=== Advanced Content Update Refresher ===
Contributors: metamove
Tags: content refresh, update post date, last modified, bulk update, seo
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Automatically update WordPress publish or modified dates on flexible schedules to support structured content freshness.

== Description ==

Advanced Content Update Refresher automatically updates WordPress post publish dates or modified timestamps using flexible scheduling options.

The plugin is designed for website owners, SEO professionals, bloggers, and content marketing teams who want to maintain content freshness in a structured and automated way.

Rather than manually editing old posts, this plugin allows you to define update intervals and automatically refresh timestamps in a controlled and transparent manner.

== Why Content Freshness Matters ==

Search engines evaluate several freshness-related signals, including:

 Last modified date  
 Publish date  
 XML sitemap "lastmod" entries  
 Crawl frequency and update patterns  

Refreshing evergreen content can help maintain crawl activity and keep structured content archives technically up to date.

Important: This plugin does not manipulate rankings. Sustainable SEO performance always requires meaningful content updates and high-quality information.

== Features ==

 Automatic scheduled updates (hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly or custom days)  
 Update publish date or modified date  
 Optional 10% time variance for natural timestamp distribution  
 Bulk update functionality  
 Compatible with major SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, AIOSEO)  
 Respects the native WordPress cron system  
 Lightweight and clean implementation  
 Multilingual ready  

== Use Cases ==

 Refresh evergreen blog content  
 Maintain structured update cycles  
 Rotate older articles naturally  
 Support long-term content marketing strategies  
 Improve technical content maintenance workflows  

== How It Works ==

After activation, you can configure update intervals per post type.  
When settings are saved, the plugin can immediately trigger an update and then continue running automatically according to your defined schedule.

You can choose whether to update:

 The publish date  
 The modified date  

An optional variance setting slightly randomizes timestamps to avoid identical update patterns.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this plugin guarantee better rankings? =

No. The plugin supports structured content maintenance. SEO success depends on high-quality content, user intent, and strategic optimization.

= Should I update publish date or modified date? =

In most cases, updating the modified date is recommended. Updating the publish date can be used for structured content rotation strategies.

= What does the 10% variance option do? =

It introduces slight time differences to avoid identical timestamps when multiple posts are updated in a batch. This helps simulate natural editing behavior.

= Is this compatible with SEO plugins? =

Yes. The plugin works with major SEO plugins and respects WordPress sitemap logic.

= Does this plugin modify content? =

No. It only updates timestamps. Content changes must be handled separately.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory  
2. Activate the plugin through the WordPress admin  
3. Navigate to "Update Refresher" in the admin menu  
4. Configure your scheduling preferences  
5. Save settings  

The plugin will then operate automatically according to your defined intervals.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release

== About the Developer ==

Advanced Content Update Refresher is developed by Metamove GmbH.

Metamove GmbH is a German SEO and digital strategy agency specializing in sustainable search optimization, technical SEO systems, and content-driven growth strategies.

More information: https://www.metamove.de
