Access to the site admin panel
FOR SEO FIXES

Access to the site admin panel: why it may be needed and how to grant it safely

Implementation of the fixes by our specialist requires access to your site's admin panel. Title tags, meta descriptions, H1 headings, image alt attributes and technical fixes are changed directly in the CMS or in server files.

Below we explain why access may be needed, what exactly we do in the admin panel, which permissions are required and how to grant access safely on popular US platforms and hosts.

When CMS access is needed

Implementation - optional, after the audit

A GEO SEO optimization package is an audit and a report with ready fixes for every page; it needs no access to your site. If you do not want to apply the fixes yourself, after the audit you can order implementation: auto-fixes with our WordPress plugin or our specialist for any site. Only in that case is CMS access needed.

What exactly we change in the admin panel

In the CMS admin panel we implement:

• Title tags for every page we optimize (through an SEO plugin, the platform's SEO fields or the native CMS field)
• Meta descriptions (the same way)
• H1 headings (editing page content - the heading only)
• Image alt attributes
• Internal links (adding a link to the content of an existing page)
• 301 redirects (through a redirect plugin, CMS settings or .htaccess)
• Canonical tags (through SEO plugin settings or template edits)
• Hreflang setup (through WPML/Polylang or template edits)
• The robots.txt file and XML sitemap (through the SEO panel or directly in server files)

How to grant access on popular platforms

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in the US. To grant access:

• Go to "Settings" → "Users and permissions" → "Add staff"
• Grant permissions to edit products, collections, pages, the online store and SEO fields
• Theme code access may be needed for hreflang and canonical changes in the template

Send us:

• The admin URL (usually yourstore.com/admin or yourstore.myshopify.com/admin)
• The username and password of the new account

WordPress with WPML or Polylang

For multilingual WordPress sites (for example, English and Spanish):

• Create a new account with the "Administrator" or "Editor" role
• The Editor role is enough for content optimization (title through Yoast/Rank Math, H1, alt)
• Administrator is needed to configure the WPML/Polylang plugins and technical settings

Send us:

• The admin URL (yoursite.com/wp-admin/)
• The username and password of the new account

Do not share the owner's main account - create a separate account for SEO work.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a popular ecommerce platform for US mid-size stores. To grant access:

• Go to Account Settings → Users and create a user with permissions to edit products, categories, web pages and SEO fields
• Create a new user with this set of permissions

Send us:

• The admin URL (yourstore.com/manage or your store's control panel)
• Username and password

Joomla

For US Joomla sites:

• Create a new user with Super User or Manager rights
• Access to global SEO settings and .htaccess requires Super User rights

Send us:

• The admin URL (yoursite.com/administrator/)
• Username and password

US hosting providers - access to server files

Some technical fixes require access to server files - first of all .htaccess, robots.txt and the XML sitemap.

Bluehost

One of the largest US shared hosting providers. Bluehost comes with its own panel or cPanel depending on the plan. The file manager lets you edit .htaccess and robots.txt right in the browser.

SiteGround and GoDaddy

Popular hosts with cPanel or their own Site Tools. Standard file manager access and .htaccess/robots.txt editing.

WP Engine, Kinsta and other managed hosts

Managed WordPress hosts often limit direct access to server configuration. In such cases we provide specific instructions for your host's support team.

FTP / SFTP

The preferred option for secure file transfer. Send us:

• The SFTP host (usually sftp.yoursite.com or the server IP)
• The SFTP username and password
• The site root directory (usually /public_html/ or /www/)

VPS and dedicated servers (nginx)

Some US business sites run on a VPS or dedicated servers with nginx. On nginx servers, 301 redirects and other settings are configured in a server block, not .htaccess. In such cases we provide a specific nginx configuration for your system administrator.

Secure access sharing

Create a separate account

Always create a separate account for SEO work instead of sharing the owner's main account. A separate account can be deleted or deactivated after the work is done.

Change the password when the work is done

After you receive the final report, change the password of the SEO account or delete it entirely.

Limit permissions where possible

For content optimization, the Editor role in WordPress is enough. Administrator rights are needed only to configure SEO plugins and technical settings.

Do not send credentials over unencrypted channels

Share access through an encrypted channel - a password manager with sharing, an encrypted document or a secure messenger.

US specifics - what we check in the admin panel

• Shopify or WooCommerce with inventory sync: inventory or ERP sync can overwrite product SEO fields after optimization - we check whether SEO fields are protected from being overwritten during sync
• WordPress WPML: we check hreflang for en-US and es-US - a common mistake: the plugin outputs "es" without a region, or the versions do not link back to each other
• BigCommerce with multiple storefronts: we check the SEO fields for every storefront separately
• Joomla with sh404SEF or AceSEF: we check whether the SEO component handles URLs and redirects correctly

Frequently asked questions

What if I have no access to the hosting panel? Hosting panel access is needed only for technical fixes that require editing .htaccess or robots.txt. If there is no direct access, we provide specific instructions to carry out through your host's support.

Can I do without CMS access? Yes. The package is an audit and a report with ready fixes, which you or your developer apply. Access is needed only for implementation you order.

What if the site is on a SaaS platform (Wix, Squarespace)? SaaS platforms limit editing of code and server files. We do the audit and report for any platform, and implementation on such platforms is available on request after the audit.

How long do you need access to the panel? Only while the fixes are being implemented: usually a few days after the audit, depending on the number of pages.