What are Permalinks in WordPress?
Permalinks in WordPress are the fixed URLs assigned to your posts, pages, categories, and other archive pages on your website. These URLs are intended to be permanent and should not be changed.
In simple words, permalinks are web addresses that can be easily understood by humans or search engines.
For example, the home page at AccuWeb is at https://www.accuwebhosting.com/, our blog is at https://www.accuwebhosting.com/blog/ and a post uses a link like https://www.accuwebhosting.com/blog/wordpress-latest-version/.
Why Permalinks are Important in WordPress?
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Usability:
Permalinks enables users to understand what your posts or pages are about, increasing the likelihood they will visit. Clean and descriptive permalinks are easier for people to remember and share.
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SEO:
Permalinks inform search engines about the content of each post and page, enhancing indexing and ranking. They help search engines understand your website’s content and structure more effectively.
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Branding:
Permalinks contribute to your website’s branding. Consistent, keyword-rich permalinks enhance your brand’s visibility and make your site appear more professional.
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Sharing:
When your website is shared on social media, via email, or in forums, permalinks are used. Descriptive permalinks are more likely to attract clicks when shared.
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Tracking:
Unique permalinks enable you to monitor traffic to specific pages and posts using analytics tools.
How to set Permalink in WordPress?
- Log into your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
- Select a permalink structure from the “Common Settings” options:
- click on Save Changes
Common Settings
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Plain:
This option uses the Post ID for the link, making sense to browsers but not very meaningful to humans or search engines. It looks like this: test.com/?p=123.
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Day and name:
This format includes the full date the post was published along with its name (slug). It appears as: test.com/2023/02/02/post-test/.
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Month and name:
A shorter version of the “day and name” format, this option includes only the month and year, not the day: test.com/2023/02/post-test/.
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Numeric:
Similar to the plain option, this uses the post ID, which is not very user-friendly. It looks like: test.com/archives/123.
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Post name:
This format uses only the post slug, without dates or post IDs: test.com/post-test/.
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Custom structure:
This option allows you to create a personalized structure. Use tags to include information based on post data, and add static text for elements that remain consistent between posts.
How to Change a WordPress Category or Tag URL
- Navigate to Posts > Categories and select the ‘Edit’ below the category.
- WordPress will then display the category details for editing.
- From there, adjust the category slug to customize its permalink.
- Click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes to the category slug.
Similarly, individual tags can be edited by accessing the Posts > Tags screen and following the same process.
You can also modify any custom taxonomies using the same method.
How to set the individual permalinks for posts/pages
For Posts or Pages
- Choose Post/Page > All Posts/All Pages in the WordPress dashboard.
- Choose the post or page for which you want to change the permalink.
- In the summary section, click on the URL.
- Modify the slug to your preferred custom URL.
- Click Update to save the changes.
How to Change WordPress Permalinks With a Plugin?
Using a plugin is an easy way to change WordPress permalinks without having to edit code manually.
- The Custom Permalinks plugin allows you to customize the URL of any post, category, or tag. It also sets up redirects so that old URLs remain functional.
- The Permalink Manager Lite plugin supports custom post types as well as custom taxonomies. It includes redirects and is compatible with third-party plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast.
Remember that changing permalinks can impact your site’s SEO and existing URLs, so it’s important to plan carefully and set up proper redirects if necessary.
How to Change WordPress Permalinks in phpMyAdmin
- Access your cPanel and open phpMyAdmin.
- Select your WordPress database.
- Look for the table named wp_options (the prefix wp_ varies depending on your database setup) and click on it.
- Find the rows with the option_name values of permalink_structure.
- Click on the “Edit” icon.
- Change the values in the option_value field.
- Click on the “Go” button to save the changes.
Difference Between Permalinks, Slugs, and Links
| Permalinks | Slugs | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | The permanent, full URL of a post, page, or other content on your WordPress website | The user-friendly portion of the permalink that identifies the specific page or post | Clickable elements that allow users to navigate from one page to another, within your site or to an external site |
| Purpose | Provide a permanent, unique web address for content | Improve the readability and SEO of URLs | Enhance website navigation and facilitate connections between web pages. |
| SEO Importance | Permalinks with proper, relevant keywords can enhance SEO | Well-structured slugs with keywords improve SEO | Both internal and external links are important for SEO and user experience |
| Customization | WordPress allows you to customize the permalink structure | You can manually edit the slug for individual posts and pages | Links can be customized with anchor text and target attributes |
| Impact of Changes | Changing permalinks can lead to broken links if not managed properly | Changing slugs for existing content requires setting up redirects | Broken links can negatively impact user experience and SEO |
Conclusion
In conclusion, WordPress permalinks are integral to optimizing your website for both users and search engines. By customizing permalinks according to your site’s content structure and SEO goals, you can enhance user experience, improve search engine visibility, and strengthen your brand identity. Whether you’re configuring permalinks for posts, pages, categories, or custom content types, the flexibility and customization options within WordPress empower you to create URLs that are both user-friendly and search engine-friendly. With a well-optimized permalink structure in place, you can effectively guide visitors through your website while maximizing its visibility and accessibility online.
