manager {
public function __construct() {
add_action('rest_api_init', [$this, 'register_api_routes']);
}
/**
* Registers the REST API route to update Yoast meta fields.
*/
public function register_api_routes() {
register_rest_route( 'yoast-api/v1', '/update-meta', [
'methods' => 'POST',
'callback' => [$this, 'update_yoast_meta'],
'permission_callback' => [$this, 'check_route_permission'],
'args' => [
'post_id' => [
'required' => true,
'validate_callback' => function( $param ) {
$post = get_post( (int) $param );
if ( ! $post ) {
return false;
}
$allowed_post_types = class_exists('WooCommerce') ? ['post', 'product'] : ['post'];
return in_array($post->post_type, $allowed_post_types, true);
},
'sanitize_callback' => 'absint',
],
'yoast_title' => [
'type' => 'string',
'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
],
'yoast_description' => [
'type' => 'string',
'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
],
],
] );
}
/**
* Updates the Yoast meta fields for a specific post.
*
* @param WP_REST_Request $request The REST API request instance.
* @return WP_REST_Response|WP_Error Response object on success, or WP_Error on failure.
*/
public function update_yoast_meta( WP_REST_Request $request ) {
$post_id = $request->get_param('post_id');
if ( ! current_user_can('edit_post', $post_id) ) {
return new WP_Error(
'rest_forbidden',
'You do not have permission to edit this post.',
['status' => 403]
);
}
// Map API parameters to Yoast database meta keys
$fields_map = [
'yoast_title' => '_yoast_wpseo_title',
'yoast_description' => '_yoast_wpseo_metadesc',
];
$results = [];
$updated = false;
foreach ( $fields_map as $param_name => $meta_key ) {
if ( $request->has_param( $param_name ) ) {
$value = $request->get_param( $param_name );
update_post_meta( $post_id, $meta_key, $value );
$results[$param_name] = 'updated';
$updated = true;
}
}
if ( ! $updated ) {
return new WP_Error(
'no_fields_provided',
'No Yoast fields were provided for update.',
['status' => 400]
);
}
return new WP_REST_Response( $results, 200 );
}
/**
* Checks if the current user has permission to access the REST API route.
*
* @return bool
*/
public function check_route_permission() {
return current_user_can( 'edit_posts' );
}
}
new Yoast_API_Manager();
Bulk version available here : this bulk version, provided with a dedicated WordPress plugin, allows you to generate and bulk-update meta titles and descriptions for multiple articles simultaneously using artificial intelligence. It automates the entire process, from article selection to the final update in Yoast, offering considerable time savings.
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