🔎 Why publishing says WordPress is not synced
Search Atlas can show WordPress as installed while publishing still fails. The publish window says "We're unable to sync with your WordPress site." and then either "Your site's SSL certificate is expired or invalid. Ask your host to fix it, then try again." or "We couldn't verify your site's SSL certificate. Our team has been notified." Installation only means the connection was set up. Publishing still requires Search Atlas to establish a trusted HTTPS connection to the site.
If that secure check fails, publishing stops even though the integration still appears on your account. This is a connection problem, not a sign that your article was lost.
🔐 How an SSL certificate bug blocks the connection
WordPress publishing uses HTTPS, and Search Atlas checks the site's SSL certificate. Publishing is blocked when that check fails. If the certificate is expired, self-signed, or does not match the site address, the message asks the host to fix it. If Search Atlas cannot verify the certificate for another reason, it says its own team has been notified.
- Expired or not yet active
- Issued for a different domain, such as www versus non-www
- Self-signed or incomplete, so browsers show a security warning
- Pointing at the wrong version of the site, such as HTTP instead of HTTPS
Any of these problems can leave the plugin looking installed while sync and publishing fail.
✅ Check your site certificate
Before you reconnect WordPress, confirm the certificate itself is healthy:
- Open your site in a private browser window using the exact https:// address you connected.
- Look for a browser warning about the connection or certificate. A warning means publishing cannot sync.
- Check both the www and non-www addresses, and confirm they open the same secure site.
- In WordPress, confirm Settings then General uses https for both the WordPress Address and Site Address.
- Ask your host to renew or reinstall a valid certificate if it is expired, mismatched, or incomplete. Wait until the warning is gone.
🛠️ Restore sync and publish again
After the certificate warning is gone, refresh the connection in Search Atlas:
- Open the WordPress connection for the affected site.
- In Settings, open CMS Connectors, expand the affected site, and open its WordPress connection. Delete that connection, then add WordPress again using the same HTTPS address. Do this only after the address loads securely. Reconnecting does not fix an invalid certificate.
- After reconnecting, confirm the WordPress connection changes from "Not connected" or "Disconnected" to "Connected."
- Publish one short piece of content as a test.
- Check WordPress to confirm the post arrived.
Do not create a second connection while the old one is still listed. Use one site address only, including the correct www or non-www form.
💬 When to contact support
Contact support if the site loads with no certificate warning, you have reconnected it, and publishing still says it is not synced. Include your site address, a screenshot of the message, and whether the browser shows any security warning.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and send your message. A member of our support team will reply in the chat.