=== Core SEO ===
Contributors: xolius
Tags: seo, google, meta description, schema, sitemap
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 8.0
Stable tag: 1.1.3
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

SEO that shows exactly what Google shows: pixel-exact previews, clear checks in 9 languages, schema, sitemaps and a one-click switch from Yoast.

== Description ==

Core SEO gives every page a title and description that fit — and shows you, while you type, exactly how Google will display them.

= A Google preview you can trust =

* Google cuts titles and descriptions by width in pixels, not by characters. Core SEO measures every letter in Google's own font and size, and cuts the preview exactly where Google does — on desktop and on mobile.
* A meter under each field shows the width in pixels, with a mark where phones cut the description.
* The words of your focus keyphrase are shown in bold, just like in real search results.

= Content checks that tell you what to do =

* One SEO score and one readability score, each with a short list of what to fix — most important first.
* Checks for the keyphrase in the title, description, URL, introduction, subheadings and image text, keyphrase density, text length, links and images.
* Warns when another page already targets the same keyphrase, so your own pages don't compete.
* Readability: sentence and paragraph length, subheadings, variety, reading ease, passive voice and transition words.

= In your language =

* The checks understand English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: word forms, stop words, reading-ease formulas and passive voice per language, and right-to-left previews for Arabic.
* On multilingual sites (WPML or Polylang) every page is checked in its own language, and the share tags and schema carry the right locale.
* The plugin itself is translated into German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic, Bosnian and Croatian.

= Everything search engines need =

* Title and description templates for every content type, category and tag, with variables like {title}, {site} and {category}.
* Robots (noindex / nofollow) per page or per content type, canonical URLs, and media pages redirected to their post.
* Open Graph and X card tags with a live Facebook and X preview.
* Structured data as one connected schema.org graph: organisation or person, website, web page, article and breadcrumbs.
* XML sitemaps without hidden pages, with last-modified dates.
* Verification for Google Search Console, Bing, Yandex and Pinterest.
* Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager with Consent Mode v2: paste your ID, and nothing is stored until the visitor agrees in your cookie banner (WP Consent API supported). Your own visits are left out.
* An SEO dashboard, a widget on the WordPress Dashboard and an SEO column in your post lists.

= Switch from Yoast SEO or Rank Math in one click =

Core SEO copies titles, descriptions, focus keyphrases, noindex settings, canonicals, share texts, main categories and your global settings. The other plugin is not changed, so you can switch back at any time. Old sitemap addresses (sitemap_index.xml and the sub-sitemaps such as page-sitemap.xml) forward to the new sitemap, so Search Console keeps working.

= Core SEO Premium =

Core SEO is complete on its own and stays free. For larger sites there is an optional add-on, Core SEO Premium (sold separately on xolius.com), with an AI assistant, bulk AI writing, a site crawl, redirects and a 404 log, internal link suggestions, and WooCommerce, local business and news SEO. Nothing in Core SEO is locked or limited without it.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate Core SEO from Plugins → Add New.
2. Coming from Yoast SEO or Rank Math? Open Core SEO → Import, import, check a few pages, then deactivate the old plugin.
3. Open any post or page: the Core SEO box is below the editor.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Can I use Core SEO together with Yoast SEO or Rank Math? =

You can install both, but only one should print the SEO tags. While another SEO plugin is active Core SEO prints nothing on your site, so you never get double titles. Import, check, then deactivate the old plugin.

= Where do I show breadcrumbs? =

Add the `[core_seo_breadcrumbs]` shortcode, or call `cseo_breadcrumbs_html()` in your theme.

= Does Core SEO contact any external service? =

Core SEO itself never contacts any service and has no tracking or account. Only if you fill in your own Google Analytics or Tag Manager ID, your visitors' browsers load Google's tag — see "External services" below.

= Is anything locked in the free version? =

No. Every feature described here is in Core SEO and works without a licence. The Premium add-on only adds extra tools.

== External services ==

Core SEO adds Google's tag to your site only when you enter your own Google Analytics 4 measurement ID or Google Tag Manager container ID under Core SEO → Webmaster tools. Then your visitors' browsers load the script from Google (googletagmanager.com) and send the page address, referrer, browser data and the events you set up in Google Analytics or Tag Manager to Google, under your own Google account. With Consent Mode (on by default) Google is told to store no cookies and use no data for ads until the visitor agrees. Logged-in editors and administrators are left out unless you choose otherwise. Nothing is sent while the fields are empty.

* Google Analytics terms: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/us/
* Google Tag Manager terms: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/tag-manager/use-policy/
* Google privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

== Changelog ==

= 1.1.3 =
* "SEO" with the page's score in the admin bar on your pages, next to Edit.
* The checks look at the page as visitors see it, so pages built from theme blocks are measured correctly.
* Croatian and Serbian (Latin script) pages use the Bosnian word forms and readability rules.
* The sitemap only lists the content types Core SEO handles.

= 1.1.2 =
* The Core SEO menu in the WordPress sidebar now lists every section, grouped like the Core SEO screens, and highlights the one you are on.
* "Edit SEO" under each title in the post and page lists: opens the editor straight at the Core SEO box.

= 1.1.1 =
* Consent Mode: a choice the visitor already made (WP Consent API cookie) is applied before the first page view on every next page, so those visits are counted with consent.

= 1.1.0 =
* Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager under Webmaster tools, with Consent Mode v2 and WP Consent API support. Logged-in editors are not counted.

= 1.0.0 =
* First stable release.
* Language-aware content checks for English, German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian; the interface in 9 languages.
* Old Yoast SEO / Rank Math sitemap addresses, including their sub-sitemaps, redirect to the WordPress sitemap.
* Dashboard widget on the WordPress Dashboard.

= 0.1.0 =
* First version: Google preview, content checks, templates, robots, canonicals, share tags, schema, sitemaps, dashboard and import from Yoast SEO and Rank Math.
