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Yoast

Yoast API

WordPress SEO Plugin / Headless SEO / Structured Data · yoast.com

Yoast ships four documented APIs: a read-only REST endpoint returning a URL's full meta tags and schema.org JSON-LD, plus PHP-only Surfaces, Metadata, and Schema APIs inside WordPress. Everything is free and self-serve, but nothing can be written via REST and there are no SDKs.

Last verified: July 2026Marketing & Sales
API GRADE
A
VERIFIED JUL 2026

SCORECARD

ExistenceGOODFour documented APIs: a read-only REST endpoint plus PHP Surfaces, Metadata, and Schema APIs that run inside WordPress.
AccessGOODFree and self-serve on any install; no partner approval or paid tier, though an admin toggle can disable the REST API.
CoverageGOODget_head returns a URL's complete meta tags and schema.org JSON-LD, ready to inject into headless frontends.
AuthGOODThe REST endpoint is public by default, piggybacking on WordPress; no keys, apps, or approval flows involved.
Docs & DXGOODAll four APIs are documented at developer.yoast.com, aimed at headless WordPress builds; no first-party SDKs.
StabilityGOOD
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Supergood: Yoast shipped a real API. Most vendors don't; we ship near-native APIs for the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Yoast scores A on the API Report Card. Yoast ships four documented APIs: a read-only REST endpoint returning a URL's full meta tags and schema.org JSON-LD, plus PHP-only Surfaces, Metadata, and Schema APIs inside WordPress. Everything is free and self-serve, but nothing can be written via REST and there are no SDKs.

Tried to integrate with Yoast?
SOURCES
REST API is read-only, no POST/PUT support means you cannot programmatically update SEO titles, descriptions, focus keyphrases, or redirects via the API; all writes must go through the WordPress admin or direct DB writes developer.yoast.com ↗
Returns 404 for URLs without indexable data, requiring an admin-side 'Optimize SEO Data' run or post update to populate, confusing for developers building headless sites developer.yoast.com ↗
API can be disabled site-wide via Site Features settings, so headless frontends can be silently broken by an admin toggle developer.yoast.com ↗
No first-party SDKs (JS, Python, etc.), developers consume the REST API directly or use community wrappers developer.yoast.com ↗
Surfaces, Metadata, and Schema APIs are PHP-only and only callable from inside the WordPress runtime, not usable from external services developer.yoast.com ↗
Schema/metadata customization requires deep familiarity with Yoast's internal filter hooks and class structure; documentation assumes WordPress plugin-developer fluency developer.yoast.com ↗
No webhooks for SEO data changes (redirects added, focus keyphrase updated, schema piece changed), so external systems must poll the REST API developer.yoast.com ↗
Pricing has crept up materially under Newfold Digital ownership; Premium at $118.80/yr per site is expensive vs. Rank Math Pro ($59/yr for unlimited sites) and SEOPress Pro ($49/yr for unlimited sites) growthmarketingpro.com ↗
WooCommerce SEO is a separate $178.80/yr purchase rather than included in Premium, felt as nickel-and-diming by ecommerce users yoast.com ↗
The 'indexables' database table introduced in v14 causes performance and storage problems on large sites (40k+ posts), with some users rolling back versions wordpress.org ↗
Built-in XML sitemap generator has been reported to cause excessive database load, prompting users to switch to dedicated sitemap plugins capterra.com ↗
Free version only supports a single focus keyphrase and does not account for plurals, word order, or stems, multi-keyword requires Premium clairepaniccia.com ↗
'Green light' optimization scoring encourages over-optimization and keyword stuffing, producing content that reads unnaturally clairepaniccia.com ↗
Plugin bloat, frequent feature additions (AI, brand monitoring, Google Docs add-on) have made the plugin noticeably heavier than lean alternatives trustradius.com ↗
Persistent in-admin upsell prompts and notification noise after Newfold acquisition trustpilot.com ↗
New SEO AI+ tier at $358.80/yr stacks on top of Premium pricing, pushing total annual cost above $300 for features competitors bundle in lower SKUs yoast.com ↗
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