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SETUP_GUIDE / LIVESTEPS6 GROUPSUpdated 2026-06-21SCOPEPROJECT_SETTINGS
[ GUIDE / PROJECT_SETUP ]PROFILE · BRAND · PUBLISHING · API

How to set up a
VectraSEO project.

Set up a VectraSEO project in six steps: (1) Profile & Audience — tell us your business, site, and who you're writing for; (2) Content & Brand — set voice, facts, and a sitemap for internal links; (3) Generation & Quality — choose your publishing quality bar; (4) Publishing — connect a CMS; (5) Search & Analytics — link Google Search Console and GA4; (6) Developer & API — generate an agent API key. Each setting is explained below.

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[ STEP_01 / PROFILE_&_AUDIENCE ]

Profile & Audience

The foundation every other feature reads from — your business, site, market, and target reader. The more specific you are, the more on-target every generated post and content-gap suggestion becomes.

What each control does
  • Business NameThe brand VectraSEO attributes content to.
  • Website URLYour home base for topics, internal links, and indexing — use your canonical domain.
  • Industry / NicheAnchors competitor analysis and topic relevance.
  • Products / ServicesOne per line — ties SEO topics directly to what you offer.
  • Target AudienceDrives tone, depth, and intent-weighted content-gap prioritization.
  • Geographic FocusLocalizes topics, examples, and search intent.
  • Primary GoalsBiases the topic roadmap toward the outcomes you care about.
[ STEP_02 / CONTENT_&_BRAND ]

Content & Brand

Where generic AI output becomes your brand's voice. The optional Content Brief constrains both what topics get suggested and how posts are written; the Sitemap powers internal linking.

What each control does
  • Content Brief · Target PersonaWho the writing is for — sharpens angle, depth, and examples.
  • Content Brief · Brand VoiceThe tone and style every post is written in.
  • Content Brief · Product FactsOne per line — the only capabilities articles may claim, and a safety rail for the truth layer.
  • Content Brief · Topics To AvoidSubjects to keep out of both gap suggestions and writing.
  • Content Brief · Title GuidelinesHouse rules for how titles should read.
  • Sitemap & Internal LinkingImport your sitemap URL so new posts link to existing pages — re-import after big content pushes.
[ STEP_03 / GENERATION_&_QUALITY ]

Generation & Quality

Guardrails that decide what's allowed to publish. Pick a Publishing Quality Bar that matches your risk tolerance — Strict holds posts back until they clear higher word-count, sourcing, and claim-verification thresholds; Casual ships faster. See the methodology for how these checks work.

What each control does
  • Generated PostsToggle automatic blog-post generation on or off.
  • Generate ImagesToggle AI cover-image generation for posts.
  • Publishing Quality BarStrict / Default / Casual / Custom — sets all content gates at once.
  • Custom thresholdsMin word count, min H2 sections, min source links, truth-repair ratio, claim-strip aggression, and whether to accept claim-stripped "lite" posts.
NOTE Posts that fail the active bar are held in review — not published.
[ STEP_04 / PUBLISHING ]

Publishing

Connect where posts go live. VectraSEO publishes to seven platforms — pick one and enter its credentials. The optional Destination Capability Guard keeps generated claims inside what your destination can truthfully say. Building your own endpoint? See the Custom API guide or the integrations overview.

What each control does
  • CMS pickerWordPress, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Blogger, Zapier, Custom API — or none to draft only.
  • Per-CMS credentialsThe keys, IDs, or webhook each platform needs to publish.
  • Custom API · "Use spec defaults"Auto-fills the path and auth conventions for VectraSEO-compatible endpoints.
  • Destination Capability GuardSubject, unsupported claims, allowed qualifiers, and a reason — keeps claims inside what the destination can truthfully say.
[ STEP_05 / SEARCH_&_ANALYTICS ]

Search & Analytics

Close the loop between publishing and performance. Connect Google Search Console and GA4 so VectraSEO can measure rankings and traffic and optionally nudge search engines to index new posts.

What each control does
  • Google Search ConsoleConnect, refresh, or disconnect — powers ranking insights and index status.
  • Google Indexing APIExperimental, bring-your-own OAuth, on your own quota — nudges Google to index new posts.
  • Google Analytics (GA4)Connect a GA4 property for traffic and engagement insights.
  • Automatic indexing switchA master on/off for every post-publish indexing signal.
[ STEP_06 / DEVELOPER_&_API ]

Developer & API

For automation and integrations. Generate a per-project API key to drive VectraSEO from scripts, CI, or an AI agent, and to pull the read-only Analytics API. The full reference lives in the API field manual.

What each control does
  • Agent API KeyGenerate, rotate, or revoke — includes ready-to-paste cURL and Claude Code snippets.
  • Analytics API referenceA link to the read-only analytics endpoints the key unlocks.
[ FAQ / COMMON_QUESTIONS ]

Frequently asked questions

What are the minimum settings required to start a VectraSEO project?

Only the Profile & Audience group — your business name, website URL, and a target audience. Content brief, CMS connection, and analytics are all optional and can be added at any time.

Do I have to connect a CMS to use VectraSEO?

No. If you leave the CMS picker on 'none', VectraSEO generates and stores posts as drafts you can review or export. You only need a CMS connection if you want VectraSEO to publish to your live site.

What does the Publishing Quality Bar do?

It sets all of a project's content gates at once. 'Strict' holds posts back until they meet higher minimums for word count, H2 sections, source links, and verified claims; 'Casual' publishes faster with looser checks; 'Custom' lets you set each threshold yourself.

Which CMS platforms can VectraSEO publish to?

Seven — WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Blogger, Zapier, and any REST endpoint via the Custom API adapter.

What is a Content Brief and do I need one?

A Content Brief is an optional rulebook — target persona, brand voice, product facts, topics to avoid, and title guidelines — that constrains both which topics VectraSEO suggests and how posts are written. It's optional, but filling it in makes generated content match your brand far more closely.

How do I get an API key for a VectraSEO project?

Open Project → Settings → Developer & API and generate an Agent API Key. It authenticates the read-only Analytics API and the agent recommendations feed via the x-api-key header, and the page includes ready-to-paste cURL and Claude Code snippets. You can rotate or revoke it anytime.

[ END_OF_GUIDE ]
[ NEXT_STEP ]

Set up your
first project.

Profile and a target audience are all you need to start — everything else can be added later.