Will you still need FTP access if the sites are in WordPress and you have full admin access?

Will you still need FTP access if the sites are in WordPress and you have full admin access?

With admin access alone, you can handle almost everything SEO-related:

What you can do without FTP

  • Add/edit meta titles & descriptions (via plugins like Yoast/RankMath)

  • Optimize on-page content (keywords, headings, internal linking)

  • Manage XML sitemaps

  • Set up 301 redirects

  • Implement schema markup (via plugins)

  • Optimize images (alt tags, compression plugins)

  • Control robots.txt (many plugins allow this)

  • Connect tools like Google Search Console & Analytics

When FTP might still be useful for SEO

Only in more technical or edge cases:

  • Editing .htaccess manually for advanced redirects or rules

  • Fixing technical errors that break the site (plugin/theme conflicts)

  • Adding custom schema or scripts directly to theme files

  • Resolving site speed issues involving server-level changes

  • Recovering access if the site crashes after an update