=== ProRank SEO – All-in-One SEO & Performance for WordPress ===
Contributors: prorankseo
Donate link: https://prorank.io
Tags: seo, schema markup, xml sitemap, redirect manager, image optimization
Requires at least: 6.7
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 8.2
Stable tag: 1.2.1
License: GPL-2.0-or-later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Rank higher and load faster with the only WordPress plugin that combines full SEO, image optimization, caching, and performance in one install.

== Description ==

Most SEO plugins only do SEO. ProRank does SEO, performance, and image optimisation — so you can stop stacking 5 plugins that fight over the same hooks. One dashboard for metadata, schema, sitemaps, redirects, internal linking, caching, image compression, and site audits.

The free plugin covers on-page SEO, technical SEO, page caching, script optimisation, local image compression, and one-click migration from Yoast, AIOSEO, Rank Math, or SEOPress. [ProRank Premium](https://prorank.io/pricing?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme) adds Keyword Research (Beta) powered by Ahrefs for Business and Agency plans, cloud image optimisation (WebP, AVIF, JXL), critical CSS extraction, unused CSS removal, AI-assisted content tools, advanced analytics, local SEO, WooCommerce SEO, and agency features.

= On-Page SEO =

* SEO titles and meta descriptions
* Canonical URL controls
* Robots meta controls
* Open Graph and X (Twitter) cards
* Search result and social previews in the editor
* Site basics, social profile, and site representation settings
* Breadcrumb settings and breadcrumb schema
* Bulk editing tools for SEO metadata

= Schema & Structured Data =

* Core schema settings for WebSite, Organization, Article, and Breadcrumbs
* Schema output controls from the on-page SEO settings
* Local schema support through site representation and business details
* Schema validation helpers

= AI Discovery & AI Endpoints =

* Site-wide JSON-LD @graph at `/wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/schema-map`
* Public NLWeb-compatible `/ask` endpoint with `mode=list`
* Public MCP-compatible `/mcp` endpoint over the same discovery data
* Shared on/off gate for `/schema-map`, `/ask`, and `/mcp`
* ProRank Premium adds authenticated BYOK `summarize` and `generate` modes on `/ask` and `/mcp`

= Sitemaps, Indexing & Technical SEO =

* XML sitemap generation with content-type controls
* HTML sitemap generation
* Robots.txt controls and physical-file detection
* Indexing controls and global noindex options
* URL cleanup tools
* Head cleanup tools
* Redirect manager with 301/302 redirects
* 404 monitoring and redirect suggestions
* IndexNow and search-engine ping support where configured

= Content Analysis & Internal Linking =

* Content analysis settings and editor integration
* Readability checks
* Headline analysis
* Internal-link scan and suggestions
* Inbound and outbound link opportunities
* Broken-link checks
* Orphan detection
* Link reports and auto-linking rules
* Optional internal-link click tracking

= Audits & Monitoring =

* Local site audit dashboard
* Issue history and audit tracking
* Core Web Vitals dashboard
* Accessibility audit tools
* Notifications and workflow guidance inside the plugin

= Image Optimisation & Performance =

* Local image optimisation
* WebP-ready image workflow
* Lazy loading controls
* Cache settings
* Browser cache controls
* CSS and JavaScript optimisation
* HTML minification
* Resource hints and Google Fonts local hosting
* Database cleanup and server-side tuning tools

= Import, Export & Workflow =

* Setup wizard
* Import from Yoast SEO, AIOSEO, Rank Math, and SEOPress
* Builder support for Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi Builder, and Beaver Builder
* Export and import settings
* Import feedback with post counts and import type badges
* Settings snapshots and backups
* Module manager
* Support, feedback, and documentation screens

= Upgrade to ProRank Premium =

ProRank Premium adds advanced workflows for larger sites, teams, and agencies:

* Google Analytics 4 and Microsoft Clarity integrations
* Content decay, AI brand insights, AI overviews, action opportunities, query fan-out planner, advanced analytics modules, and Keyword Research (Beta) powered by Ahrefs for Business and Agency plans
* Advanced content analysis and AI-assisted tools
* AI image attributes and AI performance doctor tools
* Visual schema builder and advanced schema controls
* Visual link map, content safeguard, and enhanced internal-linking workflows
* Local SEO modules including locations and KML sitemap support
* WooCommerce SEO modules including product schema, cart schema, shop optimisation, and visibility controls
* E-E-A-T monitoring and advanced audit workflows
* Advanced cloud image optimisation workflows
* Advanced performance modules including critical CSS, unused CSS, cache preload, object cache, script management, font subsetting, video optimisation, speculation rules, INP/LCP optimisers, and view transitions
* Advanced technical SEO modules including author/video/special sitemaps, redirect logging, hreflang/internationalisation, ethical SEO, headless mode, and LLMs.txt support
* Business and agency features including Role Manager, client reporting, audit log, SEO roadmaps, white label, user manager, and SEO simulator

[See pricing and plans →](https://prorank.io/pricing?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme)

= Learn More =

* [Website](https://prorank.io?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme)
* [Documentation](https://prorank.io/docs?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme)
* [Pricing](https://prorank.io/pricing?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme)
* [Support](https://prorank.io/support?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme)

== External Services ==

ProRank SEO connects to external services only for features that need them. No data is sent unless you use the specific feature.

* **ProRank API** — Admin notifications and optional feedback submissions. Sends site URL, plugin version, and feedback fields. [Terms](https://prorank.io/terms) | [Privacy](https://prorank.io/privacy-policy)
* **Google PageSpeed Insights API** — Core Web Vitals and performance audits. Sends the analysed URL and optional API key. [Terms](https://policies.google.com/terms) | [Privacy](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
* **Schema.org Validator** — Schema validation. Sends the validated page URL. [Terms](https://schema.org/docs/terms.html)
* **IndexNow** — Instant indexing notifications. Sends host, API key, and URLs. [Protocol](https://www.indexnow.org/)
* **Sitemap Pings** — Notifies Google and Bing of sitemap updates. Sends the sitemap URL.
* **Google Fonts** — Downloads fonts locally when local hosting is enabled. Sends the font request URL.

== Privacy ==

ProRank SEO does not collect personal data by default. All SEO data is stored locally in your WordPress database. Optional features like click tracking and RUM monitoring are disabled by default and only activate when you enable them.

[Privacy Policy](https://prorank.io/privacy-policy)

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/prorank-seo/`
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Go to ProRank SEO in your admin menu and run the setup wizard

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does ProRank SEO require an account or API key? =

No. The free plugin works entirely locally — no account, no API key, no cloud dependency. Its AI Discovery surface is public list mode only (`/schema-map`, `/ask`, and `/mcp`). ProRank Premium requires a license key for cloud features, and its richer AI Discovery modes (`summarize` and `generate`) use your own AI Tools provider key plus WordPress application-password auth.

= Can I import from Yoast, Rank Math, All in One SEO, or SEOPress? =

Yes. ProRank SEO includes import tools for Yoast SEO, AIOSEO, Rank Math, and SEOPress so you can switch without losing your existing SEO settings.

= What is ProRank Premium? =

ProRank Premium is the paid upgrade that adds cloud audits, rank tracking, advanced analytics, AI-assisted workflows, and agency tools. [See plans](https://prorank.io/pricing?utm_source=wporg&utm_campaign=readme).

= Does the plugin send data to external services? =

Only when you use features that require them (PageSpeed audits, IndexNow, etc.). See the External Services section for full details.

= Does the free plugin include the files used to build the admin app? =

Yes. The free plugin package includes the built admin files and the files used to build them, so developers can review how the admin app is produced. This refers to the free WordPress.org package only.

= Will uninstalling remove my data? =

Yes. Uninstalling removes all plugin options, metadata, and custom database tables.

== Screenshots ==

1. Dashboard overview with SEO score, issue summary, page totals, and Core Web Vitals.
2. On-page SEO settings for site basics, metadata, schema, content analysis, and social/search previews.
3. Performance tools for caching, asset optimisation, image optimisation, and database cleanup.
4. Internal linking workspace with link reports, link map, broken-link checks, and auto-linking tools.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.2.1 =
Fixes imported SEO title placeholders, improves admin/cache responsiveness, strengthens Module Manager state sync, and hardens frontend performance delivery for review widgets, CSS cache artifacts, images, fonts, and lazy media.

= 1.2.0 =
Ships the AI Discovery surface built on ProRank's Schema Aggregation system: a site-wide JSON-LD @graph endpoint, an NLWeb-compatible /ask list-mode endpoint, and an MCP-compatible /mcp endpoint over the same data. All three share one on/off gate. This release is the free baseline — list mode only; summarize and generate are Pro+.

= 1.1.5 =
Improves responsive image and font delivery, builder-page lazy media, third-party defer handling, and fixes shared Module Manager state sync in free admin pages.

= 1.1.4 =
Improves author schema and archive metadata with richer E-E-A-T fields, duplicate-title cleanup for personal-brand sites, and shared HowTo schema foundations for upcoming schema workflows.

= 1.1.3 =
Improves admin speed with cache-first dashboard loading and ships broader performance compatibility, browser-cache, and third-party optimisation refinements across the free plugin.

= 1.1.2 =
Improves browser-cache delivery for safe anonymous HTML responses, adds clearer Nginx snippet guidance, and strengthens performance compatibility defaults across the free plugin.

= 1.1.1 =
Corrective release fixing missing sprintf imports that could break some ProRank admin screens after updating to 1.1.0.

= 1.1.0 =
Adds advanced settings for code injection, CDN rewrite, Google Maps blocking, and third-party governance, while improving cache stability and fixing multiple performance/runtime edge cases.

= 1.0.10 =
Improves front-page social/meta output reliability, taxonomy description fallbacks, cache-clearing behavior, and release packaging consistency in the free plugin.

= 1.0.9 =
Improves editor SEO workflows, internal-linking report clarity, performance/settings reliability, and WordPress.org release packaging consistency.

= 1.0.8 =
Adds Elementor, Divi Builder, and Beaver Builder support and improved competitor imports.

= 1.0.7 =
Refreshes the free admin UI, improves editor SEO workflows, adds faster row and admin-bar controls, and fixes multiple routing, preview, and audit feedback issues.

= 1.0.6 =
Improves audit accuracy and latest-score reporting, adds safer builder-aware performance fallbacks, and fixes several frontend optimisation regressions.

= 1.0.5 =
Fixes WordPress posts-page title handling, keeps posts-page metadata aligned with saved ProRank settings, and improves rendered author/date archive-link cleanup.

= 1.0.4 =
Fixes noindex archive sitemap exclusions, corrects blog-page meta description handling, and adds optional normalization for rendered archive links.

= 1.0.3 =
Improves bulk image optimisation reliability on shared hosting and fixes backup handling for future restores.

= 1.0.2 =
Fixes a packaging issue in the 1.0.1 WordPress.org release so admin pages load correctly after install. Updated plugin title.

= 1.0.1 =
Bug fixes, UI cleanup, and improved upgrade messaging for ProRank SEO.

== Changelog ==

= 1.2.1 =
* Fixed imported SEO title placeholders such as %sep% and %sitename% so migrated metadata renders clean titles
* Improved dashboard and admin-bar speed by checking cached audit data before cloud/API refresh work
* Improved Module Manager state sync across admin pages
* Improved third-party, image, font, lazy media, cache, and CSS artifact handling for performance stability
* Improved:
  - Improved dashboard and admin-bar performance by checking cached audit summaries before starting cloud/API refresh work.
  - Improved Module Manager state sync across admin pages so section toggles and child module screens stay aligned.
  - Improved third-party performance handling for review widgets and tracker-delay governance.
  - Improved cache and CSS artifact handling so generated page cache and used-CSS files are less likely to regress after cache clears.
  - Improved responsive image, font, lazy media, and frontend performance compatibility paths used by builder-heavy sites.
* Fixed:
  - Fixed imported SEO title placeholders such as %sep% and %sitename% so migrated metadata renders real page titles instead of raw template tokens.

= 1.2.0 =
* Added /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/schema-map: site-wide JSON-LD @graph with deduplication, caching, and pagination
* Added /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/ask in NLWeb list mode for natural-language queries against the graph
* Added /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/mcp as an MCP-compatible agent endpoint (JSON-RPC 2.0) over the same data
* Added a shared SchemaMapGate so /schema-map, /ask, and /mcp open and close together
* Added:
  - Added AI Discovery endpoint at /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/schema-map with stable @id deduplication and cache invalidation on post/schema writes.
  - Added /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/ask supporting mode=list (public).
  - Added /wp-json/prorank-seo/v1/mcp supporting MCP core methods (initialize, tools/list, tools/call, prompts/list, prompts/get, notifications, ping).
  - Added a shared on/off gate so the three endpoints serve or close together; when closed they return HTTP 404 with a raw schema_map_disabled body.
  - Added the ask tool (mode=list) and list_sites tool to /mcp tools/list.
* Improved:
  - Improved JSON-RPC 2.0 conformance on /mcp: empty batch, scalar body, invalid-id, version, and method validation all return spec-shaped errors.

= 1.1.5 =
* Fixed shared Module Manager state sync in On-Page SEO and Technical SEO admin pages
* Improved responsive image delivery with better sub-size coverage and carousel-aware sizing
* Improved icon-font optimisation, resource hints, and builder-page lazy media handling
* Improved third-party defer handling so GTM matching is more reliable on real-world markup
* Improved:
  - Improved responsive image delivery with better sub-size coverage and carousel-aware sizes for boxed layouts.
  - Improved icon-font optimisation, resource hints, and builder-page lazy media handling across the performance stack.
  - Improved third-party defer handling so GTM matching is more reliable on real-world markup.
* Fixed:
  - Fixed shared Module Manager state sync in On-Page SEO and Technical SEO admin pages.

= 1.1.4 =
* Improved Article.author schema with richer E-E-A-T author fields from saved profile metadata
* Improved author/archive title and description rendering so personal-brand collisions collapse cleanly
* Added shared HowTo schema foundations used by upcoming targeted schema workflows
* Added:
  - Added shared HowTo schema foundations for reusable structured-data generation paths.
* Improved:
  - Improved Article.author schema with richer E-E-A-T fields from saved author profile metadata.
  - Improved archive title and description rendering so personal-brand collisions collapse cleanly.

= 1.1.3 =
* Improved admin performance so dashboard and admin-bar SEO summaries return cached audit data before any cloud pagination work runs
* Improved dashboard API responsiveness by avoiding unnecessary audit-summary refreshes when a valid transient already exists
* Improved third-party performance handling, browser-cache delivery, and compatibility defaults across the free plugin
* Improved:
  - Improved admin performance so dashboard and admin-bar SEO summaries return cached audit data before any cloud pagination work runs.
  - Improved dashboard API responsiveness by avoiding unnecessary audit-summary refreshes when a valid transient already exists.
  - Improved third-party performance handling, browser-cache delivery, and compatibility defaults across the free plugin.

= 1.1.2 =
* Improved browser-cache delivery so safe anonymous HTML responses can use configurable cache headers instead of always forcing revalidation
* Improved Nginx cache guidance in Performance settings with a clearer generated snippet workflow for browser-cache enforcement
* Improved performance optimisation coverage across delayed and deferred asset handling and stronger compatibility defaults for common WordPress stacks
* Improved:
  - Improved browser-cache delivery so safe anonymous HTML responses can use configurable cache headers instead of always forcing revalidation
  - Improved Nginx cache guidance in Performance settings with a clearer generated snippet workflow for browser-cache enforcement
  - Improved performance optimisation coverage across delayed and deferred asset handling and stronger compatibility defaults for common WordPress stacks

= 1.1.1 =
* Fixed missing sprintf imports that broke some admin pages after 1.1.0 update
* Fixed:
  - Fixed missing sprintf imports that could break some ProRank admin screens after updating to 1.1.0.

= 1.1.0 =
* Added advanced settings UI for code injection, CDN URL rewriting, Google Maps blocking, and performance governance controls
* Added third-party governance controls for Google services, review widgets, consent scripts, and identity widgets
* Improved cache stability with recurring keep-warm scheduling for core URLs to reduce cold-cache score swings
* Fixed Woo archive metadata duplication, image optimisation edge cases, UCSS runtime issues, and other performance regressions found during live migrations
* Added:
  - Added advanced settings UI for code injection, CDN URL rewriting, Google Maps blocking, and performance governance controls
  - Added third-party governance controls for Google services, review widgets, consent scripts, and identity widgets
* Improved:
  - Improved cache stability with recurring keep-warm scheduling for core URLs to reduce cold-cache score swings
  - Improved performance reliability across delayed-script handling, cache warming, and advanced settings coverage
* Fixed:
  - Fixed Woo archive metadata duplication, image optimisation edge cases, UCSS runtime issues, and other performance regressions found during live migrations

= 1.0.10 =
* Fixed front-page Open Graph title and description handling
* Improved taxonomy meta description fallbacks
* Fixed admin-bar cache clearing so HTML cache purges more reliably
* Refreshed free release packaging from the restored source tree
* Improved:
  - Improved front-page and taxonomy metadata fallbacks so more pages inherit the expected title and description values
  - Improved free-plugin release packaging consistency from the restored local source tree
* Fixed:
  - Fixed front-page Open Graph title and description handling so stored metadata is used more reliably
  - Fixed admin-bar cache clearing so ProRank HTML cache purges fully instead of leaving stale output behind

= 1.0.9 =
* Improved editor meta workflows, title analysis clarity, and suggestion handling
* Improved Internal Linking report presentation and scan-history clarity
* Improved Performance settings normalization and image/performance feedback
* Improved install, update, and admin reliability in the free plugin
* Improved:
  - Improved editor SEO workflows with clearer analysis labeling, cleaner suggestion handling, and more reliable meta-box behavior
  - Improved Internal Linking report presentation, scan-history clarity, and operational data consistency
  - Improved Performance settings normalization, capability reporting, and admin reliability across free workflows
  - Improved install and update consistency so the free plugin behaves more reliably after upgrades
* Fixed:
  - Fixed free-plugin labels and admin behavior so the editor, linking, and performance tools stay more consistent after install and update
  - Fixed multiple shared UI and data-state issues that affected editor, linking, and performance surfaces in the free plugin

= 1.0.8 =
* Added Elementor, Divi Builder, and Beaver Builder support
* Improved imports from Yoast SEO, AIOSEO, Rank Math, and SEOPress
* Improved keyword import compatibility when switching SEO plugins
* Improved Import & Export workflow
* Added:
  - Added Elementor, Divi Builder, and Beaver Builder support with live SEO editing in each builder
* Improved:
  - Improved imports from Yoast SEO, AIOSEO, Rank Math, and SEOPress
  - Improved keyword import compatibility when switching SEO plugins
  - Improved Import & Export workflow with post counts and import type badges

= 1.0.7 =
* Updated free dashboard, module pages, widgets, and editor panels with the refreshed design system and clearer empty states
* Added direct post-level SEO controls from Quick Edit and the ProRank admin bar for canonical and robots directives
* Improved internal linking, schema preview, social/search previews, and Core Web Vitals feedback across the free workflow
* Added:
  - Added admin-bar post controls for canonical URL and robots toggles on singular post and page screens
  - Added Quick Edit and Bulk Edit support for canonical URL and common robots directives in the free plugin
  - Added Link Map Lite as a real Internal Linking tab in free
* Improved:
  - Improved free dashboard, dashboard widget, and header messaging so empty states explain what data is available and where it comes from
  - Improved editor search, social, schema, and content-analysis previews with more realistic fallbacks and clearer feedback
  - Improved internal-linking scans, link-map routing, support backups, and notification onboarding links
* Fixed:
  - Fixed multiple free admin routing issues affecting Internal Linking, Import/Export, Site Audit settings, and onboarding shortcuts
  - Fixed schema preview route failures, broken support-page header rendering, backup download handling, and On-Page SEO media modal loading
  - Fixed misleading free premium-lock UI so the free package presents only working free functionality

= 1.0.6 =
* Dashboard, admin bar, widget, and Site Audit now prefer the newest completed audit across local and cloud
* Cloud audit history and issue totals are normalized more reliably instead of showing stale or truncated counts
* Added safer builder-aware JS defer and CSS async fallback behavior
* Improved:
  - Improved audit score selection so the latest completed audit is surfaced consistently across plugin UI surfaces
  - Improved cloud audit scoring and checker accuracy to reduce duplicate and false-positive penalties
  - Improved builder compatibility for low-risk performance fallbacks
* Fixed:
  - Fixed stale local audit summaries overriding newer cloud audit results in the dashboard, widget, and admin bar
  - Fixed cloud history and issue reporting so counts stay aligned instead of showing truncated or misleading totals
  - Fixed performance state drift, lazyload/runtime sync, and several frontend optimization regressions

= 1.0.5 =
* The WordPress posts page now uses its saved ProRank title and description
* Rendered author and date archive links are cleaned up more reliably in final HTML output
* URL cleanup settings now stay aligned more reliably between grouped settings and legacy storage
* Improved:
  - Improved URL cleanup compatibility so grouped settings and legacy per-option settings stay aligned
  - Improved rendered archive-link detection for author and date archive URLs in builder-generated HTML
* Fixed:
  - Fixed the WordPress posts page using the wrong fallback title instead of the saved ProRank title
  - Fixed rendered archive-link cleanup so author/date link policies apply more reliably to final HTML output

= 1.0.4 =
* Noindex taxonomy archives are now removed correctly from XML sitemaps
* The WordPress posts page now uses its saved ProRank meta description
* New optional URL cleanup control can normalize same-site author, date, category, and tag archive links in rendered HTML
* Added:
  - Added an optional URL cleanup setting to normalize rendered same-site author, date, category, and tag archive links so builder output respects your site trailing-slash format
* Improved:
  - Improved taxonomy sitemap exclusion compatibility across grouped settings, legacy settings, and legacy term-meta values
* Fixed:
  - Fixed noindex taxonomy archives still appearing in XML sitemaps
  - Fixed the WordPress posts page using the wrong fallback meta description instead of the saved ProRank description
  - Fixed package consistency for the free release so shipped version metadata and archive structure match the published release

= 1.0.3 =
* Bulk image optimisation now recovers more reliably when background queues stall on slower hosts
* Future image backups are stored in a safer non-public directory
* Restore feedback now explains when legacy backup files are missing
* Improved:
  - Bulk image optimisation now resumes existing jobs more cleanly and handles stalled shared-host queues better
  - Local image optimisation guidance is clearer when WebP must be enabled before a bulk run
* Fixed:
  - Fixed browser-assisted recovery for stalled image-optimisation jobs
  - Fixed bulk-job resume and stop-state handling so stopped jobs do not restart incorrectly
  - Fixed image-optimisation stats so modern-ready counts reflect real outputs instead of stale flags
  - Fixed future image backup storage and restore messaging for missing legacy backup files

= 1.0.2 =
* Fixed broken admin pages caused by missing JavaScript chunks in the 1.0.1 WP.org package
* Refreshed build directory to remove stale assets
* Updated plugin title to ProRank SEO – All-in-One SEO & Performance for WordPress
* Improved:
  - Updated plugin title for better WordPress.org search visibility
* Fixed:
  - Corrected the WordPress.org package build so admin pages no longer fail with missing JavaScript chunks
  - Refreshed the published build directory from a clean package to avoid stale assets in the plugin ZIP

= 1.0.1 =
* Improved editor meta box and internal-linking workflows
* Refined site audit, sitemap, redirects, notifications, and support screens
* Updated free plugin description and premium upgrade messaging
* Added:
  - Automatic daily cleanup for internal-link click tracking data
* Improved:
  - Setup wizard, notifications feed, and support pages
  - Site Basics, social profile, site representation, and site policy handling
  - Titles and Meta, breadcrumbs, schema markup, redirects, XML sitemap, and HTML sitemap workflows
  - Image optimisation, caching, asset optimisation, database tools, and Core Web Vitals screens
* Fixed:
  - Bulk editor routing and editor meta box preview defaults
  - Inbound internal-link suggestions reappearing after apply
  - Premium feature description links and changelog alignment on prorank.io
* Removed:
  - Dead duplicate source files and stale internal development leftovers from the free package

