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Task guide

Update page metadata on WordPress

Last updated

Apply a reviewed SEO title and meta description to an existing WordPress page or post.

Before you start

You need permission to edit the page and save changes to the live site. WordPress setups differ: this walkthrough uses an already-installed Yoast SEO plugin. Other SEO plugins have their own fields. WordPress.com sites may instead use built-in SEO tools, depending on their plan.

Do not install a second SEO plugin just to follow this guide. If you cannot find SEO settings, ask whoever manages the site which tool controls them.

1. Copy the reviewed metadata

In Onça’s Site Audit, match the page by its URL. Review the Title and Meta description, then use Copy beneath each field. These edits stay in Onça until you apply them to your site.

2. Edit the matching page in WordPress

  1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Open Pages, or Posts for a blog article. Find the existing item and choose Edit. Check that its URL matches your recommendation.
  3. Open the Yoast SEO sidebar or the Yoast panel below the editor. Expand Search appearance to find the search preview and metadata fields.
  4. Replace the SEO title with your reviewed title. Check the preview for a repeated site name if the field contains automatic variables.
  5. Paste your summary into Meta description.
  6. Click Save or Update, depending on your editor, to apply changes to the published page.

Use the SEO title field for the search title. Leave the visible page heading and URL unchanged unless your task also calls for changing them. A WordPress excerpt is not a dedicated SEO description field.

See Yoast’s description-field guidance and WordPress.com’s SEO options. Checked October 15, 2026.

3. Check what visitors receive

Open the public page in a new tab. Check the browser tab title. Right-click and choose View Page Source, then search for <title and name="description" to compare both values with your changes.

If the old text remains, confirm the save succeeded and the URL matches. If your site uses caching, ask the site manager to clear the page cache. If you see duplicate description tags, ask them to check for competing SEO tools.

Search results may take time to update and may use different wording. Finish this task by checking the published page itself.

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