Connecting RankPill to your WordPress site enables you to automatically publish AI-generated articles directly to your blog. This integration uses WordPress Application Passwords for secure authentication and supports all the essential features including featured images, SEO metadata, and automatic slug generation.
Before you begin, make sure your WordPress site meets these requirements:
- WordPress 5.6 or later (for Application Password support)
- Administrator or Editor access to create Application Passwords
- REST API enabled (enabled by default in WordPress)
Connecting Your WordPress Site
Navigate to Settings → Integrations in your RankPill dashboard and click Connect WordPress. You'll need to provide:
- WordPress Site URL - Your complete site URL including
https://(e.g.,https://yourblog.com) - WordPress Username - Your WordPress admin username
- Application Password - A special password for API access (see below)
Creating an Application Password
Application Passwords provide secure API access without exposing your main WordPress login credentials:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard as an administrator
- Navigate to Users → Your Profile
- Scroll down to the Application Passwords section
- Enter a name for the password (e.g., "RankPill API Access")
- Click "Add New Application Password"
- Copy the generated password - it will look like
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx
⚠️ Important: You'll only see this password once. If you lose it, you'll need to create a new one.
Before saving, use the "Test Connection" button to verify your credentials work correctly. Once connected, RankPill can automatically publish articles, upload featured images, set SEO metadata, handle slug formatting, and update existing posts.
Updating Published Articles
After publishing an article to WordPress, you can update it directly from RankPill. Simply make your changes in the RankPill editor and click the "Update Article" button. Your changes will be pushed to WordPress automatically.
Optimizing Your Permalink Structure
WordPress's default permalink structure often includes dates or post IDs, which aren't ideal for SEO. For clean, optimized URLs:
- Go to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard
- Select "Custom Structure"
- Enter one of these recommended structures:
/%postname%/for a root-level blog/blog/%postname%/if you want all posts under a/blog/directory
This changes your URLs from yoursite.com/?p=123 to yoursite.com/how-to-rank-higher/ or yoursite.com/blog/how-to-rank-higher/.
Customizing Published Content
Changing the Default Category
All articles published by RankPill are assigned to WordPress's default category (typically "Uncategorized"). To customize this:
- Go to Posts → Categories in your WordPress dashboard
- Find the "Uncategorized" category and click Edit
- Rename it to something that reflects your business (e.g., "Blog", "News", "Articles")
- Update the slug if desired
- Click Update
From now on, all articles published by RankPill will use your renamed category. You can also manually change the category of individual posts after publishing.
💡 Pro Tip: Categories don't provide any real SEO or GEO value. We recommend hiding them from your post pages entirely for a cleaner look. Most WordPress themes allow you to disable category display in your theme settings or customizer. Focus on quality content and clean URLs instead—search engines don't care about category labels.
Changing the Author Name
RankPill publishes articles using the WordPress user account that authenticated the integration. To update the author name displayed on your articles:
- Go to Users → Your Profile in your WordPress dashboard
- Update your Display Name to how you want it to appear on articles
- Optionally update your First Name and Last Name
- Scroll down and click Update Profile
Your display name will now appear on all articles published by RankPill (both new and previously published ones).
Troubleshooting
Connection Failed:
- Verify your WordPress site URL is correct and includes
https:// - Check that your username and Application Password are entered correctly
- Ensure your WordPress site is accessible and the REST API is enabled
Publishing Errors:
- Confirm your WordPress user has sufficient permissions (Editor or Administrator)
- Check that your Application Password hasn't been revoked
- Verify your WordPress site isn't blocking REST API requests
SEO Metadata Issues:
- Install a compatible SEO plugin (Yoast SEO, RankMath, or All in One SEO)
- Check that the plugin is properly configured and active
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are my articles showing "Uncategorized"?
A: RankPill uses WordPress's default category when publishing. To fix this, simply rename the "Uncategorized" category to something that reflects your business (e.g., "Blog" or "News"). See the "Changing the Default Category" section above for step-by-step instructions.
Q: How do I change the author name on published articles?
A: The author is the WordPress user who authenticated the RankPill integration. Update your display name in Users → Your Profile in WordPress, and it will appear on all RankPill-published articles. See the "Changing the Author Name" section above for details.
Q: Will this slow down my WordPress site?
A: No. Publishing happens via the REST API, which is designed for efficient data transfer and doesn't impact your site's front-end performance.
Q: Can I publish to multiple WordPress sites?
A: Currently, each RankPill business can connect to one WordPress site. Contact support if you need to manage multiple sites.
Q: What happens if my WordPress site is down when an article is scheduled?
A: RankPill will retry publishing failed articles on the next scheduled run. Articles remain in "scheduled" status until successfully published.
Q: Are Application Passwords secure?
A: Yes. They're separate from your main WordPress password, can be revoked at any time without affecting your main account, and provide limited API-only access. Regularly review and revoke unused passwords in your WordPress profile.
For additional support, contact our team through the in-app support chat.