Title: Configuration
Author: WordPress VIP Documentation
Published: February 24, 2023
Last modified: June 25, 2025

---

 1. [Parse.ly](https://docs.wpvip.com/parse-ly/)
 2. Configuration

#  Configuration

Parse.ly is customizable in the WordPress Admin dashboard as well as extensible 
by using PHP and JavaScript WordPress filters.

## Limitations

When activated, Parse.ly is only able to collect data from publicly available sites
and publicly accessible URLs.

 * Sites under [restricted access](https://docs.wpvip.com/restricting-site-access/)
   are incompatible.
 * Password-protected pages, or pages blocked from crawler user agents, are incompatible.

## WordPress Admin dashboard

To access the settings page for Parse.ly:

 1. Log in to the WordPress Admin dashboard.
 2. Select “**Parse.ly**” from the left hand navigation menu in the WP Admin.
 3. Select the subnavigation menu item labeled “**Settings**“.

More detailed guidance for configuration options in the WP Admin can be found in
[Parse.ly’s WordPress documentation](https://docs.parse.ly/wordpress-plugin-setup/).

## Decoupled / headless

The Parse.ly WordPress plugin is compatible with decoupled sites that use a WordPress
backend. Some configurations in the client application’s code are required in order
for the plugin to work as expected. Review [Parse.ly’s decoupled documentation](https://docs.parse.ly/plugin-decoupled-headless-support/)
and reach out to the Support team if there are remaining questions about configuration.

## Metadata

[Metadata is automatically included](https://docs.parse.ly/metadata/) in one of 
Parse.ly’s recognized formats (either [JSON-LD ](https://docs.parse.ly/metadata-jsonld/)
or [repeated meta tags](https://docs.parse.ly/metatags/)) on all of a site’s core
posts and pages. For Custom Post Types, this must be [selectively enabled in the Parse.ly Settings page](https://docs.parse.ly/wordpress-plugin-setup/#h-additional-configuration)
in the WordPress Admin dashboard. If valid JSON-LD metadata is implemented outside
the Parse.ly plugin, metadata can be excluded by [configuring the `wp_parsely_metadata()` filter](https://docs.parse.ly/plugin-common-questions/#h-can-the-rendered-metadata-be-customized).
By default on VIP, the non-conflicting meta tags format is enabled. This can be 
modified in the Parse.ly settings page in the WordPress Admin dashboard.

If Parse.ly page metadata is causing issues on a site, [report the issues in a](https://wordpressvip.zendesk.com/)
[Support ticket](https://wordpressvip.zendesk.com/) so that the Support team can
assist. In some cases, improvements can be made to the plugin to reconcile a site’s
metadata.

## Parse.ly JavaScript tracking code

The Parse.ly tracker is a small JavaScript code that monitors user visits and relays
them to the Parse.ly analytics servers.

If there are concerns about the performance impact of the Parse.ly JavaScript SDK,
refer to Parse.ly’s documentation [“Will the Parse.ly tag break or slow down my site?”](https://docs.parse.ly/will-the-javascript-tracker-tag-break-down-or-slow-down-my-site/).
Additional information about the Parse.ly JavaScript tracking code, privacy, and
GDPR:

 * [Parse.ly crawler, tracker and servers](https://docs.parse.ly/crawler/) 
 * [Data and privacy](https://docs.parse.ly/privacy/)
 * [GDPR and Parse.ly](https://docs.parse.ly/gdpr/)

### Conditionally load the tracking code

If needed, it is possible to code-configure the Parse.ly JavaScript tracking code
to conditionally load, for example to meet [General Data Protection Regulation](https://gdpr.eu/)(
GDPR) requirements or to load the code only after a user has consented to being 
tracked.

In PHP, use [the `wp_parsely_load_js_tracker` filter](https://docs.parse.ly/plugin-common-questions/#h-can-i-prevent-the-automatic-insertion-of-the-javascript-tracker)
to conditionally load Parse.ly’s JavaScript tracking code.

For a client-side event, use [the `wpParselyOnLoad` and `wpParselyOnReady` JavaScript hooks](https://docs.parse.ly/plugin-dynamic-tracking/)
to conditionally load the tracker code. 

Last updated: June 25, 2025