FAQ
Short answers to common questions about Vantage SEO. Each answer links to the page with the details.
Does the plugin add scripts to my pages?
Yes, three kinds:
- A
<script type="application/ld+json">block with the schema.org graph. This is data. Browsers do not run it. - The file
tracker.js. Instatic adds it to every published page, because the plugin declares it as a page asset. When analytics is off, the script stops at once and sends nothing. When analytics is on, the plugin also adds a small inline configuration script. - Pro A small inline script on your 404 page, which forwards visitors when a redirect rule matches.
See What the plugin writes into your pages.
Does the plugin slow down my pages?
The plugin writes its tags when Instatic publishes a page. No SEO code runs on the server when a visitor opens a page. The only file it adds to pages is tracker.js, which Instatic loads with defer at the end of the body.
Does it work if I serve my site as static files?
The titles, meta tags, Open Graph tags, verification tags and JSON-LD are part of the published HTML files. They work wherever you serve those files.
The sitemap, llms.txt, the IndexNow key file, the analytics beacon and the MCP endpoint are served by the Instatic server under /admin/api/. They work only when requests to that path reach your Instatic server.
Is the free edition really open source?
Yes. The free edition is under the MIT license, on GitHub. It contains no hidden Pro code. Some screens show locked Pro items with one line of text; that code is in the public repository. The public repository is generated from a private repository that holds both editions, so merged pull requests are ported by hand. The Pro edition is not open source. See Open source.
What happens if my Pro license expires?
Pro stays unlocked for 14 days after the expiry date. Then Pro features lock. The free features keep working, and the plugin deletes no data. Your published pages keep their HTML. On the next publish, the plugin stops writing Pro schema. If you renew, Pro unlocks again with your old rules, templates and tokens. See When Pro locks.
Can I export my settings?
Yes. At the bottom of SEO Settings, under Settings transfer, click Export settings. The JSON file contains the site defaults, the title templates, the IndexNow, schema and analytics switches, the schema publisher and the verification tokens. Import settings replaces only the sections that the file contains. It shows a preview first.
The export does not contain per-page values, secrets or Pro data. Pro Redirect rules have their own CSV export on the Redirects tab.
I changed a setting. Why did my page not change?
The plugin writes tags only when Instatic publishes a page. It does not change HTML that is already published. Publish the page again.
Why is my sitemap at a long address?
Instatic cannot serve files at the root of your site. The plugin serves the sitemap from /admin/api/cms/plugins/monkeywebs.seo/runtime/sitemap.xml. To serve it at /sitemap.xml, add a rewrite rule on your proxy. See Serve the files at the root of your site.
Does the plugin create a robots.txt file?
No. Instatic cannot serve files at the root, and the plugin has no robots.txt route. The plugin controls indexing with a robots meta tag on each page. See Robots control.
Can the plugin add Google Analytics?
No. The plugin has no settings for Google Analytics, Matomo, Umami or Microsoft Clarity. It has its own first-party counter for page views and 404 hits. See Analytics.
Does the free edition contact other servers?
Only IndexNow at api.indexnow.org, when published pages change. You can turn it off. The free edition cannot contact any other host. See Privacy and data.
What happens when I uninstall the plugin?
Instatic removes the plugin and its data. Published pages keep the SEO tags and the reference to tracker.js until you publish them again. Publish the site after you uninstall.
Which Instatic version do I need?
The plugin was tested live on Instatic v0.0.18. Instatic is before version 1.0, and its plugin API can change.