Lifetime Deal Get lifetime Pro access for a one-time payment, Limited founding member spots remainingLifetime access · limited spotsSee pricing →
Rank Bix SEO logoRankBix

Rank Bix SEO Documentation
Everything you need to install, configure and get the most out of every feature.

No results for ""

Try a different keyword or browse the contents sidebar.

Overview

Rank Bix SEO is a lightweight, practical, and fully featured SEO plugin for WordPress. Everything you need to manage on-page SEO without the bloat.

Meta Title & DescriptionCustom SEO metadata per post with global templates
Open Graph & Twitter CardsFull social sharing metadata control
XML & HTML SitemapsAuto-generated, cached, with auto-ping
Google News SitemapSeparate news sitemap at /news-sitemap.xml
Schema / JSON-LDArticles, products, FAQs, local business, and more
Image SEOAuto-fills missing alt and title attributes
Keyword Analysis13-point focus keyword scoring in the post editor
BreadcrumbsShortcode and template function with JSON-LD output
Redirections301/302/307/308 redirect manager with CSV import/export
Bulk SEO EditorEdit SEO fields for many posts at once
Duplicate PageClone posts/pages with full SEO data copying
IndexNowInstant search engine pings on publish/update
LLMs.txtServes /llms.txt for AI systems; optional AI crawler blocking
404 MonitorLogs 404 errors to a database table, up to 500 entries
Broken Link CheckerBackground cron checks for broken external links
AI Meta GeneratorAI-generated titles and descriptions via your own API keys
Table of ContentsAuto-generated TOC from H2/H3 headings
SEO Health AlertsRed toolbar alerts for critical SEO issues
Dashboard WidgetWP Admin overview widget with health status and stats
Import SEO DataMigrate from Yoast SEO, Rank Math, All in One SEO
Image Alt AuditFull media library audit for missing alt text with inline editing
Canonical URL ControlAuto-set canonical tags to prevent duplicate content. Override per post.
Cornerstone ContentFlag posts as cornerstone/pillar content from the editor or admin toolbar
Robots.txt ManagerVirtual robots.txt editor with custom rules and AI bot blocking
Webmaster VerificationVerify with Google, Bing, Pinterest, and Yandex. No manual theme edits.
LocalBusiness SchemaBusiness name, address, phone, opening hours, geo-coordinates
WebSite & Sitelinks SchemaWebSite structured data with SearchAction for sitelinks search box
SEO Page AnalyzerFree public tool at rankbix.com — 19-point analysis, SERP preview, PDF export
Toolbar: SEO Score BadgeColour-coded score badge in the admin bar on every page and post
Toolbar: Mark this pageQuick-toggle Cornerstone, NoIndex, NoFollow from any page view
MultilingualPolylang and WPML compatibility with hreflang sitemap support
Elementor IntegrationSEO panel inside the Elementor editor sidebar

Installation

  1. Upload the rankbix-seo folder to /wp-content/plugins/.
  2. Activate the plugin via Plugins → Installed Plugins.
  3. Go to Rank Bix SEO in the WordPress admin sidebar.
  4. Configure your settings at Rank Bix SEO → Settings.
  5. Edit any post or page to set per-post SEO data in the meta box.

Getting started checklist

  • Set your homepage SEO title in Settings → General
  • Enable the XML Sitemap in Settings → Sitemap
  • Enable IndexNow in Settings → Tools

Dashboard

Rank Bix SEO → Dashboard

A snapshot of your site at a glance: stats, module status, and quick-action shortcuts.

Stats Row

StatWhat it shows
Published PostsCount of published posts
Published PagesCount of published pages
Active RedirectsCount of enabled redirect rules
404 ErrorsTotal logged 404 hits (orange when > 0). Links to the 404 log
Broken LinksCount of detected broken external links (orange when > 0)
404 Errors and Broken Links only appear when their respective features are enabled in Settings → Tools.

Module Status

Shows On/Off status for every feature module:

Meta Title & DescriptionOpen Graph & Twitter CardsXML SitemapSchema / JSON-LDImage SEOImage Alt AuditKeyword AnalysisBreadcrumbsDuplicate PageRedirectionsBulk SEO EditorIndexNowLLMs.txt404 MonitorBroken Link Checker

Quick Actions

  • Open Settings
  • Manage Redirections
  • Bulk SEO Editor
  • View Sitemap (only shown when sitemap is enabled)

Settings

Rank Bix SEO → Settings

Settings are split across eight tabs (Pro adds a ninth: .htaccess Editor). The active tab is remembered across saves via sessionStorage. Deep-link to any tab using the URL hash, e.g. admin.php?page=rankbix-seo-settings#advanced. Tabs with their own AJAX Save button (404 Monitor, .htaccess Editor) hide the main Save Settings button automatically.

4.1 General

Homepage SEO

FieldDescription
Homepage TitleCustom SEO title for the home page. Falls back to the site name if left blank.
Title SeparatorCharacter placed between post title and site name (default: ). Shown as: Post Title – Site Name.
Homepage Meta DescriptionMeta description for the home page. Recommended length: 120–160 characters.

Content Analysis

FieldDescription
Enable focus keyword analysisEnables the keyword analysis panel in the post editor. Turn off to hide the analysis tab site-wide.
Breadcrumb SeparatorCharacter used between breadcrumb items (default: ).

Title & Description Template Variables

VariableOutput
%post_title%The post title
%site_name%Your site name
%sep%The title separator
%category%The primary category
%author%The post author name
%year%The publication year
%excerpt%A short post excerpt
%term_title%The taxonomy term name (for archives)
Example:%post_title% %sep% %site_name%My Post Title – My Site

SEO Meta Box: Post Types

Choose which post types display the Rank Bix SEO meta box in the post editor. All public post types are enabled by default. Unchecking a post type removes the SEO meta box and the SEO Score column from its post listing screen.

Use case: If you have post types managed by page builders or other tools that do not benefit from SEO management (e.g. popup, slide, product_variation), uncheck them to reduce editor clutter without affecting post types you do care about.

4.2 Social

FieldDescription
Default OG / Social ImageFallback image used in Open Graph and Twitter Card tags when no post-specific or featured image is found. Recommended size: 1200×630px.
Twitter Card TypeSummary Large Image (default, large card) or Summary (small thumbnail).
Image priority order: Custom OG image per post → Featured image → First content image → Default image set here.

4.3 Local Business

Optional. Fill in these fields to output LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema on your site. Leave all fields blank to disable.

FieldDescription
Business NameYour business name as it should appear in search results.
Business TypeLocalBusiness, Restaurant, Store, MedicalBusiness, LegalService, FinancialService, Hotel, AutoDealer
PhoneContact phone number.
Street AddressFull street address.
CityCity name.
Country CodeTwo-letter ISO country code (e.g. US, GB).
Latitude / LongitudeGeo-coordinates for the business location (e.g. 51.5074 / -0.1278). Used in GeoCoordinates schema.
Opening HoursOne entry per line in Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00 format. Follows schema.org/openingHours spec.

4.4 Sitemap

FieldDescription
Enable SitemapMaster toggle. Enables or disables all sitemap generation.
Sitemap FormatChoose between XML only, HTML only, or Both.
Auto-pings Google & Bing on publishAutomatically notifies Google and Bing when content is published or updated.

Sitemap URLs

SitemapURL
XML Sitemap Index/sitemap_index.xml
HTML Sitemap/html-sitemap/
Google News Sitemap/news-sitemap.xml
Sitemap returns 404? Go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save to flush WordPress rewrite rules.

Sitemap Index Structure

The XML sitemap uses a sitemap index format at /sitemap_index.xml, listing individual sub-sitemaps per post type and taxonomy, the same format recognised by Google Search Console. Legacy /sitemap.xml 301-redirects to the index automatically.

URLContents
/sitemap_index.xmlMaster index listing all sub-sitemaps
/post-sitemap.xmlAll published posts
/page-sitemap.xmlAll published pages
/category-sitemap.xmlCategory archive pages
/news-sitemap.xmlGoogle News sitemap
Visiting any sitemap URL in a browser renders a styled HTML view. Search engine crawlers receive clean XML. No XSL dependency required.

4.5 Advanced

Site Verification Tags

FieldWhere to get it
Google Search ConsoleGoogle Search Console → Add property → HTML tag → copy only the content="..." value
Bing Webmaster ToolsBing Webmaster → Add site → HTML meta tag → copy content value
PinterestPinterest Settings → Claim website → HTML tag
Yandex WebmasterYandex Webmaster → Add site → HTML meta tag

Image SEO

Auto-fill alt and title attributes for newly uploaded images. Available variables: %post_title%, %filename%, %site_name%.

FieldDescription
Alt text templateApplied when an image is uploaded. Leave blank to use the cleaned filename.
Title attribute templateApplied to title="" in content. Leave blank to copy from alt text.

Admin Toolbar

FieldDefaultDescription
Show SEO alert badges in the admin toolbarOnWhen enabled, SEO issue alerts appear inside the Rank Bix SEO toolbar menu. Uncheck to hide alert items while keeping the toolbar menu itself visible.
The Rank Bix SEO toolbar menu is always visible to administrators regardless of this setting.

AI Meta Generator: API Keys

ProviderKey formatPricing
Claude (Anthropic)sk-ant-api03-...Paid
ChatGPT (OpenAI)sk-proj-...Paid
Google GeminiAIzaSy...Free tier available
Groqgsk_...Free (fastest)
Cohereco_...Free tier (1,000 req/month)
Keys are stored in your WordPress database (wp_options) using the same mechanism as all other plugin settings, protected by WordPress authentication. They are never exposed in HTML output, logs, or API responses. For additional hardening, define keys as PHP constants in wp-config.php instead of entering them in the settings UI.

Preferred AI Models

ProviderAvailable models
OpenAIgpt-4o-mini, gpt-4o
Claudeclaude-haiku-4-5, claude-sonnet-4-5
Google Geminigemini-1.5-flash, gemini-1.5-pro
Groqllama3-8b-8192, llama3-70b-8192
Coherecommand-r

4.6 Robots & Indexing

Noindex Controls

FieldDefaultDescription
Noindex search result pagesOnAdds a noindex meta tag to WordPress internal search result pages (?s=). Recommended. Search pages have no unique SEO value and waste crawl budget.
Noindex date & author archivesOnAdds a noindex meta tag to date archives (/2024/01/) and author archive pages (/author/name/). Recommended for most sites. These pages duplicate content already found on your posts and categories.
Noindex by Post TypeOffAdds noindex to all singular pages of the selected post types. Useful for suppressing e.g. landing-page post types from search results.
Noindex by TaxonomyOffAdds noindex to all term archive pages for the selected taxonomies. Use when a taxonomy's archive pages duplicate category content.

Custom robots.txt Rules

FieldDescription
Custom robots.txt rulesAdditional rules appended to your site's /robots.txt. Enter one block per user-agent. Example: User-agent: GPTBot / Disallow: /

LLMs.txt Module

Serves a /llms.txt file at your domain root describing your site to AI systems such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.

FieldDescription
LLMs.txt ContentEditable text area in Markdown format. Leave blank to use the auto-generated default.
Block common AI crawlers via robots.txtAdds Disallow: / entries for GPTBot, Claude-Web, CCBot, Bytespider, PerplexityBot, and others (default: Off).

4.7 404 Monitor Module

The 404 Monitor tab has its own AJAX Save button and is outside the main settings form. When this tab is active, the main Save Settings button is hidden automatically.

FieldDescription
Module statusShows whether the 404 Monitor module is active and provides a link to the full 404 log.
Log Limit ProMaximum rows to keep (0 = default 500). Oldest entries are pruned automatically.
Ignore Query Parameters ProStrip query strings before logging so the same broken URL is not counted as multiple entries.
Exclude Paths ProRule-based exclusion list. Skip logging 404s that match patterns (starts_with, contains, exact, ends_with, regex).

4.8 Tools

IndexNow Module

Instantly notifies Bing, Yandex, and all IndexNow-participating search engines when you publish or update content. No API account required; the plugin auto-generates and serves the key verification file.

FieldDescription
Your IndexNow KeyAuto-generated unique key. Verification file served at /{key}.txt.

Broken Link Checker Module

FieldDescription
Run Scan NowTriggers an immediate WP-Cron scan (5 posts per run, stores up to 50 broken links).

Data Retention on Uninstall

Controls whether plugin data is deleted when you uninstall the plugin.

FieldDefaultDescription
Delete all data on uninstallOffWhen Off (default), all SEO data (post meta, settings, redirects, 404 logs, schema templates, and database tables) is preserved even after uninstalling. Must be explicitly enabled before uninstalling to remove data. Protects against accidental data loss.

Post / Page Editor Meta Box

The Rank Bix SEO meta box appears in the post/page editor below the content area. Available on all public post types including WooCommerce products and custom post types.

SEO Tab

FieldDescription
SEO TitleCustom SEO title for this post. Falls back to the template if left blank. Character counter shown.
Meta DescriptionCustom meta description. Character counter shown. Recommended: 120–160 characters.
Focus KeywordThe primary keyword you are targeting. Drives the keyword analysis scoring.
Canonical URLCustom canonical URL. Leave blank to use the default (current post URL).

Robots Tab

FieldDescription
noindexPrevents this specific post from being indexed by search engines
nofollowTells search engines not to follow links on this page
noarchivePrevents search engines from caching the page
nosnippetPrevents search engines from showing a text snippet in results
max-snippetLimits the snippet length in characters (e.g. -1 = no limit, 0 = no snippet, 120 = 120 chars). Leave empty to omit the tag.

Social Tab

FieldDescription
OG TitleCustom Open Graph title (overrides SEO title for social sharing)
OG DescriptionCustom Open Graph description
OG ImageCustom social sharing image for this post

Schema Tab

Set the Schema type for this post and add structured data directly in the editor:

  • Schema type per post: Auto (Article/WebPage), Product, HowTo, Review, or None
  • FAQ schema: add question/answer pairs to any post regardless of schema type
  • HowTo schema: add steps and total time directly in the editor
  • Cornerstone Content: mark posts/pages as cornerstone/pillar content

AI Meta Generator Tab

ControlDescription
Provider dropdownSelect an AI provider (only providers with a key configured are shown)
Model dropdownSelect a model, or use the site default
Tone of voiceChoose a tone: professional, friendly, casual, etc.
Generate Title + DescriptionGenerates both fields at once
Title OnlyGenerates only the SEO title
Description OnlyGenerates only the meta description
Use This Title / DescriptionApplies the generated text to the relevant field

Analysis Tab: Keyword Analysis

Displays a keyword analysis score for the current post. Score is shown in the post listing column (green ≥ 70, orange 40–69, red < 40, grey = no keyword set). Content is extracted from Elementor, Beaver Builder, Bricks, and Oxygen builders as well as standard post content.

#CheckWhat is evaluated
1Keyword in titleFocus keyword appears in the SEO title
2Keyword in descriptionFocus keyword appears in the meta description
3Keyword in URLFocus keyword appears in the post slug
4Keyword in contentFocus keyword appears in the post body
5Keyword in first paragraphFocus keyword appears early in the content
6Keyword in H2/H3Focus keyword appears in a subheading
7Keyword densityKeyword density between 0.5% and 2.5%
8Content lengthPost body has 300+ words
9Images with alt textAll images have alt text
10Featured imagePost has a featured image
11Internal linksPost contains at least one internal link
12Outbound linksPost contains at least one external link
13Title lengthSEO title is 40–70 characters
14Description lengthMeta description is 120–160 characters

Table of Contents Tab

FieldDescription
Enable TOC for this postAuto-generates a table of contents from H2 and H3 headings
TOC TitleCustom heading above the TOC (default: "Table of Contents"). This title is also used when inserting the TOC via the [rankbix_seo_toc] shortcode without a title attribute.

Redirections

Rank Bix SEO → Redirections

Manage URL redirects without a separate plugin. Uses a dedicated database table with a fast lookup process.

Adding a Redirect

FieldDescription
From URLThe old URL path (relative, e.g. /old-page/)
To URLThe destination URL (relative or absolute)
Type301 Permanent, 302 Temporary, 307 Strict Temporary, or 308 Permanent (preserves request method)
NotesOptional internal note about why the redirect exists
EnabledToggle to enable or disable without deleting

Redirect List

The list shows all configured redirects with From → To URLs, redirect type, hit counter, enabled/disabled toggle, and edit and delete actions.

CSV Import / Export

  • Export: downloads all redirects as a CSV file
  • Import: uploads a CSV to bulk-import redirects (merges with existing)

Debug Mode

Append ?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1 to any URL. Logged-in administrators see redirect match details instead of being redirected. Useful for testing.
https://yoursite.com/old-page/?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1

Advanced Redirections Pro

When the Advanced Redirections Pro module is enabled, two additional match types become available in the add/edit redirect form.

Match Types

TypeHow it worksExample
Exact (default)URL must match precisely, the default behaviour./old-page//new-page/
WildcardUse * as a catch-all segment. The matched portion replaces * in the destination URL./blog/*/news/*, so /blog/my-post/ redirects to /news/my-post/
RegexFull PHP regex pattern with delimiters and optional capture groups used as $1, $2 … in the destination.#^/products/([0-9]+)$#i/shop/item/$1

Redirect Chain Detector

When two redirects form a chain (A → B and B → C both exist), a warning card appears above the redirects table listing every chain. Click Fix next to any chain to update rule A so it points directly to C, eliminating the extra hop and preserving SEO equity.

Exact-match rules are always checked first. Wildcard and regex rules are evaluated in ID order (oldest first) only if no exact match is found.

404 Monitor

Rank Bix SEO → 404 Monitor

Logs 404 error requests to a database table for review and redirect creation. Stores up to 500 entries; oldest are pruned automatically when the limit is reached.

ColumnDescription
URLThe requested URL that returned 404
ReferrerWhere the visitor came from (if available)
HitsNumber of times this URL was requested
Last SeenDate/time of the most recent 404 hit
Actions+ Redirect (pre-fills Redirections form) / Delete
Enable or disable the monitor at Settings → Tools → 404 Monitor.

Image Alt Audit

Rank Bix SEO → Image Alt Audit

A full-library alt text audit. Every image in your media library is listed with its current alt status. Fix missing alt attributes inline, no need to open individual attachments.

Stats Overview

StatWhat it shows
Total ImagesCount of all images in the media library
Missing Alt TextImages without an alt attribute (shown in red when > 0)
Have Alt TextImages that already have alt text, with a progress bar showing the percentage

Filter Tabs

TabShows
AllEvery image in the library
Missing AltOnly images with no alt text set
Has AltOnly images that already have alt text

Image Table

ColumnDescription
ImageThumbnail preview. Row background is tinted red for missing alt, green for set.
FileFilename with file-type badge (JPG, PNG, WebP, etc.)
Used inPost or page the image is attached to (linked to the edit screen)
Alt TextInline editable field. Character counter colour-codes live: red = empty or under 30 chars, green = 30–125 chars (recommended range), amber = over 125 chars
ActionsSave Alt persists the value via AJAX; Suggest (Pro AI) generates alt text with AI vision

Fixing Alt Text

  1. Click the Missing Alt tab to focus on images that need attention.
  2. Type alt text into the inline input. The counter updates live and turns green in the optimal 30–125 character range.
  3. Click Save Alt. The row status badge updates immediately without a page reload.
  4. Work through the list until the progress bar reaches 100%.
Alt text is saved to WordPress attachment meta (_wp_attachment_image_alt). Changes take effect immediately across the entire site wherever the image is used.

Enable / Disable

Toggle the module at Rank Bix SEO → Features → Image Alt Audit. When disabled, the submenu entry is hidden and the page is inaccessible.

Bulk SEO Editor

Rank Bix SEO → Bulk SEO

Edit SEO data across many posts at once without opening each post individually. Changes are saved per-row immediately without a page reload.

Filters

FilterDescription
Post TypeFilter by posts, pages, products, or custom post types
Post StatusFilter by published, draft, etc.
Missing SEO TitleShow only posts without a custom SEO title
Missing DescriptionShow only posts without a meta description
Missing KeywordShow only posts without a focus keyword

Editable Columns

ColumnDescription
TitlePost title (read-only reference)
SEO TitleEditable SEO title field with live character counter
Meta DescriptionEditable meta description with live character counter
Focus KeywordEditable focus keyword field
NoindexToggle noindex on or off per post
SEO ScoreLive colour-coded score badge based on the 13-point check

Duplicate Page

Clone posts and pages with one click. The module is enabled or disabled from Rank Bix SEO → Features. When enabled, a Duplicate link appears in the post listing row actions and optionally in the post edit screen. A Duplicate shortcut also appears in the Rank Bix SEO admin bar group when viewing or editing any supported post.

SettingDescription
Allowed User RolesWhich user roles can see and use the duplicate action
Supported Post TypesWhich post types show the duplicate option
Duplicate Link LocationShow in row actions, post edit toolbar, or both
Duplicated Post StatusStatus of the cloned post: Draft (default), Published, or same as original
Redirect after duplicateWhether to redirect to the new duplicate's edit screen
Title prefixText prepended to the duplicate title (e.g. Copy of)
Title suffixText appended to the duplicate title
Copy custom SEO metaCopies Rank Bix SEO title, description, keyword, schema settings
Copy custom fieldsCopies post meta (custom fields)
Clone link labelCustom text for the "Duplicate" action link shown in row actions and toolbar (default: Duplicate)
Copy taxonomiesCopies categories, tags, and custom taxonomies
Keep original authorKeeps the original author instead of assigning the logged-in user

Import SEO Data

Rank Bix SEO → Import SEO

Migrate SEO data from another plugin in one step. The importer runs in the background and shows a summary of how many records were transferred.

Supported Source Plugins

Yoast SEORank MathAll in One SEO

Data Transferred

Data typeDescription
SEO TitlesCustom post-level SEO titles
Meta DescriptionsCustom meta descriptions
Focus KeywordsFocus keyword / primary keyword
Canonical URLsCustom canonical URL overrides
Noindex settingsPosts marked noindex in the source plugin
The importer reports exact counts of imported, skipped, and failed records after each run.

Admin Toolbar

Rank Bix SEO adds a quick-access menu to the WordPress admin bar, visible on both the admin backend and the frontend for logged-in administrators. The menu is always present and cannot be hidden.

Main Menu Items

ItemLinks to
DashboardRank Bix SEO Dashboard
SettingsSettings → General tab
RedirectionsRedirections manager
SitemapSitemap settings
Bulk SEOBulk SEO Editor
404 Monitor404 log (only shown when monitor is enabled)

SEO Score Badge

When viewing or editing a singular post or page (frontend or admin), a colour-coded score badge appears next to the Rank Bix SEO menu name in the toolbar. The badge is invisible on non-singular screens (archives, admin dashboards, etc.).

BadgeScore rangeMeaning
8370 – 100Good: strong on-page optimisation
5540 – 69OK: room for improvement
250 – 39Poor: significant issues to fix
n/aFocus keyword set but score not yet calculated
The score uses the same calculation as the post listing SEO Score column, with no extra database queries on page load.

Mark this page Submenu

When viewing or editing a singular post or page, a Mark this page submenu appears in the toolbar with three instant toggles:

ToggleEffectMeta key
CornerstoneMarks the page as cornerstone / pillar content_rankbix_seo_pillar_content
NoIndexTells search engines not to index this page_rankbix_seo_noindex
NoFollowAdds nofollow to all links on this page_rankbix_seo_nofollow

A green checkmark icon appears next to each item when it is currently active. Clicking any toggle saves immediately via AJAX, and the checkmark updates instantly with no page reload required.

Duplicate this page

A Duplicate this page link appears at the bottom of the Mark this page submenu when all of the following conditions are met:

  • The Duplicate Page module is enabled in Rank Bix SEO → Features
  • The current post type is in the module's allowed post types list (default: posts and pages)
  • The logged-in user has one of the module's allowed roles (default: Administrator, Editor) and has edit_post capability

Clicking the link duplicates the post as a draft using the existing Duplicate module, identical to clicking "Duplicate" from the post listing, but available directly from any page view or post editor without navigating away.

Duplicate module settings (enabled flag, allowed post types, allowed roles) are managed at Rank Bix SEO → Features → Duplicate Page.

External Tools Submenu

One-click links to external SEO tools, pre-filled with the current page URL on the frontend:

ToolURL pattern
Google PageSpeed Insightspagespeed.web.dev/analysis?url=…
Google Rich Results Testsearch.google.com/test/rich-results?url=…
Google Search Consolesearch.google.com/search-console
Facebook Sharing Debuggerdevelopers.facebook.com/tools/debug/?q=…
Schema Markup Validatorvalidator.schema.org/#url=…

SEO Health Alerts (inside the menu)

When SEO issues are detected, alert items appear at the bottom of the toolbar dropdown separated by a divider. Each alert links directly to the relevant fix and shows a tooltip on hover. Alerts disappear automatically when the issue is resolved.

To hide alerts, uncheck Show SEO alert badges in the admin toolbar in Settings → Advanced → Admin Toolbar.

SEO Health Alerts

Critical SEO issues are detected automatically and displayed as items inside the Rank Bix SEO toolbar menu, visible on all admin screens and on the frontend for administrators. Alerts link directly to the relevant fix and disappear once the issue is resolved.

AlertTrigger conditionFix link
Search Engines: BlockedWordPress "Discourage search engines" setting is enabledSettings → Reading
SEO: Plain PermalinksPermalink structure is set to Plain (?p=123)Settings → Permalinks
SEO: Plugin ConflictYoast SEO, Rank Math, or All in One SEO is active alongside Rank Bix SEOPlugins
SEO: No Home TitleHomepage SEO title is not setRank Bix SEO → Settings → General
SEO: Sitemap OffXML sitemap is disabledRank Bix SEO → Settings → Sitemap
Alerts appear only when the issue exists and are shown only to users with manage_options capability (administrators). To disable alert items, see Settings → Advanced → Admin Toolbar.

WordPress Dashboard Widget

WP Admin → Dashboard

A Rank Bix SEO Overview widget appears on the WordPress admin dashboard automatically after activation. It gives you a quick health check and navigation shortcuts without leaving the dashboard.

SEO Health

StateDisplay
No issues detectedGreen "SEO health looks good. No critical issues found." banner
Issues foundRed-dot list of issues, each linking directly to the fix
The same five checks used by the Admin Toolbar alerts are run here: search engine visibility, permalink structure, conflicting SEO plugins, missing homepage title, and disabled XML sitemap.

Stats Row

StatBehaviour
PostsPublished post count. Links to the Posts list
PagesPublished page count. Links to the Pages list
RedirectsActive redirect rules. Links to the Redirections manager
404 ErrorsLogged 404 hits. Shown only when 404 Monitor is enabled; turns red when > 0
Broken LinksDetected broken links. Shown only when Broken Link Checker is enabled; turns red when > 0

Quick Actions

Buttons for Settings, Redirections, 404 Monitor (hidden when disabled), and Bulk SEO Editor.

Widget Footer

  • Documentation on WordPress.org
  • Support via the WordPress.org forum
  • Rate Plugin on WordPress.org reviews

Shortcodes

[rankbix_seo_toc]

Renders the Table of Contents at the location of the shortcode instead of auto-inserting it.

[rankbix_seo_toc] [rankbix_seo_toc title="In This Article" depth="2" min="3"]
AttributeDefaultDescription
titleTOC Title from meta boxHeading shown above the TOC. If omitted, uses the custom title saved in the post's TOC meta box field.
depth3Maximum heading depth (2 = H2 only, 3 = H2+H3)
min2Minimum number of headings required before the TOC is rendered
The TOC CSS is enqueued automatically when the shortcode is present on the page.

[rankbix_seo_sitemap]

Renders an HTML sitemap on any page or post.

[rankbix_seo_sitemap]
AttributeDefaultDescription
show_tags1Set to 0 to hide the Tags section
columns2Number of columns for the sitemap layout
orderbytitleOrder posts by title, date, or modified
[rankbix_seo_sitemap show_tags="0" columns="3" orderby="date"]

[rankbix_seo_breadcrumbs]

Renders a breadcrumb trail at the location of the shortcode.

[rankbix_seo_breadcrumbs]
The breadcrumb separator is set globally in Settings → General → Breadcrumb Separator.

Multilingual Support

Rank Bix SEO is compatible with Polylang and WPML. When either plugin is active, SEO fields are registered as translatable and hreflang alternates are added to the XML sitemap automatically. No configuration required.

Translatable Fields

Meta keyField
_rankbix_seo_titleSEO title
_rankbix_seo_descriptionMeta description
_rankbix_seo_focus_keywordFocus keyword
_rankbix_seo_focus_keywords_extraAdditional keywords Pro

hreflang in Sitemap

When Polylang or WPML is active, <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="..."> entries are automatically added for every translated version of every URL in the XML sitemap.

Elementor Integration

When Elementor is active, Rank Bix SEO adds a dedicated SEO panel to the Elementor editor sidebar so you can manage SEO data without leaving the visual editor.

Available Fields in the Elementor Panel

FieldDescription
SEO TitleCustom SEO title for this page
Meta DescriptionCustom meta description
Focus KeywordPrimary focus keyword for scoring
OG ImageSocial sharing image override
Changes are saved alongside Elementor post data when you click Publish or Update inside the Elementor editor.

News Sitemap

Generates a Google News-compatible XML sitemap at /news-sitemap.xml covering posts published within the last 2 days. Added to robots.txt automatically and pings Google on publish.

DetailValue
URL/news-sitemap.xml
CoveragePosts published in the last 2 days
FormatGoogle News schema (news:news namespace)
robots.txtAutomatically added as a Sitemap: directive
Auto-pingGoogle pinged on post publish
Module togglenews_sitemap — on by default

Developer Functions

Breadcrumbs

Add breadcrumbs directly inside a theme template file. Outputs the same breadcrumb trail as the shortcode, with BreadcrumbList JSON-LD schema included.

<?php rankbix_seo_breadcrumbs(); ?>

Redirect Debug

Append ?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1 to any URL to see redirect match information (administrators only; does not redirect):

https://yoursite.com/old-page/?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1

Filter & Action Hooks

HookTypeDescription
rankbix_seo_schema_typeFilterOverride the resolved schema type for any post. Receives (string $type, WP_Post $post). Only fires when schema type is set to auto.
rankbix_seo_after_keyword_fieldActionFires inside the post editor keywords tab after the primary focus keyword field. Receives (WP_Post $post).
rankbix_seo_calculate_post_scoreFilterCalculate or override the SEO score for a post. Receives (int $score, int $post_id). Default: 0.
rankbix_seo_dashboard_score_sectionActionInject content into the WP dashboard widget between Health and Coverage sections. Used by Pro for the score distribution bar.
rankbix_seo_dashboard_analytics_sectionActionInject content into the WP dashboard widget between Coverage and 404 Monitor. Used by Pro for GSC metrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Rank Bix SEO work with WooCommerce?

Yes. WooCommerce products are supported in the post editor meta box, Bulk SEO Editor, sitemap, and schema features.

Does it support custom post types?

Yes. All public custom post types with a UI are supported in the SEO meta box, sitemap, and bulk editor.

Will it slow down my site?

No. The XML sitemap is cached, AI model lists are loaded on demand, and redirects use a dedicated database table with a fast lookup process. No scripts or styles are loaded on the frontend beyond what is needed.

Can I use multiple AI providers?

Yes. You can add API keys for any number of providers. The post editor shows all providers that have a key configured.

Is any data sent to AI providers automatically?

No. Data is only sent when you manually click an AI generation button. You can also disable post content sharing in Settings → Advanced so that only the post title is sent.

Can I stop the plugin from pinging search engines on publish?

Yes. Uncheck Auto-pings Google & Bing on publish in Settings → Sitemap. To also disable IndexNow pings, uncheck Enable IndexNow pings in Settings → Tools.

Can I run Rank Bix SEO alongside Yoast SEO or Rank Math?

Not recommended. Running two SEO plugins simultaneously produces duplicate meta tags, competing sitemaps, and conflicting schema output. The SEO Health Alert system will warn you if a conflict is detected. Use the Import feature to migrate your data, then deactivate the other plugin.

What happens when I deactivate or uninstall the plugin?

Deactivating removes all plugin functionality but leaves your settings in the database. Uninstalling removes data only if Delete all data on uninstall was enabled in Settings → Advanced before uninstalling. By default, all data is preserved. The llms.txt file at the WordPress root is also deleted on uninstall.

My sitemap returns a 404 error. How do I fix it?

Go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save. This flushes WordPress rewrite rules and registers the sitemap URLs correctly.

Where is the redirect debug tool?

Visit any URL on your site and append ?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1. Logged-in administrators see redirect match details instead of being redirected.

Redirect Type Reference

Choose the right redirect type for the job. Using the wrong type can lose SEO equity or break form submissions.

TypeNameUse case
301PermanentPage moved forever. Passes SEO link equity to the new URL. Use for most redirects.
302TemporaryPage moved temporarily. No SEO equity passed. Use for A/B tests or temporary maintenance.
307Strict TemporarySame as 302 but browser must repeat the request with the same HTTP method (POST stays POST).
308Permanent (keeps method)Same as 301 but the request method is preserved. Use when redirecting form submissions or API endpoints permanently.
Avoid chaining redirects (A → B → C). Each extra hop adds latency and dilutes SEO equity. Use the debug tool (?rankbix_seo_debug_redirect=1) to verify matches before going live.

GSC Performance Pro

Rank Bix SEO → GSC Performance

Connect your Google Search Console account to pull real search performance data directly into your WordPress dashboard: clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, top pages, and top keywords.

Connecting Google Search Console

  1. Go to Rank Bix SEO → GSC Performance.
  2. Click Connect Google Search Console.
  3. Authorise access in the Google OAuth screen.
  4. Select your verified property from the Site dropdown and click Save Site.
  5. The page reloads and shows your performance data.
To disconnect, click Disconnect GSC at the top of the page. The Google account you authorise must have at least Restricted access to the Search Console property.

Date Range Tabs

TabPeriod
Last 7 days7-day rolling window ending 3 days before today
Last 28 days28-day rolling window (default)
Last 3 months90-day rolling window
Last 12 months365-day rolling window
GSC data has a ~2–3 day processing delay. Dates are calculated to avoid the unprocessed tail so totals match the Google Search Console dashboard.

Overview Metrics

MetricDescription
Total ClicksNumber of times a user clicked through to your site
Total ImpressionsNumber of times your site appeared in search results
Avg CTRClick-through rate across all queries, as a percentage
Avg PositionAverage ranking position across all queries

Insights Tabs

TabWhat it shows
Top PagesBest-performing pages by clicks for the selected date range
Top KeywordsSearch queries sending the most traffic
Near-Ranking KeywordsKeywords ranking positions 4–20; best candidates for for a quick boost
Low CTR WinsHigh impressions but low CTR. Improve the title or description to get more clicks without ranking changes
Traffic DropsPages that lost >20% of clicks vs the prior period
Top Growth PagesPages that gained 20%+ more clicks vs the prior period

Caching

GSC data is cached for 12 hours per date range. To force a refresh, delete the transient via WP Admin → Tools → Site Health → Info → Transients, or use WP-CLI:

wp transient delete rankbix_pro_gsc_v2_28

Troubleshooting

ProblemLikely causeFix
Data doesn't match Google dashboardStale cacheClear the transient for that date range and reload
"No data available" after connectingCache empty or GSC property has no data yetClear the transient and reload. Verify the property has data in GSC.
OAuth error on connectRedirect URI mismatchThe callback URL must be registered in your Google Cloud Console project
Metrics show 0Token expired or revokedDisconnect and reconnect GSC

Full Site SEO Audit Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Site Audit

Crawls your entire site page by page and produces a scored SEO health report with actionable recommendations.

SEO Analyzer (per-URL tool)

Also available at Rank Bix SEO → SEO Analyzer. Enter any URL to run an instant 19-check analysis covering title, meta description, headings, schema, Open Graph, HTTPS, canonical, page speed, and more.

The public web tool at rankbix.com/seo-analyzer/ is free with no account needed. The in-plugin SEO Analyzer (runs inside WP admin) is a Pro feature.

Advanced SEO Score & Multiple Keywords Pro

Replaces the free keyword score with an expanded 15-point analysis and a live sidebar panel. Adds support for up to 4 additional focus keywords per post.

Advanced SEO Score

DetailValue
Check count15-point analysis
Sidebar panelVisible alongside the post editor; shows pass/fail per check with fix links
Live recalculationScore recalculates as you type (800ms debounce on title, description, keyword fields)
Module toggleseo_score

Multiple Focus Keywords

FieldDescription
Extra keywordsUp to 4 additional focus keywords per post, each scored independently
Per-keyword scoresEach keyword gets its own colour-coded score badge in the sidebar
Meta key_rankbix_seo_focus_keywords_extra (comma-separated)

Client Reports Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Client Reports

Generate branded HTML SEO reports and send them to clients by email from inside WP admin.

FieldDescription
Report sectionsOverview, SEO Coverage, Score Distribution, GSC Performance — each toggleable
Download HTMLDownload the report as a self-contained HTML file
Email to clientSend the report by email with a custom subject line and intro text
Module toggle: reports. White Label settings live inside the White Label tab on this same page — see Section 20.

Custom Schema Templates Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Schema Templates

Build reusable JSON-LD templates and assign them to post types. Per-post schema tab choices always override the template.

DetailValue
Supported schema typesFAQ, Review, Product, HowTo, Event, Recipe
AssignmentPer post type; one template per post type
OverridePer-post manual schema choice always wins over the template
Module toggleschema_templates

Extra Schema Types Pro

Adds 5 additional schema types to the post editor Schema tab. Always active when the Pro plugin is installed — no separate module toggle.

Schema TypeFields added to Schema tab
RecipeRecipe name, ingredients, instructions, prep/cook time, yield, cuisine
EventEvent name, start/end date, location, organiser, ticket URL
Job PostingJob title, description, employer, location, salary, employment type
CourseCourse name, provider, description, URL
Software AppApp name, OS, category, price, rating

Video Sitemap Pro

Auto-detects YouTube and Vimeo embeds in post content and generates a Google-compliant video sitemap with titles, thumbnails, and durations.

DetailValue
URL/video-sitemap.xml
SourcesYouTube and Vimeo embeds in post content
Sitemap indexAdded to /sitemap_index.xml and robots.txt
Module togglevideo_sitemap

WooCommerce SEO Pro

Enhanced Product schema for WooCommerce products, built on top of the free plugin's base schema output.

AdditionDescription
BrandFrom pa_brand taxonomy or _rankbix_seo_product_brand meta
SellerOrganisation block (site name + URL)
priceValidUntilFrom WooCommerce sale end date
Image galleryFull product gallery array
GTIN / EAN / ISBN / UPCFrom _gtin, _ean, _isbn, or _upc meta keys
MPNFrom _mpn meta key
itemConditionFrom _rankbix_wc_condition meta
product:brand OG tagOpen Graph meta tag for social sharing
Module toggle: woo_seo. Requires WooCommerce active.

Multi-location LocalBusiness Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Locations

Manage multiple physical business locations as a custom post type (rankbix_location). Each location gets its own full LocalBusiness JSON-LD schema. When at least one location is published, the free single-location schema in Settings → Local Business is automatically suppressed to avoid duplicate output.

Location Fields

FieldDescription
Business TypeOne of 14 Schema.org business types (LocalBusiness, Restaurant, Store, etc.)
PhoneContact phone number
Street AddressFull street address
CityCity
Postal CodePostcode / ZIP
CountryTwo-letter country code
CoordinatesLatitude and longitude
Opening HoursWeekly schedule in Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00 format
Module toggle: multi_location. All published locations are output as a JSON-LD @graph array on the front page.

Image SEO Pro Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Image SEO

Three enhancements built on top of the free Image SEO module.

FeatureDescription
Per-post-type templatesOverride the default alt and title templates per post type. Template variables (%post_title%, %category%, etc.) work identically to title templates.
Caption & description templatesSet caption and description templates for attachments, applied during bulk processing.
Bulk retroactive processingProcess all existing media library images in 50-image AJAX batches with a live progress bar. Optional checkbox to overwrite already-set values.
Module toggle: image_seo_pro.

AI Alt Text Generator Pro

Generates alt text for images using AI vision models. Hooks into the Image Alt Audit — the Suggest button uses AI vision per image, and Auto-fill All Missing uses AI vision in batches of 3.

Supported Providers

ProviderNotes
OpenAIgpt-4o-mini vision
Claude (Anthropic)claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 vision
Google GeminiVision-capable Gemini models
GroqVision-capable models
API keys are configured in Settings → Advanced → AI Meta Generator. Module toggle: ai_alt_text.

Ping Search Engines Pro

On-demand manual ping to Google and Bing. Available as a Ping Search Engines button in the Dashboard Quick Actions, shown only when the sitemap is enabled. Triggers an immediate sitemap ping without needing to publish or update a post.

Module toggle: ping_engines.

.htaccess Editor Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Settings → Advanced

Edit the WordPress root .htaccess file directly from the admin dashboard. No FTP or SSH required. Requires the Pro plugin active, manage_options capability, and Apache or LiteSpeed server.

Server Compatibility

ServerBehaviour
Apache / LiteSpeedFull editor shown with read/write support
nginxInfo notice shown; editor still displays file if it exists, but changes have no effect on nginx
IIS / UnknownInfo notice shown explaining .htaccess does not apply

File Status Indicators

IndicatorWhat it shows
ServerDetected server type (green for Apache/LiteSpeed, amber for others)
PathFull absolute path to the file on the server
PermissionsOctal file permissions (e.g. 0644)
Status badgeReadable & Writable · Read-only · Not readable · File not found

Saving

Click Save .htaccess to write the edited content via AJAX. No page reload required. Before every save, a backup is created at .htaccess.bak in the same directory.

Validation Applied on Every Save

CheckLimit
Capabilitymanage_options required
WordPress nonceVerified server-side
File pathHardcoded to ABSPATH . '.htaccess'; no path traversal possible
Null bytesRejected
File sizeMaximum 64 KB
Warning: Incorrectly editing .htaccess can break WordPress permalinks or block site access. Always verify changes in a staging environment first and keep a copy of the original file.

White Label Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Client Reports → White Label tab

Remove or replace all Rank Bix SEO branding inside the WordPress admin. Ideal for agencies and developers who deliver the plugin to clients under their own brand.

Plugin Identity

FieldDescription
Plugin NameReplaces "Rank Bix SEO" everywhere it appears in the admin: menu labels, page headings, meta box title, and the dashboard widget title
Plugin DescriptionCustom description shown on the Plugins list screen
Plugin Logo / IconUpload a custom image to replace the Rank Bix SEO dashicon in the admin sidebar menu and the dashboard header

Admin Sidebar Menu

FieldDescription
Menu LabelCustom text shown as the top-level menu item in the WordPress admin sidebar
Hide "Powered by Rank Bix SEO" footerRemoves the plugin branding footer from all plugin admin pages

Support & Links

FieldDescription
Support URLReplaces the default WordPress.org forum link inside the plugin with your own support URL
Documentation URLReplaces the default documentation link with a custom URL (e.g. your agency's help centre)
Hide plugin row linksRemoves the Settings and Support links in the Plugins list row for the plugin
Note: White Label settings only affect the WordPress admin UI. The plugin slug (rankbix-seo), database option keys, and filter/action hook names remain unchanged so developer integrations are not affected.

Role Manager Pro

Rank Bix SEO → Settings → Role Manager

Control which WordPress user roles can access each section of Rank Bix SEO. By default only Administrators have full access. Use Role Manager to grant Editors, Authors, or custom roles access to specific features.

Configurable Access Areas

FeatureDefault accessCan be granted to
DashboardAdministratorEditor, Author, custom roles
SettingsAdministratorEditor, custom roles
RedirectionsAdministratorEditor, custom roles
404 MonitorAdministratorEditor, custom roles
Bulk SEO EditorAdministratorEditor, Author, custom roles
Import SEOAdministratorEditor, custom roles
GSC PerformanceAdministratorEditor, custom roles
Post Meta BoxAdministrator, Editor, AuthorContributor, custom roles

How It Works

  • Role Manager adds WordPress capabilities (rankbix_seo_*) to selected roles; it does not modify any built-in WordPress capabilities.
  • Removing a role's access in Role Manager removes those capabilities from the role immediately.
  • Changes take effect on the user's next page load. No logout required.
Tip: If you use a custom role plugin (e.g. Members, User Role Editor), those custom roles will appear in the Role Manager dropdown automatically.

Pro Features Overview

Rank Bix SEO Pro extends the free plugin with advanced features for power users and agencies. All Pro features are additive and never modify or override free plugin code.

Advanced SEO Score (15-point)Automated 15-rule scoring with real-time pass/fail checks and AI-powered improvement hints per post
Multiple Focus KeywordsTrack up to 4 secondary keywords per post alongside your primary focus keyword
Bulk Score RecalculationRecalculate SEO scores across all published content in one click from the Bulk Editor
Schema TemplatesBuild reusable JSON-LD templates (FAQ, Review, Product, HowTo, Event, Recipe) and assign them per post type
Schema Rules EngineAuto-assign schema types via conditional rules based on post type or taxonomy. First-match wins.
Video SitemapAuto-detect YouTube/Vimeo embeds and generate a Google-compliant video-sitemap.xml
.htaccess EditorEdit the WordPress root .htaccess directly from WP-admin with automatic backup and AJAX saving
Extra Schema TypesRecipe, Event, Job Posting, Course, Software App — additional types in the post editor Schema tab
Multi-location LocalBusinessMultiple physical locations as a custom post type, each with its own full LocalBusiness schema
WooCommerce Product SchemaEnhanced Product schema with brand, GTIN, MPN, itemCondition, image gallery, and priceValidUntil
GSC Performance DashboardClicks, impressions, CTR, average position, top pages, and top keywords inside WP
Near-Ranking KeywordsPositions 4-20: keywords closest to the top 3 and the best place to focus first
Low CTR WinsHigh impressions, low CTR — improve titles and descriptions to win more clicks
Traffic Drop AlertsDetect pages that lost 20%+ traffic vs the prior period before they drop off your radar
Top Growth PagesPages gaining 20%+ more clicks vs the prior period — double down on momentum
Clicks by Device & Top CountriesTraffic split by mobile/desktop/tablet and top countries sending search traffic
Full Site SEO AuditBatch-scan every published post for missing meta, thin content, stale content, and low SEO scores
AI Fix SuggestionsStep-by-step AI-powered fixes for each audit issue — Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, Cohere
SEO Analyzer (in-plugin)Per-URL 19-check analysis inside WP-admin with live SERP preview and score
SEO Coverage StatsPercentage of posts with title, description, and focus keyword set across the whole site
Image SEO ProPer-post-type templates, caption/description templates, bulk retroactive processing with progress bar
Bulk AI Alt Text GeneratorProcess your whole media library with AI-written alt text via OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, or Groq
Wildcard & Regex RedirectsPattern-based redirects: /blog/* to /news/*, or full PHP regex with capture groups
Redirect Chain DetectorFinds A→B→C chains automatically. One click flattens to a direct A→C redirect.
Ping Search EnginesOn-demand manual sitemap ping to Google and Bing from the dashboard
Client ReportsBranded HTML reports sent by email from inside WP-admin with custom logo and intro text
White LabelReplace all Rank Bix SEO branding with your agency identity — menu name, logo, support links
Role ManagerGranular per-role capability matrix: control who can edit SEO fields, manage redirects, or access settings
Licensing & Auto-updatesActivate your licence key and receive plugin updates directly inside WP-admin

Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.

Install Rank Bix SEO on your WordPress site in seconds. No account, no upsell, no bloat. Upgrade to Pro whenever you need the advanced tools.

Already on Yoast, Rank Math or AIOSEO? Our one-click importer migrates everything.