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WordPress Permalinks

Introduction​

Permalinks (permanent links) are the full URLs to your WordPress posts, pages, and other content types. They define how your URLs appear to users and search engines. Well-structured permalinks are crucial for SEO success, user experience, and overall website organization.

By default, WordPress uses URLs with query parameters like /?p=123, which aren't particularly user-friendly or search engine optimized. In this guide, we'll explore how to configure permalinks properly to improve your website's SEO and create a better user experience.

Before diving into the technical details, let's understand why permalinks are crucial for your WordPress website's SEO:

  1. Improved User Experience: Descriptive URLs help users understand where they are on your site
  2. Search Engine Optimization: URLs with relevant keywords help search engines understand your content
  3. Shareability: Clean URLs are easier to share on social media or in emails
  4. Reduced Bounce Rates: Meaningful URLs build trust with users who can see where a link will take them

When you first install WordPress, it typically uses a default permalink structure that looks like this:

https://example.com/?p=123

This structure uses query parameters and isn't ideal for several reasons:

  • It contains no descriptive information about the content
  • It's not user-friendly or memorable
  • Search engines prefer descriptive URLs with keywords

WordPress offers several built-in permalink structure options. To access them, navigate to Settings → Permalinks in your WordPress admin dashboard.

![WordPress Permalinks Settings]

The main permalink options include:

StructureExampleDescription
Plainhttps://example.com/?p=123Default structure using query parameters
Day and namehttps://example.com/2023/09/15/sample-post/Includes year, month, and day of publication
Month and namehttps://example.com/2023/09/sample-post/Includes year and month of publication
Numerichttps://example.com/archives/123Uses post ID with "archives" prefix
Post namehttps://example.com/sample-post/Uses only the post slug (recommended for most sites)
Custom Structurehttps://example.com/%category%/%postname%/Fully customizable using available tags

Let's walk through the process of changing your permalink structure:

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings → Permalinks
  3. Select your preferred permalink structure
  4. Click "Save Changes"

If you want to customize your permalinks beyond the built-in options, you can create a custom structure using tags. Here's how it works:

https://example.com/%category%/%postname%/

This structure will create URLs that include the category followed by the post name.

Available structure tags include:

  • %year% - The year of post publication (e.g., 2023)
  • %monthnum% - Month of publication (e.g., 09)
  • %day% - Day of publication (e.g., 15)
  • %hour% - Hour of publication
  • %minute% - Minute of publication
  • %second% - Second of publication
  • %postname% - The post slug (URL-friendly version of the title)
  • %post_id% - The unique ID of the post
  • %category% - The category slug
  • %author% - The author username

To maximize the SEO benefits of your permalinks, follow these best practices:

  1. Choose a Simple Structure: The "Post name" structure (/%postname%/) is generally the most SEO-friendly option for most websites.

  2. Include Keywords: Ensure your post titles (which become part of the URL) contain relevant keywords.

  3. Avoid Dates in URLs: Unless your content is specifically time-sensitive (like news), avoid including dates in your permalinks as it can make content seem outdated.

  4. Keep URLs Short: Shorter URLs are easier to share and remember. Remove unnecessary words like "a", "the", etc.

  5. Use Hyphens as Separators: WordPress automatically converts spaces to hyphens in URLs. This is good practice as search engines recognize hyphens as word separators.

  6. Avoid Special Characters: Stick to alphanumeric characters and hyphens to ensure maximum compatibility.

  7. Be Consistent: Don't change your permalink structure frequently, as it can break existing links.

Example: Category + Post Name Structure​

A popular permalink structure includes the category followed by the post name:

/%category%/%postname%/

This creates URLs like:

https://example.com/wordpress-tutorials/optimizing-permalinks/

This structure has several advantages:

  • It provides context about the content's category
  • It creates a logical hierarchy for your site
  • It includes relevant keywords in the URL

Example: Creating a Custom Structure for Products​

If you run an e-commerce site with WooCommerce, you might want a specific structure for products:

/shop/%product_cat%/%product%/

This would create URLs like:

https://example.com/shop/electronics/smartphone-model-x/

When you change permalink structures on an established site, you risk creating broken links. Here's how to handle this situation:

  1. Set Up 301 Redirects: These tell browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved.

  2. Use a Redirection Plugin: Plugins like "Redirection" or "301 Redirects" can help you manage redirects.

  3. Update Internal Links: Make sure to update any hardcoded links within your site.

Example: Adding 301 Redirects in .htaccess​

If you have access to your server's .htaccess file, you can add redirects like this:

apache
# Redirect old URL structure to new structure
RedirectMatch 301 ^/(\d{4})/(\d{2})/(\d{2})/(.*)$ https://example.com/$4

This example redirects URLs with the date structure to just the post name.

Custom Permalinks for Custom Post Types​

If your site uses custom post types, you can define custom permalink structures for them too. Here's an example using the register_post_type() function:

php
function create_book_post_type() {
  register_post_type('book',
    array(
      'labels' => array(
        'name' => __('Books'),
        'singular_name' => __('Book')
      ),
      'public' => true,
      'has_archive' => true,
      'rewrite' => array('slug' => 'books'), // This sets the permalink structure
      'supports' => array('title', 'editor', 'thumbnail', 'excerpt')
    )
  );
}
add_action('init', 'create_book_post_type');

This code creates a custom post type called "Book" with URLs structured as:

https://example.com/books/book-title/

If you experience 404 errors after changing permalinks:

  1. Go to Settings → Permalinks and click "Save Changes" again without making any changes
  2. This will flush the rewrite rules and often fixes the issue

Some hosting configurations require additional setup:

  1. Check if your server uses Apache or Nginx
  2. For Apache, ensure the .htaccess file is writable
  3. For Nginx, you may need to manually update the server configuration
nginx
location / {
  try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}

WordPress Doesn't Update .htaccess File​

If WordPress can't update your .htaccess file automatically:

  1. Create or edit the .htaccess file manually
  2. Add the following code:
apache
# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

Here's a visual representation of how WordPress processes permalinks:

Summary​

WordPress permalinks are a crucial aspect of your website's SEO strategy. By choosing the right permalink structure, you can improve search engine rankings, enhance user experience, and create a more organized website architecture.

Remember these key points:

  • The post name structure (/%postname%/) is generally best for SEO
  • Avoid changing permalink structure on established sites
  • Use 301 redirects if you must change your URL structure
  • Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich
  • Regularly check for broken links after making changes

With proper permalink optimization, you'll be taking an important step toward better WordPress SEO and improved user experience.

Additional Resources​

Exercises​

  1. Change your permalink structure to post name and observe how your URLs change.
  2. Create a custom permalink structure that includes the category and post name.
  3. Generate a list of 301 redirects for your most important pages after changing the permalink structure.
  4. Optimize the titles of 5 key posts to create more SEO-friendly permalinks.
  5. Audit your site for broken links using a tool like Broken Link Checker.

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)