Readability and SEO not loading in WP Editor

@sallyrodrick

I understand you are concerned with Yoast metabox and readability analysis not loading fine as expected. We can see how this might give you pause. I’m happy to take a look! Let’s see what is going on.

It seems you’ve also performed a conflict check but to no avail. I would like some more information.
– Are any JavaScript errors appearing? If any error seen, can you describe us or send us the screenshot highlight the error?
– Does the issue resolve if you clear your cache and cookies?
– Does the issue resolve if you use a different browser such as Chrome or FireFox or Safari?
– If you have any browser plugins/extensions, does disabling them resolve the issue?
– Also, can you make sure you are using the latest WordPress version 5.8.2? If not, can you update it and retry?

Hi Suwash,

Thanks so much for your response. To answer your questions:

– I’m not a tech expert, but when I inspect the page in the console I think there is a JS error. You can see a screenshot of it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UrB9RN7VOwLRyktOrbFxr9rn1OU444cr/view?usp=sharing

– I have tried clearing cache and cookies, no change.

– I have tried using Safari (I usually use Chrome) and the issue is the same. I have also tried on my partner’s laptop, and the issue is the same there too.

– I have disabled my Grammarly plug in in Chrome, no change.

– And yes, I can confirm I am definitely using WP 5.8.2

Any other ideas? ?? It’s really frustrating I can’t post my posts!!

Thanks so much,

Sally

I’m having the exact same issues. I’m not exactly sure what I am supposed to be inspecting though.

I have done everything exactly the same as OP up to this point.

Originally, I noticed I was receiving this error at my work computer a few hours ago when attempting to add new keywords to a newly built page. I fixed it (momentarily I guess) when I swapped to classic editor, cleared my cache, and yoast worked as it always had. A few hours later I login on my computer at my house and all I have are the tabs to click (SEO, Readability, Schema, etc.) again. There are no fields visible at all again. I tried redoing all the steps that worked previously at work and it doesn’t work now.

I’ve turned off all plugins except Yoast, turned on a default theme, and the error still occurs on every single page.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by igcwebadmin.

Hi @sallyrodrick

Thanks for sharing that screenshot of the JS error in your browser’s console.

Often, we see problems occur in combination with another plugin or theme. The fastest way to rule out any conflict, is to deactivate all non-Yoast plugins and switch to a standard theme like Twenty Twenty.

Please test this on your development or staging site, if you have one. If not, we recommend using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin. This plugin has a troubleshooting mode, which does not affect normal visitors to your site.

If you’re unfamiliar with checking for conflicts, we’d like to point you to a step-by-step guide that will walk you through the process: How to check for plugin conflicts

Please do check if this issue still occurs with a default WP TwentyTwenty theme and only the Yoast SEO plugin activated.

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Hi @igcwebadmin

Are you getting the exact same JS error as the OP? We are sorry you’re having a similar issue. Please open a new request. That way it’s easier to track issues and provide assistance. Thanks!

FWIW, I am not showing any JS errors. Hopefully, something I’ve typed can help the OP with the same issue. Wasn’t intending to hijack.

I will start a new thread. But if you read my first post I mention how I somehow fixed Yoast on my work computer and got to my house later and logged in and it was messed up again just an hour later. I never could get it to work on my home computer even after doing the same steps.

When I logged in to my work computer yesterday Yoast works perfectly fine like I left it once it was fixed. It still doesn’t work on my home computer when I login though. Cookies and all history cleared out of browsers.

The Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin shows that there are no errors for me even when it’s messing up on my home computer. And I have been very thorough following the instructions for troubleshooting on the Yoast website. Turning off all plugins and using a default theme, etc. Nothing ever changed.

Not really sure what that tells us but I do find it odd that it would work on one computer using the same browser & OS but not the next computer.

I have the same issue here on 5.8.2 where my readability tab has disappeared completely on all existing or new posts?

Hi Michael,

I have installed the Health Check & Troubleshooting plug-in. I disabled all plug-ins except for Yoast and the issue persisted.

I am not confident to switch my theme without breaking my site. From the other posts, it sounds like this doesn’t resolve the problem. I will contact my theme administration and ask if they can investigate. But there have been no recent changes/updates to my theme, so I really don’t think this is the issue.

I have cleared cache and cookies, tried different browsers and different computers and the problem will not resolve. I don’t know what to do from here, as I really rely on using Yoast to publish posts.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Sally

Premium Yoast Support stands by it not being problem with their plugin.

They offered this link though. Hopefully, this will help with your problem.
https://github.com/Yoast/wordpress-seo/issues/17579#issuecomment-955666854

I’ve sent it to my host and waiting to see what they can do for me.

Thanks so much @igcwebadmin. That post is a complete other language to me, but I will pass on to my host and see if they can interpret it.

@mikes41720 I checked in with my theme developer and she is certain that the files in the error message are not related to the theme, as it doesn’t include or reference those files at all.

She suggested I check the error message before and after disabling Yoast. I disabled my caching plug-in for the testing, and then Yoast, and once I check for errors it does not appear when Yoast is disabled. I reactivated the caching plug-in to check it wasn’t that, no error when Yoast is still disabled. As soon as Yoast is re-activated (with or without the caching plug in activated), the error message appears again.

I’m at a loss for what to do from here, any other suggestions?

I’m just chiming in to say I’m experiencing the same issues described above. My Yoast SEO meta box isn’t working/appearing. All I have are the tabs to click (SEO, Readability, Schema, etc.). There are no fields visible at all beneath the tabs, and when clicking the tabs, nothing happens.

I installed the Health Check & Troubleshooting plug-in, used the troubleshooting feature to disable all plug-ins except for Yoast SEO, and the issue remains. I switched my theme to Twenty Twenty, and the issue remains.

Hi @sallyrodrick

Would it be possible for you to perform a conflict check first by starting with a default WP theme (such as TwentyTwenty) and only the Yoast SEO plugin enabled, and see if the Yoast SEO meta box is loading and working as expected?

Then could you revert to your preferred theme, and then see if the issue reoccurs? If it doesn’t, please then do enable your plugins, one by one, until you are able to reproduce the issue. This will allow us to pinpoint it to a specific theme or plugin on your site.

Just to clarify, when you say that the error appears again, you are referring to the JavaScript error in the browser’s console in your original screenshot here, right?

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Hi @igcwebadmin

We appreciate you sharing relevant information here as well. The reason we request users to create their own threads is so that we can provide support for their specific scenario, as even if it sounds like a similar issue, it could have a different cause altogether. Also, we also request that so it doesn’t cause any confusion when there are several users replying to one thread. We hope you understand.

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Hi @phil72

We are sorry you’re having a similar issue. Please open a new request. That way it’s easier to track issues and provide assistance. Thanks!

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Hello @duke0486

Please open a new request. That way it’s easier to track issues and provide assistance. If you could provide a screenshot of any JS errors that appear in the browser’s console when you create your forum thread, that would be helpful.

Hey guys,

Pleased to confirm I’ve got to the bottom of my issue and Yoast SEO & Readability all working as it should.

After running health checks, switching themes, disabling plugins, you name it, here’s how I fixed it..

1. Log into wordpress dashboard
2. Go to Users – All users
3. Hover over your profile – click Edit Profile
4. Scroll down to Yoast SEO Settings
5 Uncheck Disable SEO Settings and Disable readability analysis

I suspect a wordpress update checked these boxes as I know I certainly didn’t. I hope this simple fix will help some of you.

Good luck!

Hi @phil72

Thanks for sharing that information. Yes, that is a setting that you need to check on, but that would be related to the ‘readability’ tab not showing at all in the Yoast SEO meta box, but the meta box itself is still functioning as expected.

Based on the description of the other users, their Yoast SEO meta box is appearing as blank or partially loaded, which is likely due to a plugin or theme conflict.

We’re glad to hear you were able to resolve the issue on your end!

Hi @mikes41720, I have followed all those steps and the issue persists – the JS error in my screenshot, with the analysis boxes not loading correctly.

I have reverted to the 2020 theme and deactivated all my plug-ins one by one. Nothing fixes the issue. The JS error disappears when the Yoast plug-in is disabled, but obviously, that doesn’t resolve the problem as I want to use Yoast!!

I have no idea what else to do. I can’t think of anything that I have changed that would have caused this malfunction, and after checking all the plug-ins one by one it doesn’t seem to be any of them either. Very frustrating and not sure where to go from here.

Thanks,

Sally

Hi @sallyrodrick

With a default WP theme such as TwentyTwenty and only the Yoast SEO plugin v17.8 activated, you’re getting this JavaScript error in your browser’s console, correct? (as per your screenshot here)

Uncaught ReferenceError: document is not defined

Could you check if there are any other relevant JavaScript errors (in red) appearing in the browser’s console? Or is that the only error that appears?