Basic SEO features moved behind paywall
Basic features such as robots.txt editing, redirects, and sitemaps have moved behind a paid plan, and owners feel the free version lost its value.
Tier I · Proven The best-established problems.
9 public reports · first reported 28 February 2023 · last reported 29 June 2025
What's going wrong
Many site owners say features they once used for free now require a premium plan. These include robots.txt editing, simple sitemaps, redirects, and some schema controls. Owners who depend on the free version feel pushed to pay for basics. Some reported that robots.txt errors appeared in Search Console after the file editor was removed. Small site owners need a clear free option for these basic controls.
AI-assisted: written with the help of AI from the reports.
Products affected
Yoast SEO – Advanced SEO with real-time guidance and built-in AI.
Related problems
Who has this problem
2 businesses found.
Unlock them at the top of this page — $38.
All sales are final — no refunds.
Each business's name, the address it published, and the page it was published on. Paid through Stripe; you get a private page to bookmark, with a CSV download.