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Troubleshooting: Why Your All in One SEO Settings Won't Save (And How to Fix It)

28 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → All in one seo

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One of the most common issues users report with the All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin is the inability to save settings. You click the "Save Changes" button, and it either spins indefinitely, reverts your changes, or throws an error. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you're trying to configure crucial SEO elements like social media sharing or meta descriptions.

Based on extensive community reports, this problem is almost never a flaw in the core plugin itself but is instead caused by conflicts or restrictions elsewhere in your WordPress environment. This guide will walk you through the most common causes and their solutions.

Why This Happens: Common Causes

The AIOSEO plugin relies on WordPress's REST API to communicate and save settings between your browser and the database. When this communication is blocked or interrupted, saving fails. The primary culprits are:

  • Server Security Rules (WAF/CDN): Hosting providers, especially those with built-in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Hostinger, often have Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) that can mistakenly block the POST requests AIOSEO makes to its API endpoint (/wp-json/aioseo/v1/options/). This typically results in a 403 or 405 error in the browser console.
  • Plugin or Theme Conflicts: Another active plugin or your theme could have a bug or setting that interferes with JavaScript execution or API access.
  • Browser Issues: Occasionally, a specific browser extension or cache can prevent the save script from running correctly.
  • Outdated Plugin Version: In rare cases, a specific version of AIOSEO may have contained a bug that prevented saving, though these are usually patched quickly in subsequent updates.

How to Fix It: Step-by-Step Solutions

Work through these solutions in order, starting with the simplest and most common fix.

1. Check Your Browser Console for Errors

The first and most critical step is to identify any error messages. This will immediately point you toward the root cause.

  1. Navigate to the AIOSEO settings page where the saving fails.
  2. Open your browser's developer tools. You can usually do this by right-clicking on the page and selecting Inspect, or by pressing F12.
  3. Click on the Console tab.
  4. Now, click the "Save Changes" button in AIOSEO.
  5. Look for any error messages highlighted in red. Common errors include 403 (Forbidden), 405 (Method Not Allowed), or 466.

The specific error code is your biggest clue. A 403/405/466 error almost always points to a server-level block.

2. Contact Your Hosting Provider (For 403/405/466 Errors)

If you see a 403, 405, or 466 error, your hosting provider's security rules are likely the cause. This is a very common issue with hosts that use aggressive firewalls.

  • Contact their support team and provide them with the exact error from your console.
  • Ask them to whitelist the following API path in their WAF, CDN, or security rules: https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/aioseo/* (replace "yourdomain.com" with your actual domain).
  • Explicitly mention that the All in One SEO plugin's requests are being blocked and need to be allowed.

3. Perform a Conflict Check

If there are no clear server errors, a plugin or theme conflict is the next likely suspect. The best way to test this is by using the free Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin.

  1. Install and activate the Health Check plugin.
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and click Troubleshoot under the All in One SEO plugin. This will temporarily disable all other plugins and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Two) only for your user session; your site visitors will see everything as normal.
  3. Try to save your AIOSEO settings again while in Troubleshooting mode.
  4. If saving works, you have a conflict. To find it, re-enable your plugins one-by-one from the Troubleshooting admin bar menu, testing the save function after enabling each one.

4. Basic Browser and Cache Troubleshooting

  • Try a different browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or use your browser's incognito/private mode. This can rule out conflicts with extensions or corrupted local cache.
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies.
  • Clear any server-side or plugin-based caching (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, Cloudflare).

5. Ensure Everything is Updated

While simple, it's always worth checking. Ensure your WordPress core, the All in One SEO plugin, your theme, and all other plugins are updated to their latest versions. The AIOSEO team is diligent about fixing bugs in updates.

Conclusion

The inability to save settings in All in One SEO is a well-documented issue with clear solutions. In the vast majority of cases, the problem is a server-side block from your hosting provider's security systems. Your first action should always be to check the browser console for errors and then contact your host with that information. For other intermittent issues, a conflict test is your best tool for identifying the culprit.

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