Use Dashboard as the operational starting point: verify access, provider readiness, inventory coverage, recent output and background work before generating.
What Dashboard tells you
Dashboard combines content metrics, system readiness and recent Publisher activity. It is a diagnosis surface, not a replacement for the detailed Settings, Publisher or Insights screens.
System Status
| Signal | What it means | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Whether generation is permitted for this product, domain and environment | Open License and refresh validation |
| Text AI | Whether the selected text provider has usable saved configuration | Run the AI Providers text connection test |
| Image AI | A quick readiness indication | Verify the actual selected image provider and matching key in AI Providers; a text test does not generate an image |
| Sitemap | Whether Publisher has detected or can use a sitemap | Open SEO & Links and test the detected or manual sitemap |
| Background processing | Queued, running or failed jobs | Open Publisher → History & Logs |
Content Inventory
Inventory includes public, publicly queryable post types that are not excluded from search. Attachments are excluded. Posts, pages and products are prioritised in summaries, but eligible custom post types are also evidence. Publisher reads titles, content, excerpts, H2/H3 headings, public taxonomy terms, available SEO keywords and outbound links. For WooCommerce products it can also use product details.
The inventory calculates inbound links and identifies orphaned content. This evidence supports topic inference, cannibalisation checks and contextual link selection. Generated articles still use the native WordPress post type.
Cache and rebuild behaviour
The inventory cache is valid for up to 24 hours and is invalidated by relevant post, taxonomy, trash/untrash and WooCommerce updates. Use the Dashboard rebuild action after a large import, migration, bulk taxonomy change or when the displayed counts clearly lag behind WordPress.
Read the counts correctly
- A higher item count is not automatically better; verify that only public, indexable types are represented.
- An orphan count means Publisher found no inbound links in the indexed content. It does not prove that external sites do not link to the page.
- A missing custom post type usually means it is not public/queryable, is excluded from search or contains no eligible published items.
- Inventory is language-aware when WPML or Polylang is active.
Recommended operating routine
- Check licence and text-provider readiness.
- Confirm sitemap and inventory timestamps after major site changes.
- Review queued/running/failed job counts.
- Inspect recent articles and their quality status.
- Rebuild only when needed; do not repeatedly rebuild during active generation.
Troubleshooting
- Zero or unexpectedly low inventory: confirm the content is published and its post type is public, queryable and searchable.
- Stale counts: rebuild once, clear object/page cache if applicable and reload Dashboard.
- Wrong language relationships: verify WPML/Polylang assignments on the underlying posts.
- Sitemap missing: verify the detected URL in SEO & Links or enter a manual override.
- Dashboard appears ready but jobs fail: inspect the detailed provider test and the first History & Logs error. Dashboard is a summary.
Verification checklist
- Every intended public post type has a plausible count.
- Recent changes appear after invalidation or one rebuild.
- System Status has no unexplained required-service failure.
- Failed jobs are understood before new automation is enabled.
Related guides
Inventory and cannibalisation · Sitemaps and links · Jobs and recovery