Getting started
Quick start: your first published article in 5 minutes
This page is the shortest path from a new LazySEO project to a post on your own site. Most people finish it in about five minutes. You only need longer if your site needs a developer to receive articles (Webhook or Custom API).
Before you start
- A LazySEO project for your website. You create one when you sign up.
- Admin access to your blog platform, so you can create a key or an application password for LazySEO.
- No blog yet, only a domain? Start with Publish on a subdomain, or without a website yet, then come back here.
Step by step
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Step 1: Pick the integration that matches your blog
Use the platform your blog already runs on. Not sure? The table on Connect your website tells you which one to choose.
- WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Shopify, Sanity and DEV.to are listed under Blog platforms & CMS. No code needed.
- Webhook and Custom API are listed under For developers. Only pick these if you or a developer can write code on your site to receive articles.
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Step 2: Copy your access details from the platform
Each platform needs one to three values from its admin area. The table What to copy from your platform below lists them, and each platform guide shows exactly where to click.
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Step 3: Add the integration in LazySEO
- Open your project. In the left sidebar, under Settings, click Integrations.
- Click Add Integration and click the card for your platform.
- Type a Name (only you see it, for example "Company blog") and paste the values into the fields. Each field has a short hint under it.
- Leave Enabled switched on and click Add integration.
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Step 4: Run the quick test
- The window now says Integration saved. Click Run quick test. Nothing is posted to your site.
- "Connection works." means LazySEO reached your platform with these details.
- "LazySEO couldn't connect with these details." shows the reason under it. Click Edit details, fix the field, save, and click Test again.
- Optional: on the integration card, click Test → Full test to send a draft post called "[TEST] LazySEO Test Article" and check how it looks on your site. Delete it afterwards.
- 5
Step 5: Choose when articles are published
On the same Integrations page, the Publishing Settings box (right-hand column; on a phone, scroll below Sync History) decides when articles go out. A safe way to start:
- Auto-publish articles: off for your first few articles. LazySEO writes each topic of your Content Plan automatically, and the article waits as Approved until you read it and click Publish.
- Require manual approval: off. Turn it on only if someone has to sign off every article (see the guide linked below for what changes).
- Internal links per article: keep 3 links.
- Happy with the articles? Turn Auto-publish articles on, and LazySEO publishes each one on its planned day without a click.
Tip: Every option, with what it does and when to change it, is in Publishing settings explained.
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Step 6: Publish your first article
- Click Articles in the sidebar and open an article. No articles yet? Click Content Plan, open today's topic and click Generate Article. Writing takes a few minutes.
- Read the article. If its status is In Review, click Approve first.
- Click Publish. LazySEO sends it to every enabled integration.
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Step 7: Check that it worked
- The status changes to Publishing ("Publishing in progress") and then to Published, usually within a few seconds.
- Click View Published on the article page to open the live post (shown when your platform returns the post's link).
- Sync History at the bottom of the Integrations page lists every publish. Click a row to see the request LazySEO sent and your platform's response.
- You also get a notification and, when LazySEO knows the post's link, an email.
What to copy from your platform
Field names below are the labels in the LazySEO form. Click a platform for its full guide.
| Platform | Fields you fill in | Where to find the values |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Site URL, Username, Application Password | WordPress admin → Users → Profile → Application Passwords |
| Webflow | Collection ID, API Token, optionally Site URL (optional) | Designer → CMS panel → collection settings; Site settings → Apps & integrations → API access |
| Ghost | Site URL (the API URL), Admin API Key | Ghost Admin → Settings → Integrations → Add custom integration |
| Shopify | Store URL, Admin API Access Token, Blog ID | Settings → Apps and sales channels → Develop apps; Content → Blog posts → Manage blogs |
| Sanity | Project ID, Dataset, API Token, Document Type | sanity.io/manage → your project; API → Tokens |
| DEV.to | API Key | dev.to → Settings → Extensions → DEV Community API Keys |
| Webhook | Endpoint URL, Method, optionally Headers (optional) and Signing Secret (optional) | The endpoint your developer built |
| Custom API | Endpoint URL, Method, Headers (optional), Body Template (optional) | Your API's documentation |
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Site URL, Username, Application Password
- Where to find the values
- WordPress admin → Users → Profile → Application Passwords
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Collection ID, API Token, optionally Site URL (optional)
- Where to find the values
- Designer → CMS panel → collection settings; Site settings → Apps & integrations → API access
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Site URL (the API URL), Admin API Key
- Where to find the values
- Ghost Admin → Settings → Integrations → Add custom integration
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Store URL, Admin API Access Token, Blog ID
- Where to find the values
- Settings → Apps and sales channels → Develop apps; Content → Blog posts → Manage blogs
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Project ID, Dataset, API Token, Document Type
- Where to find the values
- sanity.io/manage → your project; API → Tokens
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- API Key
- Where to find the values
- dev.to → Settings → Extensions → DEV Community API Keys
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Endpoint URL, Method, optionally Headers (optional) and Signing Secret (optional)
- Where to find the values
- The endpoint your developer built
Platform
- Fields you fill in
- Endpoint URL, Method, Headers (optional), Body Template (optional)
- Where to find the values
- Your API's documentation
What happens next
- LazySEO keeps writing articles from your Content Plan: one topic per day. With the settings from step 5, each new article waits as Approved until you click Publish, or goes out by itself on its planned day once Auto-publish articles is on.
- You can add more integrations. Every enabled integration receives each article, so you can publish to WordPress and DEV.to at the same time.
- You can change the publishing settings at any time, in Settings → Integrations or Settings → Article Settings.
Troubleshooting
The quick test fails.
Fix: Read the reason LazySEO shows, then open your platform's guide: its troubleshooting section lists the usual causes (a login password instead of an application password, a Content API key instead of the Admin API key, a missing permission, and so on).
Clicking Publish shows "No enabled integrations found. Set up an integration first."
Fix: Add an integration on the Integrations page, or switch on the Enabled switch on the card of an existing one.
The article stays on "Publishing in progress".
Fix: Wait a minute and refresh the page. If it is still there, click Re-send to integration, then check the latest row in Sync History. If the post is already live on your site, click Mark as published.
Nothing was published automatically.
Fix: Check that Auto-publish articles is on, that the integration is Enabled, that the article is Approved (not In Review), and that its planned day has arrived. LazySEO checks for due articles every 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to connect my blog?
About five minutes for WordPress, Webflow, Ghost, Shopify, Sanity and DEV.to: you copy one to three values from your platform and run the quick test. Webhook and Custom API take longer because a developer has to prepare the receiving side.
I have several websites. How do I connect them?
Create one LazySEO project per website. Each project has its own integrations, content plan and publishing settings.
Can I try it without publishing anything live?
Yes. The quick test never creates a post, and the Full test creates a draft (hidden) test post. Keep Auto-publish articles off, and nothing goes live until you click Publish.
Still stuck?
Send us the error message from LazySEO and we'll help you connect.