Meta tags not updating

[paulinapauline]

• I've read and understood the contribution guidelines.
• I've searched for any related issues and avoided creating a duplicate issue.

Please give us a description of what happened.

Whenever I try to update the meta title or description of an existing post, the changes are not kept. It seems like it's saving but it doesn't and the metas are not updated.

Please describe what you expected to happen and why.

I am expecting the meta to be updated and the changes to be saved

How can we reproduce this behavior?

1. Go to an existing post
2. Change the title or description
3. save
4. look at the post again

Technical info

• If relevant, which editor is affected (or editors):
  This happens with gutemberg. I am currently converting my posts from the classic editor to gutemberg. The issue doesn't happen on a new post with gutemberg

• Which browser is affected (or browsers):
  all

Used versions

• WordPress version: Lastest. 5.7
• Yoast SEO version: 16.0.2
• Gutenberg plugin version:
• Classic Editor plugin version: 1.6
• Relevant plugins in case of a bug:

• Tested with theme: Flatsome

[Djennez]

@paulinapauline can you be more specific in your reproduction steps? What do you mean with "converting from classic to gutenberg" and which output of the metadata does not change? The preview? Or what is eventually shown in the source of the page in the frontend?

[paulinapauline]

Thanks for the reply.

I started converting my post from the classic editor to Gutenberg so I thought it had an impact but I tried on my old post with Classic editor and it's doing the same.

Basically, since I updated to the new version of WP and Yoast, everytime I try to change my meta (title or description). It doesn't save. It looks like it's saving but as soon as I close the page and go back on it, it goes back to the older version.

It works if I'm creating a new post but not on existing post.

So the only work around I found is to copy paste all my old post into a new one but that's a bit of a hassle.

I tried the troubleshooting mode with only Yoast enabled and it was still doing it.

As for the preview and front end, it never gets updated there. The source code doesn't change. The only place where I can see the update is as long as I'm editing the post but the frontend doesn't move and it disappears in the back end when I close the tab (even though I saved).

[jamessawle2]

Watching as I have the exact same issue.

[Djennez]

I tried reproducing this locally, but was not able to. This means either the reproduction steps are not complete or there is a conflict ongoing. As there seem to be more people who indicate to have this issue, please see if there are any matching variables that could cause this.

I tried my reproduction by

• Installing Yoast Free 15.9.2 on an empty site.
• Created a post in the classic editor and set the description and SEO title fields.
• Updated Yoast Free to 16.0.2.
• Tried editing the same fields, and was able to.

Any error messages somewhere in the logs that may indicate what goes wrong? Conflict check?

[paulinapauline]

Hi Djennez,

It could be a conflict however, even in troubleshooting mode with only Yoast as a plugin, I have the same issue (so all plugins turned off and running WP 2020 theme).

That said, there is one step that I forgot to mention. I've updated both Wordpress and Yoast at the same time.

I skipped one Wordpress update so I was running wp 5.5 something.

So yeah, I'm having the issue since the last Wordpress and Yoast update.

So the posts were created with an older version of Wordpress and yoast and these are the one with the issue now.

So the steps would be:

1. Creating a post with an older version of Wordpress (ideally 5.5 something) and previous version of yoast. With classic editor
2. Updating both Wordpress and yoast to the latest versions
3. Updating the meta title and description
4. Checking if the code was updated (as it looks like it's saving in the cms but isn't on the page).

I hope that helps

[Djennez]

@paulinapauline which version was Yoast before you updated?

[paulinapauline]

Excuse my lack of knowledge, but is there a way I can see the history to confirm?

I update it regularly so it is a recent one but I'm not 100% sure which one. It could be any from the 15.8

[laurelle]

Hi,
I am having the exact same problem.
I have an existing site that has been using Yoast SEO free since it was setup. When I update the title and/or description on the Home page, the source code does not show the updated information.
I setup a test site and deactivated all plugins, the title and description changed as expected. Then I activated Yoast and the title and description changed to something else that had previously been set in the title and description field, not what is currently showing on the home page.
I then tried switching to the 2021 theme, but still the same issue. Old title and description field info is showing.
I can give you access to the test site if that would help resolve the issue.
Thank you.

[Djennez]

Is this issue still happening on the latest versions? And also: if you save a post twice, do the details save correctly the second time?

[paulinapauline]

Yes it still happens. I updated to the new version as soon as it was released and still have the issue.

And no, it doesn't save correctly even if I save twice (or even 10 times).

Again though, it's only on the posts that were published before the update. The new ones are fine.
The only way around I found so far is to delete the post and recreate it with the same URL

[paulinapauline]

Hi :) I updated to the version 16.2 and it's working perfectly now :) Thank you!!

[Djennez]

Really? That is both good to hear and strange, we did not specifically work on this issue for this release. It may be that one of the bugfixes may have solved this. It may also be just coincidental. @laurelle can you confirm that 16.2 solves the issue for you as well?

[paulinapauline]

Oops never mind I jumped to conclusions.

I updated a post but kept it in the classic editor.

The posts that were created in classic and switched to Gutenberg are still having the issue.

[aronnothing]

Hi,

I mananged to solve this problem with your suggestions of WP and Yoast previous versions.

I used the program WP Rollback to rollback Yoast to version 15.6 and then changed the meta title.
When i updated Yoast again to the newest version the metatitle was correct.

Maybe Yoast can work somthing out here? We have had this problem on several sites.

Hope it works // Aron

Oops never mind I jumped to conclusions.

I updated a post but kept it in the classic editor.

The posts that were created in classic and switched to Gutenberg are still having the issue.

[moderatedan]

I'm having the same issue as well.

[Jimmi08]

Hi, I have the same issue as well.

[thequickbrowncoder]

Hello, I'm having the same issue.

Description of Issue
I'm updating the SEO title and meta description of a previously published post via the Yoast plugin. When I save the new meta tags, the changes are being saved/updated in WordPress backend, but not appearing on the frontend code/live webpage.

Expected Result
To have the new SEO title and meta description appear on the frontend code of the live webpage.

Steps to Reproduce
I manually checked for any plugin & theme conflict following the steps indicated here.

1. Deactivated all plugins and switched to an unaltered default WordPress theme (I used Twenty Twenty-Three).
2. Went to the affected post and checked the title & description in the frontend. Issue did not occur when Yoast is deactivated.
3. Activated Yoast.
4. Went to the affected post and ensured the SEO title and meta description were updated in WordPress backend using the Yoast plugin.
5. Went to the affected post and checked the title & description in the frontend. Issue occurred.
6. Switched the theme to Sydney v2.25.
7. Went to the affected post and ensured the SEO title and meta description were updated in WordPress backend using the Yoast plugin.
8. Went to the affected post and checked the title & description in the frontend. Issue still occurred.

Technical Info

1. WP Editors affected: (a) Classic Editor, (b) Gutenberg (prior to manual plugin & theme conflict check)
2. Browsers affected: Chrome, Firefox

Used Versions

• WordPress v 6.2.2 (latest as of 11 Jul 2023)
• Yoast SEO v 20.10 (latest available as of 11 Jul 2023)
• Twenty Twenty-Three theme v 1.0
• Sydney theme v 2.25

[caspervoogt]

I ran into this on 21.1 just now with my home page SEO title not showing the text I had entered for that.

I rolled back to 16.2, edited my SEO title, saved, and voila, it finally showed the text I had entered. Then I updated back to 21.1, and it still showed that text. I then tested changing my home page SEO title again... and it won't show the text I entered. So... to change it again, I will once again have to downgrade to 16.2, make my change, then change back to the latest version of Yoast.

Based on my experience this is still an issue with Yoast 21.1 (free version), at least when it comes to my site's home page.