WordPress Integration

SitePulse connects to WordPress via the built-in WordPress REST API (v2). No plugin installation is required for basic metadata patching. The Yoast SEO plugin is optional but unlocks richer meta field support.

Prerequisites

WordPress 5.6 or later (REST API v2 enabled by default)
A WordPress user account with Editor or Administrator role
Application Password (WordPress 5.6+) — see setup below
HTTPS on your WordPress site (required for the REST API calls from SitePulse)

Setup: generate an Application Password

Application Passwords let external services authenticate to your WordPress site without sharing your account password.

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
Go to Users → Profile (or Users → All Users → Edit for another account).
Scroll down to Application Passwords.
Enter a name (e.g. "SitePulse") and click Add New Application Password.
Copy the generated password — it is shown only once.

Connect WordPress in SitePulse

Go to your project → Settings → Integrations.
Click Connect WordPress.
Enter:
- WordPress URL — your site root (e.g. https://example.com). Do not include /wp-json/.
- Username — your WordPress username (not email).
- Application Password — the password generated above.
Click Test Connection. SitePulse will call GET /wp-json/wp/v2/users/me to verify credentials.
Click Save when the test passes.

What SitePulse can patch

Field	API endpoint	Yoast required?
SEO title	`POST /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id}` → `meta._yoast_wpseo_title`	Yes
Meta description	`POST /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id}` → `meta._yoast_wpseo_metadesc`	Yes
Post title (H1 fallback)	`POST /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id}` → `title`	No
Image alt text	`POST /wp-json/wp/v2/media/{id}` → `alt_text`	No
JSON-LD structured data	`POST /wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id}` → content injection	No

Without Yoast SEO, SitePulse falls back to updating the native WordPress post_title for title changes and cannot update the SEO meta description separately.

Yoast SEO support

If Yoast SEO is installed and active, SitePulse detects it automatically (by checking GET /wp-json/yoast/v1/get_head). When Yoast is detected:

Title patches write to _yoast_wpseo_title (Yoast's title template field), not post_title. This keeps the post title and the SEO title separate.
Meta description patches write to _yoast_wpseo_metadesc.
Structured data patches are injected alongside Yoast's schema output (SitePulse adds a separate <script type="application/ld+json"> block rather than overwriting Yoast's schema).

Required WordPress permissions

The connected user must have the edit_posts capability for content patching and upload_files for image alt text patching. An Editor role has both. An Author role can only edit their own posts.

Troubleshooting

"REST API disabled" error Some security plugins (Wordfence, iThemes Security) disable REST API access for unauthenticated requests. SitePulse authenticates via Application Password, so the API should be accessible. If you see this error, check your security plugin's REST API settings and allow authenticated access.

"Invalid Application Password" error Application Passwords are space-separated when displayed (e.g. xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx). SitePulse strips spaces automatically — paste the password as-is.

"403 Forbidden" on patch The connected user account may not have the required role. Verify the user has Editor or Administrator access. If using a separate service account, ensure it has edit_posts capability.

Multisite WordPress

SitePulse connects to individual sites within a WordPress Multisite network, not the network admin. Use the individual site URL (e.g. https://example.com/subsite/), not the network root.