How to Automatically Tag Your WordPress Posts 

Tagging your WordPress posts is essential for keeping your website organized. It enhances SEO and improves user navigation. But let’s be honest, manually tagging each post can be tedious, especially if you’re running a blog with a ton of content.   

What if I told you there’s a way to automatically tag your WordPress posts? Yes, you heard that right! You can save time and improve content discoverability. At the same time, you maintain consistency across your posts. No need to manually add tags each time you publish a new article.   

This guide will show you how to do it step by step. By the end, you’ll know how to automatically add tags to both new and existing WordPress posts using a free plugin called ‘TaxoPress’. We’ll cover everything from the installation process to how you can set specific rules. This will ensure the right tags are applied to the relevant content. Ready? Let’s dive in! 

Why automatically tag your WordPress posts? 

Before we jump into the technical details, let’s discuss why you might want to automate your tagging process in the first place. Spoiler: it’s about making your life easier and your WordPress website more efficient. 

Time efficiency 

Managing a website with hundreds or even thousands of posts can quickly become overwhelming. Manually adding tags to each new post not only eats up your time but also increases the chances of missing relevant tags. Automating this process saves you from the manual hassle, freeing you up to focus on creating great content. With automatic tagging, you can apply multiple tags to new posts in just seconds. 

Consistency 

Applying tags manually often leads to inconsistency. You might forget to apply certain tags, or worse, you could apply the same tag to posts that don’t belong in the same category. Automation ensures that all relevant tags are consistently applied. This improves user experience and helps search engines better understand your site’s structure. 

Enhanced discoverability 

Tags play a key role in helping visitors navigate through specific content on your site. By automatically tagging posts, you enhance the discoverability of your articles. Visitors can find related posts quickly, either through the tag cloud widget or by clicking on specific tags that interest them. This feature improves the overall user experience and can keep people on your site longer. 

Adding tags to WordPress post using plugins 

Now that you understand the benefits of automatic tagging let’s talk about how you can implement it. The simplest and most effective way to automatically tag your WordPress posts is by using a plugin and for that, we recommend ‘TaxoPress.’ 

Install and activate TaxoPress 

The first step is to install the ‘TaxoPress’ plugin. You can find it in the WordPress plugin directory. 

1. In your ‘WordPress admin dashboard‘, navigate to ‘Plugins’ > ‘Add New Plugin’. 

2. In the search bar, type in ‘TaxoPress.’ 

3. Click the ‘Install’ button next to the plugin. 

4. Then, click ‘Activate’. 

And just like that, you’ve got the tool you need to start automatically tagging your WordPress posts. 

TaxoPress free vs. pro 

TaxoPress offers both free and paid versions. The free plugin is enough to automatically add tags to your WordPress posts. It includes essential features like auto terms, tagging options and rules for adding tags based on your content. The Pro version has extra features, such as advanced tag management and more customization. However, for basic needs, the free version works perfectly. 

How to automatically tag new WordPress posts? 

Now that TaxoPress is installed and activated let’s configure it to automatically tag your new posts. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to automatically add tags to your new posts in WordPress. 

Step 1: Create an auto term 

After activating the plugin, go to TaxoPress » Auto Terms from the WordPress admin dashboard. Click on the ‘Add New Auto Terms’ button. This will allow you to set up a new rule for auto-tagging your posts.  

Next, you’ll need to enter a title for the new auto term. This is just for your reference, so feel free to use any name you like. 

Step 2: Select post types to tag 

TaxoPress lets you automatically tag not just posts but also pages, images and other custom post types on your WordPress website. For this example, we’ll focus on tagging only WordPress posts. Simply check the ‘Posts’ box to ensure that the plugin will automatically add tags in WordPress posts. 

Step 3: Choose your tag source 

Open the ‘Taxonomy’ dropdown and select ‘Tags (post_tag).’ This tells TaxoPress to use WordPress tags for auto-tagging. By default, TaxoPress scans both the post title and content for relevant tags. You can customize this by selecting either ‘Post Title’ or ‘Post Content’ if you want the plugin to focus on just one area. 

Step 4: Specify which tags to use 

In the ‘Sources’ tab, you’ll decide which tags to pull from. By default, the plugin will use all the tags you’ve ever created on your WordPress site. If you want more control over which tags are applied, check the ‘Use only some terms in the selected taxonomy’ box. This way, you can manually type in and select specific tags that will be automatically applied to your posts. 

In the ‘Choose the terms to use’ field, begin typing the name of a tag. Once the correct tag appears, click on it. Repeat this process for each tag you want to include in the auto term. 

Step 5: Fine-tune your auto terms settings 

Head over to the ‘Options’ tab to adjust how TaxoPress matches tags. By default, the plugin will add tags in WordPress based on partial word matches. If you prefer exact matches, check the ‘Whole Words’ box. 

You can also limit how many tags can be added per post, giving you control over how many tags TaxoPress applies to your WordPress posts. 

Step 6: Save and apply your auto terms 

Once you’re satisfied with your settings, click the ‘Save Auto Terms’ button. From now on, every time you publish a new post, TaxoPress will automatically scan its content and title. It will then add relevant tags based on your set criteria. The plugin helps you organize your posts with multiple tags. This improves navigation for visitors and makes your content more discoverable by search engines. 

With these simple steps, you can easily automate the process of tagging your new WordPress posts. This saves you time and ensures that your site remains well-organized and optimized for both users and search engines. TaxoPress makes automatic tagging a breeze! Use the tag cloud widget to display all your WordPress tags. Or optimize your tag pages for better search results. 

How to automatically tag your published WordPress posts? 

So, what if you already have tons of published posts that don’t have tags yet? Don’t worry; TaxoPress can handle that, too! Not only does it tag new posts as you publish them, but it can also go back and tag posts that are already live on your site. Here’s how to automatically tag your published WordPress posts using TaxoPress step-by-step. 

Step 1: Enable auto-tagging for existing content 

First, navigate to TaxoPress » Auto Terms in your WordPress dashboard. Select the auto term you previously set up, then head over to the ‘Existing Content’ tab. This is where you can enable automatic tagging for posts that have already been published. TaxoPress will apply the same auto terms you created for your new posts to your existing content. 

Step 2. Batch processing settings 

If your site has a lot of content, TaxoPress might need some time to go through it all. To avoid slowing down your site during this process, you can adjust the batch settings. By default, TaxoPress processes 20 posts every 10 seconds. You can reduce the number of posts per batch by entering a lower number in the ‘Limit per batches’ field.  

You can also increase the time between each batch by adjusting the ‘Batches wait time’ field, which helps ease the load on your site. 

Step 3: Limit by date range 

Not interested in tagging your entire archive? No problem. TaxoPress lets you limit the tagging process to posts published within a specific date range. For example, if you want to tag only posts from the past 6 months, select that option from the ‘Limit Auto Terms, based on published date’ dropdown. This is a handy way to keep your tagging process focused on recent content without overwhelming your site. 

Step 4: Start the tagging process 

Once you’ve adjusted your settings and are happy with the batch size and date range, you’re ready to start tagging. Simply click the ‘Add Auto Terms to existing content’ button. TaxoPress will begin scanning your existing posts and applying the appropriate WordPress tags. 

When the process is finished, you’ll see an ‘All done’ message. TaxoPress will also give you a summary of how many posts it checked and how many tags it added. Your content is now tagged and better organized for search. 

By following these steps, you ensure all your WordPress content is properly tagged. This makes it easier for readers to find related posts and improves your site’s overall user experience. 

Final thoughts

There you have it! By now, you should have a solid understanding of how to automatically tag your WordPress posts using the TaxoPress plugin. This tool can save you hours of manual work, whether you’re tagging new posts or existing content. It ensures all relevant tags are applied consistently and efficiently. 

WordPress Tags not only help with SEO but also improve user navigation, making it easier for visitors to find related content on your site. The best part? The free version of TaxoPress gives you everything you need to keep your WordPress site organized. And it won’t cost you a dime. 

So, what are you waiting for? Start automating your tagging process today and make your WordPress posts more discoverable. For reliable hosting, Bluehost is a trusted partner that keeps your site running smoothly and supports you every step of the way. 

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