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Fixing Yoast SEO's 'Text Contains 0 Words' and Other Content Analysis Issues

32 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Yoast seo

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Many WordPress users rely on the Yoast SEO plugin for content analysis, but a frequent and frustrating issue occurs when the plugin reports "The text contains 0 words" or provides incorrect word counts, even on posts with substantial content. This problem can prevent the SEO and readability analysis from working, leaving you without crucial feedback for your posts and pages.

Why Does This Happen?

Based on community reports, this problem typically stems from a few common sources:

  • Plugin Bugs: Specific versions of the plugin (e.g., v24.3) have contained bugs that break content analysis. The Yoast SEO team is often quick to identify and fix these issues in subsequent releases.
  • Special Characters: Certain character combinations at the beginning of content, like a hyphen (-) without a trailing space, have been known to interfere with the plugin's ability to parse text.
  • Page Builders and Custom Themes: Yoast SEO primarily analyzes the default WordPress content area. If your content is built entirely using a page builder (e.g., Elementor, WPBakery) or a theme's custom template, the plugin may not be able to "see" it for analysis.
  • JavaScript Conflicts: Conflicts with other plugins or your theme can prevent the Yoast SEO meta box from loading or functioning correctly, which may manifest as a blank analysis or a 0-word count.

How to Troubleshoot and Resolve the Issue

If you encounter a "0 words" error or incorrect analysis, work through these steps to identify and solve the problem.

1. Update the Yoast SEO Plugin

The first and easiest step is to ensure you are running the latest version of the plugin. The Yoast SEO team frequently releases updates that patch known bugs. For example, a known issue in version 24.3 was resolved in the 24.4 update. Always check your updates page and install the newest version.

2. Perform a Basic Conflict Check

A conflict with another plugin or your theme is a common culprit. To test for this:

  1. Temporarily switch your theme to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four.
  2. Deactivate all plugins except for Yoast SEO.
  3. Check if the content analysis works correctly.
  4. If it does, reactivate your plugins one-by-one and switch back to your theme, testing after each change, to identify which software is causing the conflict.

For a safer method that doesn't affect your site visitors, use the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin.

3. Check for Problematic Characters

If your content begins with a special character, like a hyphen (-), try adding a space after it or rephrasing the opening sentence. This simple change has resolved the issue for some users.

4. Understand Page Builder Limitations

It's important to know that Yoast SEO's analysis is designed for content in the standard WordPress editor (Gutenberg or Classic). If you build content using a visual page builder, the analysis might not work because the plugin cannot access that content in the same way. In these cases, the analysis is often only performed on the excerpt or main content field. For the most accurate results, ensure your primary content is also added to the main WordPress content block.

5. Check Browser Console for Errors

If the Yoast SEO meta box is missing or blank, there may be a JavaScript error. To check:

  1. Open the browser console (often by pressing F12 and clicking the 'Console' tab).
  2. Reload your post edit page.
  3. Look for any red error messages that mention 'Yoast' or 'javascript'. These errors can point to the source of the conflict.

When to Wait for an Official Fix

Sometimes, the issue is a confirmed bug that the Yoast SEO team is already working on. If you see multiple recent reports of the same problem in the support forums and your site is otherwise up-to-date and conflict-free, it may be best to wait for the next plugin release. Rolling back to a previous version (like 24.2) is an option some users take, but it generally is not recommended as it can pose a security risk.

By following these steps, you can usually identify the cause of content analysis issues and get Yoast SEO working properly again, ensuring your content is optimized for search engines and readers alike.

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