🔍 What Is Read-Only Mode?
The Search Atlas WordPress plugin can be placed into read-only mode by the account owner or agency managing your Search Atlas workspace. In this state, certain settings, SEO fields, and plugin configurations are visible but cannot be edited directly inside WordPress. This is a deliberate access control feature, not a bug or technical error.
💡 Why Does Read-Only Mode Exist?
Read-only mode exists to protect SEO configurations set by an agency, consultant, or team administrator. Common reasons your plugin may be locked include:
- Your account is managed by an agency that has restricted editing to prevent accidental changes.
- An administrator has enabled privileged access controls to ensure only authorised users can modify SEO output settings.
- Specific features or SEO fields have been individually disabled by your account owner using per-feature access switches.
This protects the integrity of your SEO strategy and prevents conflicting changes from multiple users.
⚙️ What Is Affected by Read-Only Mode?
When read-only mode is active, you may notice the following limitations inside your WordPress plugin:
- Search Atlas settings panels appear greyed out or unclickable.
- Meta titles, meta descriptions, and other SEO fields cannot be edited from the WordPress dashboard.
- Some plugin features or toggles are hidden or disabled entirely.
- Changes attempted within the plugin do not save or are reverted.
Your site continues to benefit from all active SEO configurations — you simply cannot modify them from within WordPress while the restriction is in place.
🛠️ How to Regain Editing Access
If you need to edit Search Atlas settings inside WordPress, follow these steps:
- Identify who manages your Search Atlas account. If you are working with an agency or a team administrator, they control access permissions for the plugin.
- Contact your account owner or agency. Request that they adjust your access level or temporarily disable read-only mode for your user role.
- Ask them to review per-feature switches. Individual features can be re-enabled selectively, so your administrator may be able to unlock only the specific fields you need without removing all restrictions.
- Make edits directly in the Search Atlas platform. Many SEO settings can be managed from your Search Atlas dashboard at app.searchatlas.com, which may not be subject to the same restrictions as the WordPress plugin interface.
👤 Information for Account Owners and Administrators
If you are the account owner and have locked yourself out of editing, or if you need to adjust access permissions for your team or clients, you can manage these settings from within the Search Atlas platform. Look for plugin access controls and MetaSync permission settings in your workspace configuration. You can enable or disable editing access per user and control which SEO fields the plugin outputs on a per-feature basis.
📊 Frequently Asked Questions
Is my SEO data still active while the plugin is in read-only mode? Yes. Read-only mode only prevents editing. All published SEO configurations, meta data, and plugin outputs continue to function normally on your site.
Can I tell if read-only mode was intentionally enabled? If your plugin settings are greyed out and you did not make this change yourself, it was most likely enabled by your account owner or agency. Reach out to them directly to confirm.
Will upgrading my Search Atlas plan remove the restriction? No. Read-only mode is an access control decision made by your account administrator, not a plan-level limitation. Only your administrator can change it.
🆘 Still Need Help?
If you are unsure who manages your account, cannot reach your administrator, or are experiencing an unexpected lock-out, our support team is here to help. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.