RSS setting not exported and imported on new sites

Hi @jonhopstra,

You mentioned that the Yoast SEO RSS feed and breadcrumb settings didn’t import properly in a new site. Is that correct?

Just to be sure that we’re on the same page, all the Yoast SEO settings and data are stored in the WordPress database. If you’re building a new site based on a copy of the previous WordPress site’s files and database, we expect all the Yoast SEO data to appear.

You should also be able to import and export the Yoast SEO settings by going to SEO > Tools > Import and Export. You import settings by pasting the exported settings text into the field. Can you confirm that you used this method to import the settings?

Can you also confirm that this problem happens when you use the import/export tools with the latest version of Yoast SEO (15.0) on the old site and the new site? Since Yoast SEO 13.x and 14.x are outdated we do not recommend continuing to use them.

@priscillamc Thanks for the reply, I will dig into this and will report you what is going on. I need some more time but will get back to you.
Have a great weekend,
Jon

@jonhopstra You’re welcome and please let us know if you require any further assistance.

@devnihil @priscillamc

Hello, I did some tests using the following plugins:

1) Yoast SEO 13.5
2) GP Premium
3) Options Importer Plugin

=> Run Options Importer and import JSON file for Yoast SEO 13.5

(Remember when I exported all my site Options I used Notepad++ to remove all lines of code to just keep the wpseo_ fields and saved the JSON file to later import Yoast SEO settings)

-> // Version is // \”version\”;s:4:\”13.5

Yoast SEO version 13.5 options/settings has been installed and options are Imported to wp_options database fields.

4) Update all plugins and theme

-> Yoast SEO updated to version 15.0

5) Back to plugins, deactivate Options Importer plugin and remove it.

6) Make sure only following plugins are active:

– Yoast SEO 15.0
– GP Premium 1.11.3

Using theme:

– GeneratePress

Go to Yoast SEO and check all settings are correct.

– All settings are correct set up.

Press on the button (save settings) to make sure database table and any _transient_ has been updated.

Open MySQL, following tables have been installed:

wp_yoast_indexable
wp_yoast_indexable_hierarchy
wp_yoast_migrations
wp_yoast_primary_term
wp_yoast_seo_links

In wp_options:

wpseo
yoast_migrations_free
wpseo_titles
wpseo_social
wpseo_ryte

// wpseo_titles does contain – breadcrumbs items
// wpseo_titles does contain – rss item and text

7) Export all Yoast SEO settings and copy paste it to a new Notepad

8) WordPress log out

9) Run script and batch files to clean-up and reset Xampp site files and database server

10) Close chrome browser and remove all temp files and cookies and restart again

11) Run batch file to setup a new website folder and make sure database server and Xampp http apache has been started again

12) Install WordPress

13) Login to WP Dashboard and skip using Options Importer, update Yoast SEO to version 15.0

16) Activate Yoast SEO 15.0

– Success

17) All Yoast SEO settings are default/unchanged

18) Press count links and optimize site

– Success (Using Chrome latest version, fails using Firefox ESR older version – see my other post)

19) Go to /page=wpseo_tools&tool=import-export

Paste all Yoast SEO settings from Notepad (step 7) into the settings box and press Import Settings

– Success

20) Check all settings have been imported.

– All settings have been Imported accept:

-> /page=wpseo_titles#top#breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs state is correct (Disabled) but when enabled all input fields are empty and overwritten with empty data.

Settings file from Notepad does have the correct items:

breadcrumbs-404crumb = “404-fout: pagina niet gevonden”
breadcrumbs-display-blog-page =
breadcrumbs-boldlast =
breadcrumbs-archiveprefix = “Archieven voor”

They are just not imported into the database.

Check following:

// wpseo_titles does not contain – breadcrumbs items
// wpseo_titles does not contain – rss item and text

Same for RSS. Box is empty.

But checking settings from notepad:

rssbefore = “”
rssafter = “Het bericht %%POSTLINK%% verscheen eerst op %%BLOGLINK%%.”

They are copied to Yoast SEO settings Import box but not added to database field rssafter by wpseo_titles, same for breadcrumbs items

//

This was a bit technical buy I hope you could follow my steps.

Also this is all done in Chrome that is clean without any extensions or ad block etc.

I have seen this issue been reported on GitHub some year ago I think.

This is one of the reasons I still need to use Options Importer Plugin as that always works great for older versions of Yoast Settings and also the new versions.

I just cannot use it for version 15.0 because when I first Import the options using this plugin for Yoast, it only adds items to yoast_ options table and does not of course make database tables that Yoast makes on activation.

It might work, but most of the time my Xampp Apache server logs says it cannot find some Yoast SEO migration fields and they need to be rebuild.

Maybe this has been fixed and I can export 15.0 and import 15.0 settings using Options Importer. I will test it but because before version 15.0 there were no extra database tables just the wp_options items by Yoast, these get exported by Options Importer without any errors, so of course if you have a new site an import these options in the database before activating Yoast – It will be seen on first plugin activation.

It just does not created any new database tables, just options.

But I will test it, than I do not have to use an older version of yoast and import settings and then update to latest version and finally activate the plugin.

But why Breadcrumbs are emptied and RSS on importing settings that do have these values is very strange. I know a bit about code and I do know about MySQL but I cannot find anyway to debug this for you, sorry.

I hope this does help.

Regards, Jon

@jonhopstra

We are not familiar with non-Yoast third party plugin importer tools so our ability to troubleshoot this is limited. However, we can say the following:

1. We have made lots of changes to our plugin the past couple versions. Depending on how Options Importer Plugin works, it may or may not be importing all the right data. We suggest contacting those plugin author’s for more information.

2. Breadcrumbs are somewhat theme dependent. Did you also copy over the right code to generate the breadcrumbs as well? This guide explains more: https://yoast.com/help/implement-wordpress-seo-breadcrumbs/. If so, it is either an issue with #1 as described above or #3, below.

3. With the RSS we do have an open issue report here https://github.com/Yoast/wordpress-seo/issues/11964 that seems to describe what you are experiencing. We recommend commenting on it so you may be kept aware of updates. You may need an account in order to comment.

@pcosta88 Thanks for your reply. I did not want to make this post confusing but I talked about this Options Importer plugin as a way I use it to import all settings to the database from all the plugins I use before I activate them.

Sorry for the confusion. This plugin is not important for this problem (cannot import Yoast settings for breadcrumb settings and RSS options)

I will test it again but this time I will use on my new test site the latest version 15.0 of Yoast and not the older 14.x version anymore. I will also not use any other plugins, including this options importer plugin.

I will start 100% fresh.

I did this test. 15.0 activated… make some changes in Yoast.

Export it using Yoast own tool.

Build new site 100% identical to the one above… and start fresh again.

Now activate 15.0 again.

Now Import Yoast settings (text file)

Result?

All data from Breadcrumbs fields are cleared/empty
All information in the TAB next it called / RSS is cleared/empty

There was a line as follows:

rssafter = “This post %%POSTLINK%% was first on %%BLOGLINK%%.”

(I made it from Dutch to English)

You see the tag – (rssafter) above right?

That tag is IN the settings file, meaning it IS written to the settings file and I have it in notepad listed.

But when I copy these settings into a new WordPress site and new 15.0 version of Yoast it does not take this RSS setting from the notepad into the database.

I make sure to copy paste all these settings and press Import. All settings are imported in Yoast for other sections, like post settings and social and more but not for Breadcrumbs and RSS.

Remember: When you install Yoast SEO for the first time on a new website and you activate the Yoast plugin and you would then straight go to the section for breadcrumbs and would set it to activated.

You would see a lot of pre-setup fields in here right?

These fields are the default fields if one would use the code for Yoast breadcrumbs in the theme. I am not using it in my theme but because I saw these fields get cleared out, I wanted to report this that it will happen after importing the Yoast SEO settings and pressing Import in Yoast SEO.

These default fields get white/cleared after Yoast Settings import.

Same for RSS after (What has been inside the box)

When you first activate Yoast SEO you will see default fields with default values in breadcrumbs settings and also a default text line in RSS that add’s (This post was first on __sitename__ )

This data get’s also removed when I import Yoast SEO settings.

Check these images:

We talk here about only Yoast, no other plugins or tools or options importer plugin.

I just before needed to use this options importer plugin to keep all Yoast SEO settings intact on every plugin upgrade as own yoast settings importer never worked for me.

So please forget my other ways of getting Yoast SEO settings into the database.

I for this test only used Yoast 15.0 and just the notepad to copy paste settings and import these settings again on a new site install.

It still clears all fields under breadcrumbs and rss boxes get cleared.

I will do a new test using Firefox and not Chrome I do however think this make not difference but I have some time free so I will test it again and even put a new site build into full debugging mode.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Jon.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Jon.

Hi @jonhopstra

Thanks for explaining that! The open issue that @pcosta88 mentioned still affects importing breadcrumb and RSS settings from one site to another one using Yoast SEO.

We do agree that this is something that should be addressed, so it was added to our?backlog.?This means that it is on our radar and we have the intention of fixing this.
If you’d like to follow the progress, you can follow or comment on the issue in GitHub to receive updates.

@priscillamc Thanks for the reply.

I had a look at @pcosta88 reply but If I check it on the GitHub page the talk is about line breaks and I do understand this could have a issue but my situation is about non-line break import and default content added by the plugin on activation.

Have a look at my text document that has the data to import on a new site:

Found here: https://imgbb.com/stc0W6p

You see the first red arrow?

If you look closely you will see that item: rssbefore is empty (the default install of Yoast does not have anything setup for text in RSS feeds before any RSS post headlines)

But if you look at: rssafter -> You will see the default text there. It is translated to my language but this is the default text that is added to the RSS after box in Yoast SEO settings. I have not made any changes I just did an export of all the settings and found when I did a Import on a new site (same plugin, same version) The RSS boxes (TextArea fields) get cleared and empty.

Same goes for any data that has been added to Breadcrumbs fields. (Even the default values added by Yoast plugin on a new site)

This has nothing to do with my theme. I can do this even with a default WP theme or even no theme (Will break WP of course) But I can test that as well.

Once pressing Import for settings and you have added all these settings into the import field/box and press Import.

It WILL Import all data to the database fields correctly BUT it will somehow not import any data that has been added in Yoast to RSS settings. In this case RSSafter (I have not tested RSSbefore)

But I do think this is very near to the issue in the plugin code were it it happens.

I can, because of the way I build sites, re-build 100% identical sites.

To do my tests so I know 100% sure nothing is different.

I did not test this on a real live domain (only localhost) maybe that is the issue?

Regards

Thanks for your clarification. We don’t think this is an issue specific to the environment you are using to run the website (production/localhost).

That said, we see a bug report that is currently open in our development repository here https://github.com/Yoast/wordpress-seo/issues/11964. If you feel that it’s not describing the issue that you are referring to here, please do feel free to submit a new bug report.

Alternatively, you can add all of your findings on the relevant bug report that is already opened if the issue is similar to yours instead of opening a new bug report. It will help our development team to investigate the issue further.

@mazedulislamkhan Thank you, maybe better for keeping it organized here that i close this topic as well and if I have some info for you will point to this topic on GitHub.
My problem is not really with the line breaks as it is just the default values added by Yoast plugin on activation but I will do some more tests as the problem must be inside the part of the plugin that is discussed in the GitHub issue/11964
Thanks for this!