> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://devs.surferseo.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Write in WordPress > Write a post with Surfer's guidelines beside it and send the post to Surfer. Your site must already be connected to Surfer, and your plan must include the WordPress integration. See [Availability](/integrations/wordpress/setup#availability). Attach the post to a [Content Editor](/integrations/guidelines-panel), the document Surfer builds around your target keywords, holding the guidelines and the Content Score. The guidelines follow your text, and the score rates it against the pages that rank for those keywords. ## Where the Surfer panel appears The Surfer panel sits in the post editor for every public post type except attachments, revisions, and menu items. Where it sits and what it looks like depend on the editor: Gutenberg (the block editor), the Classic Editor, or Elementor. | Editor | Where the Surfer panel appears | | - | - | | Gutenberg | The **Surfer** sidebar. Open it from the Surfer icon in the top bar or from **Surfer** in the editor's options menu. Its first panel has no heading. It holds **Optimize with Surfer**, or the guidelines once the post is attached. The **Keyword Research** panel sits below it. | | Classic Editor | The edit screen's side column holds two Surfer boxes, **Optimize** and **Keyword Research**. | | Elementor | A **Surfer** panel sits on the right edge of the editor, with **Optimize** and **Keyword Research** sections. The chevron in its header folds it away. | In Elementor, the panel re-reads the page on a timer, so the score trails your typing. [Where your text lives](/integrations/guidelines-panel#where-your-text-lives) gives the delay for each editor. A plugin setting hides the panel in Elementor. The [setup page](/integrations/wordpress/setup) explains this setting and the setting that chooses your editor. ## Optimize a post with Surfer **Optimize with Surfer** attaches the post to a new Content Editor or to one you already have. Creating a Content Editor spends one Content Editor credit. See [Credits](/integrations/guidelines-panel#credits). **1. Open the post** Open the post or page in its editor. **2. Open the Surfer panel** Open the **Surfer** sidebar in Gutenberg, the **Optimize** box in Classic Editor, or the **Surfer** panel in Elementor. **3. Start the dialog** Select **Optimize with Surfer**. The dialog shows your Surfer organization. It asks **What do you want to do?** **4. Choose new or existing** Pick **Create new Content Editor** or **Overwrite existing Content Editor**. ![The Optimize with Surfer dialog with its two choices, Create new Content Editor and Overwrite existing Content Editor.](https://mintcdn.com/surfer-1a8fda11/4kbtukCU_qZDIZlN/images/integrations/wordpress/wordpress-write-optimize.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=4kbtukCU_qZDIZlN\&q=85\&s=d6fb171f59e7a6bb10ffd5e8fef1e0e2) **5. Continue** Select **Next**. ### Create a new Content Editor The form has three fields. Above them, **Monthly Content Editor limit:** shows the credits you have left. With no credits left, **Create CE for 1 credit** can stay enabled, and the request then fails after you submit the form. Create the Content Editor in Surfer instead, and attach the post with **Overwrite existing Content Editor**. [Troubleshooting](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#quota-exceeded-when-creating-a-content-editor) quotes the message. 1. In **Keyword(s)**, enter the keywords the Content Editor is built around. Separate several with commas, up to 20. 2. In **Location / Languages**, select the country whose search results Surfer analyzes. 3. In **Workspace**, choose the brand or site in Surfer that the Content Editor belongs to. With one workspace, the field fills itself. 4. Select **Create CE for 1 credit**. Surfer creates the Content Editor from the post's current text and its meta title and description. While Surfer analyzes the search results: * The panel shows `Just a few seconds`. The guidelines replace it once the analysis is done. * In the dialog, **Continue in Surfer** reads **Scrape in progress...** until then. * **Back to work** closes the dialog. ### Overwrite an existing Content Editor Overwriting replaces the text of a Content Editor you already have with the post's text. A WordPress icon next to a Content Editor in the list means it is linked to a WordPress post. If that post is on this site, unlink it there first. The plugin refuses to overwrite a Content Editor that another post on the site is linked to. [Troubleshooting](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#this-content-editor-is-already-connected-with-another-post) quotes the message. 1. Pick the **Workspace** the Content Editor lives in. 2. Type in **Search by keyword**. 3. Select the Content Editor from the list. 4. Select **Next**. 5. Check the confirmation: the Content Editor's keywords, location, title, tags, and its last edit dates in Surfer and in WordPress. **Folder** appears when the Content Editor is in one. 6. Check for the warning **There is the newer version of the article in Surfer**. It means the Content Editor changed after the post did, and overwriting discards those edits in Surfer. 7. Select **Overwrite the CE**. Both paths end on **Synced with Surfer**. **Continue in Surfer** opens the Content Editor. **Back to work** returns you to writing. The tour below shows the same steps. [https://app.guideflow.com/player/zklx2v9hok](https://app.guideflow.com/player/zklx2v9hok) ## Verify it is working The post is attached when the Surfer panel shows a score and the post list links the post to Surfer. 1. In the editor, check that the panel shows the Content Editor's Content Score. The **Export** button appears below the guidelines. 2. In the post list, the links under the post's title include **Check in Surfer**. With Search Console connected and data gathered, the button in the **Surfer** column reads **Edit in Surfer**. ## Write with the guidelines The Surfer panel shows the Content Editor's guidelines, and the score follows what you type. In every editor, the Surfer panel embeds the same [guidelines panel](/integrations/guidelines-panel) as Google Docs and Contentful. It uses the [narrow layout](/integrations/guidelines-panel#narrow-panels). That page covers what the panel shows and what stays in the Surfer app. Two buttons sit below the panel, **Export** and **Disconnect**. ![The Gutenberg editor with the Surfer sidebar open on an attached post, showing the Guidelines and Research tabs, the Content Score with its SEO and AI Search parts, and the SEO terms for the post.](https://mintcdn.com/surfer-1a8fda11/4kbtukCU_qZDIZlN/images/integrations/wordpress/wordpress-write-sidebar.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=4kbtukCU_qZDIZlN\&q=85\&s=ef9f0745b7ebc905fe7a869bb768290d) ## Send the post to Surfer **Export** sends the post's current text to its Content Editor and replaces what the Content Editor held. 1. Select **Export**, the button with the tooltip **Export to Surfer**. The **Export to Surfer** dialog shows the Content Editor's keywords and title, its last edit dates in Surfer and in WordPress, and the last export date. 2. Check for the warning **There is the newer version of the article in Surfer**. It means the Content Editor changed after the post did, and exporting discards those edits. 3. Select **Overwrite the CE**. The plugin sends the post's headings, paragraphs, lists, and images, plus its meta title and description. The dialog then reads `Your Content Editor has been updated and synced with WordPress!`. **Continue in Surfer** opens the Content Editor, and **Back to work** lets you keep writing. Exporting overwrites the Content Editor, so it spends no credit ([Credits](/integrations/guidelines-panel#credits)). To send text the other way, from Surfer into the post, follow [Export from Surfer](/integrations/wordpress/export). ## Unlink a post **Disconnect** removes the link between the post and its Content Editor. Both keep their text. 1. Select **Disconnect**, below **Export**. 2. In **Disconnect from Surfer**, check the Content Editor's **Keyword(s)** and **Location**. **Open in a new tab** opens the Content Editor. 3. Select **Disconnect**, or **Cancel** to keep the link. The panel offers **Optimize with Surfer** again, so you can attach the post to another Content Editor. **Disconnect** also appears when the panel reports **Content Editor Failed** or **Your post needs attention**. [Troubleshooting](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-panel-reports-content-editor-failed-or-your-post-needs-attention) explains both states and what to do next. ## The Surfer column in the post list The post list includes a **Surfer** column. Linked posts and pages also have a **Check in Surfer** row action. This action opens their Content Editor. Before Search Console is connected, the column holds an **Add GSC** link to the plugin's settings page. Once it is, each cell shows one of three states: * A published post with data: its position, clicks, and impressions, and a button. **Edit in Surfer** opens the Content Editor of a linked post. **Optimize with Surfer** opens the same dialog as the panel for an unlinked one. * An unpublished post: `Publish a post to see data from GSC.` * A published post without data yet: `Relax while we're gathering your data.` What the numbers mean and how often they refresh is on the [performance report page](/integrations/wordpress/performance). ## Keyword research without an account The **Keyword Research** panel works as soon as the plugin is installed, before the site is connected to Surfer. 1. Enter a keyword in **Keyword(s)**. 2. Select the country in **Location / Languages**. The picker shows United States first. 3. Select **Generate Keywords**. Results appear under **Keyword Ideas**, one row per keyword with its **Overlapping Pages**, **Search Volume**, and **Cost per Click**. Each row has **Copy** and a search button that runs the same research for that keyword. The figures come from the same data as the Keyword Surfer Chrome extension. When the panel has no results for a keyword, see [Troubleshooting](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-keyword-research-panel-has-no-results-for-a-keyword). ## Troubleshooting Every symptom and its fix is on the [troubleshooting page](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting). These are the ones that start in the editor. * [The dialog reports that you have no credits](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#quota-exceeded-when-creating-a-content-editor). * [The dialog says there are too many keywords](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#too-many-keywords-when-creating-a-content-editor). * [Overwriting or exporting says the Content Editor is already connected with another post](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#this-content-editor-is-already-connected-with-another-post). * [The panel reports that the Content Editor failed or that the post needs attention](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-panel-reports-content-editor-failed-or-your-post-needs-attention). * [The Keyword Research panel has no results for a keyword](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-keyword-research-panel-has-no-results-for-a-keyword). * [The Surfer panel does not appear in Elementor](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-surfer-panel-does-not-appear-in-elementor). * [The Content Score does not update as you type](/integrations/wordpress/troubleshooting#the-content-score-does-not-update-as-you-type). 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