SmartCrawl Overview
SmartCrawl is a WordPress SEO plugin by WPMU DEV. Current version: 3.15.0 (January 26, 2026). Available as a free plugin on WordPress.org and a Pro version through WPMU DEV membership. Supports WordPress Multisite and has been translated into 16 locales.
Full Feature Inventory
Core Modules
| Module |
Description |
| Dashboard |
One-click Setup Wizard, SEO Health score, import/export settings (JSON) |
| SEO Health / Checkup |
Full site SEO scan with color-coded grading and recommendations |
| Titles & Meta |
Global templates with macros + per-post overrides, Google preview snippet |
| Social |
Open Graph (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest) + Twitter/X Cards |
| Sitemap Generator |
XML, Google News, and Image sitemaps with configurable inclusions/exclusions |
| Schema / Structured Data |
20+ pre-built types + custom schema builder |
| Content Analysis |
In-editor SEO analysis + readability scoring, up to 3 focus keywords |
Advanced Tools (Sub-modules)
| Sub-module |
Description |
| Redirects |
301/302/307 redirects, regex support, bulk import/export |
| Automatic Linking |
Auto-convert keywords to links (Pro only) |
| Breadcrumbs |
Shortcode-based breadcrumb navigation with schema markup |
| Moz Integration |
Domain authority and link metrics in the WP dashboard |
| Robots.txt Editor |
Edit robots.txt from the admin (Pro only) |
| Meta Robots |
Per-post index/noindex, follow/nofollow controls |
Additional Features
| Feature |
Description |
| WooCommerce SEO |
Product schema, OG tags, category SEO settings |
| Instant Indexing |
Notifies Google when content is added/updated (not IndexNow) |
| Import/Export |
JSON-based settings transfer between sites |
| Role-based Access |
Control which user roles can access SEO settings |
Free vs Pro
Free Version Includes
- One-click setup wizard
- Titles & Meta descriptions (global templates + per-post overrides)
- XML Sitemap generator (with exclusions)
- Google News Sitemap
- Image Sitemap
- Open Graph & Twitter Cards
- SEO content analysis & readability checks (up to 3 focus keywords)
- Schema markup (all pre-built types + custom schema builder)
- 301/302/307 Redirects (basic)
- Breadcrumbs with schema
- Moz integration
- Meta robots (index/noindex, follow/nofollow)
- Multisite support
- Import/Export settings
- WooCommerce SEO
Pro Adds
| Feature |
Details |
| Scheduled SEO Audits |
Automated URL crawls with email reports |
| Automatic Linking |
Keyword-to-link automation across all content |
| Location-based Redirects |
Geolocation rules for redirect targeting |
| Site Crawler |
Broken URL detection, 404 monitoring, redirect chain detection |
| Robots.txt Editor |
Edit robots.txt from the admin panel |
| White Label |
Custom branding (remove WPMU DEV references) |
| MaxMind DB |
Geolocation integration for location-based features |
| Priority Support |
24/7 live chat with WPMU DEV team |
Pricing
Pro requires WPMU DEV membership (~$7.50/month), which includes all WPMU DEV premium plugins (Hummingbird, Smush, Defender, Forminator, etc.).
Comparison: SmartCrawl vs Yoast vs Rank Math
| Feature |
SmartCrawl Free |
Yoast Free |
Rank Math Free |
| Focus keywords per post |
3 |
1 |
5 |
| Schema types |
Many + custom builder |
Basic |
18+ pre-defined |
| Redirects |
Yes (301/302/307) |
No (Pro only) |
Yes + 404 monitor |
| Breadcrumbs |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| XML Sitemap |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| News Sitemap |
Yes |
No (Pro) |
Pro only |
| Image Sitemap |
Yes |
Included in main |
Included in main |
| Open Graph / Twitter |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Readability analysis |
Yes (Flesch-Kincaid) |
Yes (more detailed) |
Yes |
| Google Search Console |
No |
No (limited) |
Yes (built-in) |
| Google Analytics |
No |
No |
Yes (GA4) |
| IndexNow |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Auto-linking |
Pro only |
No |
Pro only |
| WooCommerce SEO |
Yes |
Yes (Pro) |
Yes |
| White label |
Pro only |
No |
Pro only |
| Moz integration |
Yes |
No |
No |
Positioning Summary
- SmartCrawl — Simplest UI, least overwhelming. Best for WPMU DEV ecosystem users. Generous free tier for schema. Weakest on analytics integration and IndexNow.
- Yoast — Most beginner-friendly (traffic-light system). Most detailed readability. Locks more behind Pro.
- Rank Math — Most feature-rich free tier. Best analytics integration. Most focus keywords. Rapidly adding AI-era features.
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