=== Honest Lastmod ===
Contributors: wpconsults
Donate link: https://ko-fi.com/wpconsults
Tags: sitemap, lastmod, seo, freshness, modified date
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.2
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

One fake date can make Google distrust every date on your site. Serve real dates: the modified date moves only when content really changes.

== Description ==

WordPress bumps your modified date on every save, even a design tweak or a re-save that changed nothing. Your SEO plugin copies that date into your sitemap as lastmod, and Google evaluates lastmod site-wide: keep claiming updates that did not happen and it can stop trusting the dates on your whole site. A wrong date is worse than no date.

Honest Lastmod keeps your dates believable.

* **Per-post control.** On every post and page: update the date now (real content change) or keep the current date (design tweak, typo, re-save). Trivial saves stop inflating your dates.
* **See what Google is served.** The Sitemap dates tab reads your database live and shows, for every page, the date your sitemap serves and the last real content change, with a verdict: Honest, Inflated, or Not tracked yet.
* **One-time repair.** Rebuilds honest dates from your revision history: the last time the words really changed, or the publish date when no revisions remain. Preview first; it writes nothing until you commit.
* **Editor-agnostic.** It corrects the modified date itself, so Yoast, Rank Math, SEOPress or WordPress core all serve the honest value.
* **Safe.** No dates change on activation. Turn protection off and WordPress bumps dates on every save again, exactly as before.

= Pro =

[Honest Lastmod Pro](https://www.wpconsults.com/downloads/honest-lastmod-pro/) replaces the free plugin and adds the hands-off parts:

* **Auto mode.** Every save is decided for you: a real content change moves the date, a trivial save holds it. A pure design change never bumps the date.
* **Automation API.** A REST endpoint, an inline meta value, and PHP helpers so your own scripts can mark updates real or trivial.

One-time payment, lifetime license: launch offer $20 for 1 site (ends October 3, 2026), then $50 / 1 site, $100 / 5 sites, $250 unlimited.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate. No dates are changed on activation.
2. Go to Settings > Honest Lastmod.
3. Open the Sitemap dates tab to see the dates Google is being served today.
4. On the Repair tab, click Preview (dry run), check the list, then Run repair to clean inflated dates.
5. From now on, choose "Keep the current date" on saves that did not really change content.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does it change my dates when I activate it? =
No. Activation stores settings only. Dates change when you run the repair, or on saves according to your choice.

= What does the repair use to rebuild dates? =
Revision history. It finds the last revision where the words actually changed and uses that date; with no usable revisions it falls back to the publish date. Preview lists every change before anything is written.

= What do the verdicts in Sitemap dates mean? =
Honest: the sitemap date matches the last real content change. Inflated: the sitemap claims an update newer than the last real change; run Repair. Not tracked yet: the plugin has not seen this post save yet; it starts tracking on the next save, or run Repair once.

= Can it decide for me automatically? =
That is Auto mode, in Pro. Free gives you full manual control plus the viewer and the repair.

= Does it work with my SEO plugin? =
Yes. It corrects the modified date at the source, so whatever generates your sitemap serves the honest value.

= Does it slow down my site? =
No. It runs only when you save a post and when you open its admin screens. It adds nothing to your front-end pages.

= What happens if I deactivate it? =
Nothing breaks. WordPress goes back to bumping the modified date on every save, exactly as before. Your existing dates are left as they are.

== Screenshots ==

1. The per-post Sitemap date panel in the editor: choose whether a save moves the date or keeps it.
2. The settings screen with the Settings, Sitemap dates, Repair and License tabs.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* First release: per-post control, live sitemap dates viewer with verdicts, one-time history repair (admin and WP-CLI).

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.0 =
First release.
