---
title: "How to Switch to Waggle from Yoast, Rank Math, or All in One SEO"
url: "https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-migrating-from-another-seo-plugin.md"
canonical: "https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-migrating-from-another-seo-plugin/"
published: "2026-07-28"
modified: "2026-08-03"
author: "Fahim"
description: "Import your SEO titles, descriptions and settings into Waggle from Yoast, Rank Math or AIOSEO. You see a preview first, and nothing set is lost."
tags:
  - "Waggle"
---

# How to Switch to Waggle from Yoast, Rank Math, or All in One SEO

**Waggle imports your SEO data in three steps and shows you what will change before it
 changes anything.** Go to **Settings → Import**, pick your old plugin, and press Preview.
 You get a list of what would be copied. Nothing is written until you press Migrate.

The import only fills empty Waggle fields. Anything you have already set in Waggle stays
 as it is, so running the import twice is safe.

---

## What gets imported?

Waggle reads the meta your old plugin saved on each post:

| From your old plugin | Becomes in Waggle |
| --- | --- |
| SEO title | SEO Title |
| Meta description | Meta Description |
| Focus keyword(s) | Focus Keywords |
| Canonical URL | Canonical URL |
| Social title and description | Social title, Social description |
| Social share image | Social Image |
| `noindex` setting | Hide from search engines |

You can import from **Yoast SEO**, **Rank Math**, **All in One SEO** and **Slim SEO**.
 Waggle reads each plugin's data straight from the database. The old plugin does not need to
 be active.

SEOPress is recognised too, but only for the head. Waggle knows to stand back on pages
 SEOPress owns. There is no SEOPress importer yet.

## How do I run the import?

![Waggle's Import screen showing the three migration steps](https://plugpress.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/waggle-settings-import-screen-scaled.png)

1. Open **Settings → Import**.
2. **Pick your source.** Waggle shows you which plugins have data.
3. **Press Preview.** This writes nothing. You get a count of affected posts and a list of what would be copied.
4. If the preview looks right, press **Migrate**.
5. Open a few posts in the editor and check the **Waggle** panel. See [the Waggle panel in the editor](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-editor-sidebar/).

## Will the import overwrite my Waggle data?

No. The importer skips any field that already has a value.

So if you wrote your own homepage title and then import from Yoast, your title stays. To
 use the old plugin's value instead, clear the Waggle field first and run the import again.

## Do I have to turn off my old SEO plugin?

**No. Running Waggle beside Yoast, Rank Math, All in One SEO or SEOPress is supported, and
 needs no setup.**

Here is the rule. On a page where you have given Waggle a title or description, Waggle
 writes the tags and quietly switches the other plugin's off. On every other page, Waggle
 stands back and your old plugin keeps working. You never get two title tags, and you never
 get a page with no description.

That matters most right after an import. Every post that had Yoast data now has Waggle
 data, so Waggle takes those pages over. Posts that Yoast was generating a description for,
 without one being written, stay with Yoast until you fill them in.

Turn the old plugin off whenever you like. Its data stays in the database, so you can
 import again later. Deleting it may remove that data, so deactivate rather than delete
 until you are sure.

## What about my redirects?

Redirects are not part of the SEO import. Waggle has its own redirect manager under
 **Redirects → Rules**, and it reads **CSV**. Exporting from your old plugin and importing
 the CSV is usually fastest. See
 [fixing broken links and 404s](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-redirects-and-404s/).

## What should I check afterwards?

1. **Run the audit.** **Waggle → Dashboard → Run audit** scores your site out of 100 and tells you what the import did not cover. See [running the site audit](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-running-the-site-audit/).
2. **Check Search Appearance → Homepage.** Every plugin stores front-page SEO differently, so this is the field most likely to arrive empty.
3. **Check Search Appearance → Verification.** Search Console and Bing tokens are not imported. Paste them in again.
4. **Open `https://example.com/sitemap.xml`** and confirm it lists real URLs. An old `sitemap.xml` file left on disk will be served instead of Waggle's. The audit flags this.

## FAQ

### Does the import change my live pages?

Not by itself. It copies stored meta into Waggle's fields. Your pages change because Waggle
 then writes those values instead of your old plugin, which is the point of moving.

### Can I import from more than one plugin?

Yes, one at a time. The importer never overwrites a filled field, so running Yoast and then
 Rank Math fills gaps instead of fighting.

### Can I undo an import?

There is no undo button. Preview is the safety step, which is why it writes nothing. Back
 up your database before migrating a large site, as you would with any bulk change.

## Related guides

- [Getting started with Waggle](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-getting-started/)
- [Running the site audit](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-running-the-site-audit/)
- [Fixing broken links and 404s](https://plugpress.io/docs/waggle-redirects-and-404s/)