Lean SEO Documentation
Overview
Lean SEO is a lightweight WordPress plugin that provides essential SEO functionality without the bloat of popular alternatives like Yoast SEO. It focuses on core SEO features: meta tags, Open Graph, Twitter Cards, XML sitemaps, Schema markup, and per-post SEO fields.
The plugin is designed to be developer-friendly with clean, hookable code and no unnecessary features. It’s built for performance and simplicity.
Features
- Meta Tags: Automatic generation of title, description, Open Graph, and Twitter Card meta tags
- Schema/JSON-LD: Structured data markup for better search engine understanding
- XML Sitemaps: Auto-generated, paginated sitemaps for posts, pages, categories, and tags
- Canonical URLs: Proper canonicalization to prevent duplicate content issues
- Per-Post SEO: Custom title and description fields with live preview in the admin
- Developer Hooks: Extensive filters and actions for customization
Installation
- Download the plugin zip file
- Upload the
lean-seofolder to your/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the WordPress admin ‘Plugins’ menu
- No additional configuration is required – the plugin works out of the box
Requirements
- WordPress 6.0 or higher
- PHP 7.4 or higher
Activation
Upon activation, the plugin automatically:
- Registers rewrite rules for XML sitemaps
- Adds hooks for meta tag output
- Creates the SEO meta box for posts and pages
Documentation Structure
This documentation is organized by feature area:
- Meta Tags – How meta tags are generated and customized
- Schema Markup – JSON-LD structured data implementation
- XML Sitemaps – Sitemap generation and customization
- Admin Interface – Per-post SEO fields and admin functionality
Quick Start
After installation, Lean SEO automatically handles:
- Meta Tags: Added to
<head>for all pages/posts - Sitemaps: Available at
/sitemap.xml(submit this to Google Search Console) - Schema: JSON-LD output for better rich snippets
- SEO Fields: Available in post/page editors for custom titles and descriptions
Customization
The plugin provides numerous hooks for customization. See the feature-specific documentation for details on available filters and actions.
Support
- Check the GitHub repository for issues and updates
- Review the code comments and inline documentation for implementation details
License
GPL-2.0+ (same as WordPress)