Templates let you set default SEO titles and meta descriptions for entire post types at once, rather than writing them individually for every single page. This is especially powerful for large sites — if you have 500 blog posts, 200 product pages, and 50 category archives, templates ensure every one of them has a well-formatted, keyword-rich title and description without any manual work. They act as your safety net: even if you forget to write a custom title on a specific post, the template produces something sensible automatically.
Why Templates Matter
Without templates, any page where you have not manually written an SEO title will default to the raw post title — which may be too long, too short, or missing your site name. Archive pages (categories, tags, authors) get no meta data at all, showing up in Google with whatever text Google chooses. Templates solve all of this by defining a pattern that is applied automatically.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Templates
- Go to SEO Forge > Settings > Title Templates in the WordPress sidebar.
- You will see a section for each post type on your site (Posts, Pages, Products, etc.) and each archive type (Categories, Tags, Authors, Date Archives).
- For each post type, you can set a title template and a description template.
- Type your template using a combination of plain text and variables (listed below).
- Check the live preview below each template field — it shows what the template produces for a sample post.
- Repeat for each post type and archive type you want to cover.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
- Templates take effect immediately — every page without a custom title/description now uses its template.
Available Template Variables
Use these placeholders in your templates. SEO Forge replaces them with the actual values for each page:
| Variable | What It Becomes | Example Output | |
|---|---|---|---|
{{title}} | The post or page title | Best Running Shoes 2026 | |
{{siteName}} | Your WordPress site name | My Sports Blog | |
{{excerpt}} | The post excerpt (first 160 characters) | A comprehensive review of the top… | |
{{category}} | The primary category of the post | Footwear Reviews | |
{{date}} | The publication date | March 15, 2026 | |
{{currentYear}} | The current year (updates automatically) | 2026 | |
{{separator}} | A separator character (configurable in settings) | or — | |
{{author}} | The post author display name | Sarah Johnson | |
{{tag}} | The tag name (for tag archive templates) | WordPress Tips | |
{{searchQuery}} | The search term (for search results page) | running shoes review |
Five Template Examples for Different Post Types
| Post Type | Title Template | Result Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blog posts | {{title}} {{separator}} {{siteName}} | Best Running Shoes 2026 | My Sports Blog |
| Product pages | Buy {{title}} Online {{separator}} {{siteName}} | Buy Wireless Headphones XR Online | Tech Store |
| Category archives | {{category}} Articles & Guides {{separator}} {{siteName}} | Footwear Reviews Articles & Guides | My Sports Blog |
| Author archives | Posts by {{author}} {{separator}} {{siteName}} | Posts by Sarah Johnson | My Sports Blog |
| Date archives | {{siteName}} Archive: {{date}} | My Sports Blog Archive: March 2026 |
| Post Type | Description Template | Result Example |
|---|---|---|
| Blog posts | {{excerpt}} | A comprehensive review of the top 10 running shoes for 2026, tested for comfort, durability, and value. |
| Product pages | Shop {{title}} at {{siteName}}. Free shipping on orders over $50. See specs, reviews, and pricing. | Shop Wireless Headphones XR at Tech Store. Free shipping on orders over $50. See specs, reviews, and pricing. |
| Category archives | Browse all {{category}} content on {{siteName}}. Expert guides, reviews, and tips updated for {{currentYear}}. | Browse all Footwear Reviews content on My Sports Blog. Expert guides, reviews, and tips updated for 2026. |
How Templates Interact with Custom Entries
Templates are defaults — they apply only when you have not written a custom title or description on a specific post. The priority order is:
- Custom title/description you wrote on the individual post (highest priority)
- Template for that post type (used when no custom entry exists)
- Fallback — the raw post title and excerpt (used when no template and no custom entry exist)
This means you can use templates as a safety net for the majority of your pages and manually craft titles for your most important content — the homepage, top-performing blog posts, and key landing pages.
Real-World Scenario
Imagine you run an online store with 300 product pages. Instead of writing SEO titles for each one, you set a template: Buy {{title}} — Free Shipping {{separator}} {{siteName}}. Now every product automatically gets a title like “Buy Ergonomic Office Chair — Free Shipping | WorkSpace Store.” When your flagship product deserves extra attention, you write a custom title that overrides the template just for that page.
> Good to know: Templates are especially valuable for archive pages. Without templates, your category page for “Footwear Reviews” might show up in Google as just “Footwear Reviews” with no context. A template transforms it into “Footwear Reviews Articles & Guides | My Sports Blog” — much more clickable.
> Tip: Include {{currentYear}} in templates for content that should appear fresh. A title like “Best Running Shoes {{currentYear}}” automatically updates to the current year without you touching it.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to set templates for archive pages. These pages get some of the least attention but can still appear in Google. A template ensures they look professional.
- Making templates too long. Remember the 60-character limit for titles. A template like
{{title}} — The Ultimate Guide {{separator}} {{siteName}}might produce titles that are 80+ characters, getting truncated every time. - Not testing templates with actual content. Use the live preview in the settings page to see what the template produces for real posts on your site.
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