Deactivate warning messages from Yoast SEO WordPress plugin in the WP admin

Yoast - actually offers nice WP plugins ...

Basically I think so WordPress SEO plugin from "Yoast" quite successful. I've installed it on most of my projects and I get on with it quite well. Only one thing is really annoying about the plugin: The constant warning messages that tell me what is wrong and what I should "correct". For example, I have that Google XML Sitemaps plugin activated, because I like to use it to create the XML sitemaps, then the WordPress WP-Admin keeps popping up the message that there is a bad conflict and that I should rather deactivate the XML sitemap plugin from Arne Brachhold in order to enable the function of Use Yoast SEO.

And in the worst case, that happens with multiple plugins, which means that you have a whole bunch of warning messages that are always above all outputs from the WordPress admin. If you want to write a new post, you first have to scroll down one screen until you can even find the form for it. Absolutely annoying ... ... take a look at it:

All these messages appeared in my admin area on EVERY page until I pulled the emergency brake and used functions.php to completely prevent the output.

Result of the usability test? Failed!

In principle, it is meant to be helpful and nice, but from my point of view the guys from Yoast are clearly overshooting the target: On the one hand, there is no real conflict if I have not activated the Yoast sitemap function and, on the other hand, it is enough for me personally a hint so that I know that something can be changed (and MUST not be!). I don't want to have it in front of my eyes again and again when I'm in WP-Admin. But that's exactly what Yoast SEO's alerts do: They get on your nerves until you resolve the non-existent conflict and deactivate the other plugins that Yoast apparently wants to replace in functionality.

My opinion: it doesn't work that way! Usability 6, set ... ;-) If all of this has to be reported, then at least a "don't show me this anymore" button would be necessary, which then sets a 1-year cookie so that I can use the message for the next 12 months no longer get. But Yoast SEO doesn't even offer that. Too bad…

Intervention in the functions.php solves the problem

If you still want to continue using Yoast SEO and have no longer displayed the annoying warning, you can switch off all Yoast SEO alerts with a brief intervention in functions.php. The functions.php can be found in the theme folder under / wp-content / themes / (then your active theme) /.

This folder is opened in the FTP program and then the file "functions.php" is called up. If there is already something in it, you can insert the following lines at the end:

remove_action ('admin_notices', array (Yoast_Notification_Center :: get (), 'display_notifications')); remove_action ('all_admin_notices', array (Yoast_Notification_Center :: get (), 'display_notifications'));

Alternative: working with the "editor" user

A note for the people who don't know what to do with "FTP" and "functions.php": If you create a second user who has the "Editor" authorization, you can use it to write in peace, because the warning messages only get User with "Administrator" authorization shown. All others are spared of this even without adjustments in the functions.php.

Now it's definitely quiet again in WP-Admin! I hope this tip helps other bloggers too, and I also hope that the guys at YOAST will soon fix this problem.

Jen Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.