Why a Pre-Publish Checklist Matters
Publishing WordPress content without quality checks is like shipping code without tests. Most of the time it works fine. Occasionally it doesn’t, and the failures are embarrassing: broken formatting, missing SEO metadata, placeholder text that went live, or images that 404.
A structured QA checklist eliminates these issues. Used consistently, it also improves SEO rankings (search engines reward consistent metadata quality), reduces post-publish edits (which can cause re-indexing churn), and maintains brand professionalism.
This checklist works for both manual WordPress workflows and AI-assisted workflows using mumcp.
Content Quality Checks
1. Title Optimization
- Title is under 60 characters (Google truncates longer titles in search results)
- Title includes the target keyword (preferably near the beginning)
- Title is compelling and click-worthy (not just keyword-stuffed)
- Title doesn’t duplicate an existing published post
AI check: “List all published post titles. Does any title closely match ‘[new title]’?”
2. Content Structure
- Post has an engaging intro (first 2-3 sentences should hook the reader)
- Content uses H2 and H3 headings to break up sections (aim for one H2 every 200-300 words)
- Paragraphs are 2-4 sentences each (avoid walls of text)
- Post includes at least one list, table, or visual element
- Word count meets your target (typically 1,200-2,000 for SEO blog posts)
AI check: “Analyze the structure of this post. Count headings, paragraphs, lists, and total word count.”
3. Internal Linking
- Post contains 2-5 internal links to related content on your site
- Internal links use descriptive anchor text (not “click here”)
- Links point to live, published pages (not drafts or deleted content)
- No orphaned links to old URL slugs
AI check: “Search for related published posts and suggest 3 internal links for this content.”
4. External Links
- External links open in a new tab (
target="_blank") - External links have
rel="noopener"for security - External links point to authoritative, relevant sources
- No broken external links
SEO Checks
5. SEO Title
- SEO title is set (not auto-generated from the post title)
- SEO title is under 60 characters
- SEO title includes the target keyword
- SEO title includes your brand name (e.g., “| mumcp”)
AI check: wp_get_seo for the post → verify title field is populated and within length limits
6. Meta Description
- Meta description is set (not blank)
- Meta description is 120-155 characters
- Meta description includes the target keyword naturally
- Meta description is a compelling summary (not just the first sentence of the post)
7. Focus Keyword
- Focus keyword is set in Yoast/RankMath
- Keyword appears in the SEO title, meta description, first paragraph, and at least one H2
- Keyword density is 1-2% (enough for relevance, not enough for keyword stuffing)
- URL slug contains the keyword
8. URL Slug
- Slug is short and descriptive (3-6 words)
- Slug contains the target keyword
- No stop words (the, and, of, in) unless necessary for readability
- Slug uses hyphens, not underscores
9. Schema/Structured Data
- Post type schema is set (Article, BlogPosting, HowTo, FAQ, etc.)
- If using FAQ schema, Q&A items are properly structured
- Author schema points to a real profile with name and image
Media Checks
10. Featured Image
- Featured image is set (not blank)
- Image is relevant to the content topic
- Image is at least 1200×630px (optimal for social sharing)
- Image has alt text set
- Image file size is under 200KB (compressed for performance)
AI check: wp_get_post → check if featured_image is populated
11. In-Content Images
- All images have descriptive alt text (for accessibility and SEO)
- Images are appropriately sized (not 4000px wide embedded in a 800px column)
- Image file names are descriptive (not IMG_20260220.jpg)
- No broken image links
Taxonomy Checks
12. Categories
- Post is assigned to a relevant category (not “Uncategorized”)
- Post is in only 1-2 categories (avoid over-categorization)
- Category is consistent with similar posts on the site
13. Tags
- Post has 3-5 relevant tags
- Tags match existing tag taxonomy (don’t create duplicate tags with slight spelling variations)
- Tags are useful for site navigation, not just keyword stuffing
AI check: wp_list_tags → compare existing tags to avoid duplicates
Technical Checks
14. Mobile Preview
- Content renders correctly on mobile devices
- Tables are responsive (scroll horizontally, don’t break layout)
- Images don’t overflow their containers
- Text is readable without zooming
15. Page Speed
- Post doesn’t embed heavy external scripts
- Images use lazy loading where appropriate
- No unnecessary embedded videos on the initial load
16. Elementor-Specific (if applicable)
- All widgets have proper settings (no placeholder text)
- Elementor CSS is regenerated after changes (
wp_regenerate_elementor_css) - No validation warnings in the save response
- Mobile responsive settings are configured for each section
Final Pre-Publish Steps
17. Preview and Proofread
- Open the preview URL and read the entire post
- Check for typos, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing
- Verify all links work (click each one)
- Check formatting consistency (heading sizes, list styles, spacing)
18. Publication Settings
- Post status is correct (publish, scheduled, or draft)
- Publication date is correct (especially for scheduled posts)
- Author is set correctly
- Comments are enabled/disabled per your site policy
Automating the Checklist with AI
The most powerful use of this checklist is as an AI prompt. After writing your post, give your AI assistant this instruction:
“Run a pre-publish QA check on post [ID]. Verify: SEO title and description are set and within character limits, featured image exists, category is not ‘Uncategorized’, focus keyword appears in the title and first paragraph, internal links are present, word count is above 1,200. Report any issues found.”
The AI uses wp_get_post, wp_get_seo, and wp_analyze_seo to check each item programmatically. Issues are reported instantly, and you can fix them in the same conversation before hitting publish.
Download and Customize
Use this checklist as a starting point and customize it for your site’s specific needs. If you use WooCommerce, add product-specific checks. If you have a multi-author blog, add editorial review steps. If you publish in multiple languages, add translation consistency checks.
Consistent quality control is what separates professional WordPress sites from the rest. This checklist ensures every published piece meets your standards — whether you’re publishing manually or through mumcp.