About Permalink settings in WordPress you determine how the URLs of your posts and certain other content are structured. A clean URL structure makes your website easier for visitors to understand and helps search engines categorize your content.
Especially with a new WordPress website, you should set the permalink structure early. While changing it later is possible, for content that has already been published or indexed by search engines, it can lead to 404 errors, broken external links, and drops in rankings lead, if the old URLs are not correctly redirected to the new addresses.
Recommendation: For most normal WordPress websites and blogs, a short, understandable URL structure based on the post name is a very good choice. Set the structure if possible before publishing your website and do not change it later without a specific reason.
What is a permalink? #
A Permalink is the permanent URL of a piece of content on your WordPress website. Every published post and page has its own address through which the content can be accessed directly.
A URL could look like this, for example:
The part:
WordPress hosting
is often used as Slug referred to as.
WordPress can generate post URLs according to different patterns. For example, you can include the publication date, a post ID, or the post name in the URL.
Where do you find the permalink settings? #
First, log in to the WordPress admin area. You can usually reach this at:
your-domain.ch/wp-admin/
Then open in the left menu:
Settings > Permalinks
There you will find the basic settings for the URL structure of your WordPress posts as well as additional options for category and tag URLs.
When setting up a new WordPress website, you should also beforehand the general WordPress settings, Writing settings, Reading settings, Discussion Settings and Media settings check.
What permalink structures does WordPress offer? #
WordPress provides several predefined permalink structures. In addition, you can define a custom structure.
Which variant makes sense depends on the type of your website. However, for a standard corporate website or a classic blog, not all available structures are equally recommended.
Simple #
The simple permalink structure mainly uses the internal ID of a post.
For example, a URL can look like this:
Technically this URL works, but for visitors it is hardly apparent what content to expect from it.
A user-friendly URL like:
is much more understandable than:
For a new regular website, we would the setting „Simple“ therefore do not use it as a preferred structure.
Day and name #
In this variant, the URL contains the publication date and the post name.
For example:
Such a structure can be useful for websites where the publication date is an essential part of the content.
For timeless guidebooks, corporate pages, or knowledge bases, on the other hand, the date is often unnecessary. The URL becomes longer and, in the case of older articles, may give the impression that the content is outdated, even if it is regularly updated.
Month and name #
This structure uses year, month, and post name.
For example:
It is slightly shorter than the variant with the full date, but still contains time-related information.
For classic news or magazine projects, that can make sense. For many corporate websites and evergreen advice guides, however, a date-free URL is usually clearer.
Numerical #
The numerical structure uses a post ID within an archive structure.
A URL could look like this, for example:
This variant also provides visitors with hardly any information about the content of the page. For a standard corporate website or a guide, it therefore offers few advantages.
Post title #
In the structure „Post title“ WordPress uses the post slug directly after the domain name.
For example:
This structure is short, easy to read, and a sensible choice for many WordPress websites.
Recommendation: For most corporate websites, blogs, and smaller WordPress projects, we recommend „Post title“. The URLs remain understandable and do not contain unnecessary dates or internal post IDs.
What does „individual structure“ mean? #
WordPress also allows you to put together your own permalink structure. For this, so-called Structure tags available.
Some of these include, for example:
%year%– Year of publication%monthnum%– Month of publication%day%- Publication date%postname%– Post title or slug%post_id%- internal post ID%category%– Category of the post%author%– Author of the post
An individual structure could look like this, for example:
/%category%/%postname%/
A post could thus be accessible at the following URL:
A custom structure offers a lot of flexibility. However, it should only be used if you have a specific reason for the additional URL hierarchy.
Should the category be included in the URL? #
A structure like:
/%category%/%postname%/
can seem logical, because visitors can already tell from the URL which subject area a post is assigned to.
However, it has one drawback: the URL of a post becomes more dependent on your internal category structure.
If you assign a post to a different category later or reorganize your categories, this can change the desired URL structure. For existing and already indexed content, this can cause additional effort for redirects.
For a simple structure with:
/%postname%/
on the other hand, the URL remains largely independent of the category.
Note: A category in the URL is not automatically better for SEO. Only use categories in permalinks if they are part of a deliberately planned and long-term stable website structure.
Permalink structure and pages in WordPress #
The under Settings > Permalinks The chosen post structure primarily affects posts and corresponding content types. WordPress pages have their own hierarchical URL structure.
A normal page could, for example, be located at the following address:
When a page is assigned to a parent page, this can result in a hierarchical URL:
We will explain in detail how to create and organize pages later in Create new pages in WordPress.
What is a WordPress slug? #
The Slug is the name used in the URL of a post, page, category, or other content.
From a title like:
How to correctly install WordPress plugins
can WordPress, for example, generate the following slug:
How to install WordPress plugins correctly
The complete URL could then be:
WordPress normally generates the slug automatically from the title. However, you can adjust it while editing the content.
What should a good slug look like? #
A good slug should remain short enough, describe the content comprehensibly, and be able to be used as permanently as possible.
Instead of an unnecessarily long URL like:
could a more compact variant make more sense:
Remove words, but not obsessively just to get the shortest possible URL. The URL should remain understandable for humans.
For German-language URLs, it is also advisable to avoid special characters and umlauts in the slug or to convert them into a robust spelling.
For example:
resize
will be better than:
change size
used.
Permalinks and SEO #
A clear URL structure is part of a technically and content-wise well-structured website. Visitors can more easily recognize what a page is about based on a descriptive URL, and search engines can also use the URL as one of many signals to categorize a document.
However, you should not overestimate the importance of URLs for SEO. A specific permalink structure does not automatically guarantee good rankings.
Significantly more important, among other things, are:
- high-quality and helpful content,
- a clear website structure,
- sensible internal linking,
- technical accessibility and indexability,
- good user experience,
- suitable page titles and headings,
- fast loading times and
- a long-term stable URL structure.
SEO Tip: Write URLs primarily for humans. Short, clear, and understandable is usually better than an address artificially stuffed with keywords.
Why you shouldn't just change permalinks on an existing website #
With a new website, you can usually set the permalink structure without any problems as long as no important content has been published or linked externally yet.
On an existing website, it looks different.
Assuming a post has been accessible at the following address so far:
After a change to the structure „Post title“ is his new URL possibly:
As a result, the old URL may lose its previous function.
This doesn't just affect Google. Links from other websites, saved browser bookmarks, social media posts, newsletters, and internal links can also continue to point to the old address.
Warning: Do not change the permalink structure of an existing website with already published content without a redirection plan. A technically incorrect change can generate numerous 404 errors.
What is a 301 redirect? #
If an existing URL is permanently replaced by a new URL, a 301 redirect be used.
It tells browsers and search engines in a simplified way:
This content is permanently available at a new address.
A call to the old URL:
is this automatically forwarded to the new address:
A correct redirect prevents visitors from landing on an error page and helps search engines process the URL change.
We cover how to set up and check redirects in WordPress in a separate article in our knowledge base.
What is a 404 error? #
The HTTP status code 404 simply means that the requested resource was not found at the accessed address.
This can happen, for example, if:
- a URL has been changed,
- a post was deleted,
- a link is misspelled,
- the permalink structure was changed or
- WordPress is not processing the redirection rules correctly.
Individual 404 errors are completely normal on the web. It becomes problematic when, after a URL change, numerous important and previously working addresses suddenly become unreachable.
Permalinks changed and suddenly 404 errors appear? #
Sometimes posts or pages suddenly stop working after a change, migration, or technical adjustment and show a 404 error.
A simple first step is to open the following page in the WordPress admin area:
Settings > Permalinks
Check the desired structure and click on Save changes.
This causes WordPress to reprocess its permalink or rewrite configuration.
In some cases, the website will work correctly again afterwards.
Tip: If after a migration or server change all subpages suddenly display a 404 error while the homepage works, you should check the permalink settings and save them again.
What does the .htaccess file have to do with permalinks? #
On web servers with Apache or compatible configurations, WordPress frequently uses a file named:
.htaccess
So-called rewrite rules can be stored therein, which ensure that human-readable WordPress URLs are processed correctly.
If WordPress cannot write these rules, a corresponding notice may appear after saving the permalinks.
In this case, just blindly copying any code from the internet into the file should be avoided. A faulty .htaccess-configuration can affect the accessibility of the entire website.
Warning: Change the
.htaccess-file only if you know what you are doing. Create a backup beforehand. With CURIAWEB, you can contact support if your WordPress permalinks do not work despite correct settings.
Permalinks in Nginx and other web servers #
The .htaccessThe file is not a general WordPress mechanism for every web server. It belongs to the Apache environment or compatible web server configurations.
With Nginx, URL rewrites are handled via the server configuration, for example. Therefore, when encountering problems, you should not automatically assume that a missing or incorrect .htaccess-file must be the cause.
If you run your WordPress with a hosting provider, the necessary server configuration for WordPress is usually already prepared.
Optional: Change category base #
At the bottom of the permalink settings, you can create a custom Category base determine.
WordPress normally uses a structure for category archives according to the following principle:
For a German-language website, or depending on the installation and configuration, the structure may be displayed differently.
You can define your own base, for example:
topics
For example, a category could then be listed under:
to be reachable.
Change this setting only if you actually use category archives and want a deliberately planned URL structure for them.
Optional: Change tag base #
The same principle applies to keywords and tags.
WordPress can use a corresponding base for tag archives. You can customize this base individually in the permalink settings.
Whether you should do this depends on how you use categories and tags on your website.
We explain what tags are and how to use them effectively in Creating tags and keywords in WordPress.
Should one remove „category“ from WordPress URLs? #
On the internet, you can find numerous guides and plugins that promise to completely remove the category base from WordPress URLs.
Just because it is technically possible doesn't mean you have to do it.
A URL like:
is technically not automatically worse than:
Removing the category base may require additional rewrite rules or plugins and, under unfavorable circumstances, lead to URL conflicts.
Recommendation: Don't remove the category base just because some SEO tutorial claims it will boost your rankings. A stable and logically structured website is more important than cosmetic changes to archive URLs.
Trailing Slash: Why does my URL end with a slash? #
Depending on your permalink structure, WordPress URLs may appear with a trailing slash:
This trailing slash is used as Trailing Slash referred to as.
You should not try to remove him without a specific reason regarding additional plugins or custom server rules. The crucial point is that your website uses a consistent URL version and handles alternative variants correctly.
A subsequent change to this behavior can in turn affect existing URLs and should therefore not be regarded as a purely design-related decision.
Do not confuse HTTP, HTTPS and permalinks #
Permalink settings determine the structure of the URL path, but not whether your website is accessible via http:// or https:// is reachable.
These two topics should not be confused with each other.
For a modern website, HTTPS should be properly set up. How to activate SSL for your WordPress website and what you need to watch out for during the transition is what we explain in Enable SSL and HTTPS in WordPress.
Set up permalinks for a new WordPress website #
Setting up a new website is straightforward.
For most standard projects, you can proceed as follows:
- Open Settings > Permalinks.
- Choose Post title.
- Check if you need a custom category or tag base.
- Click on Save changes.
- Then open a post and check the generated URL.
With that, you already have a clean starting point for most websites.
Changing permalinks on an existing website #
You should proceed much more cautiously with an existing website.
Before you change the structure, you should at least check:
- Which existing URLs are changing?
- Which pages and posts are already indexed by search engines?
- Are there external links to these URLs?
- Which internal links use the old addresses?
- How are old URLs redirected to the new URLs?
- Are there special rules for plugins, WooCommerce, or other content types?
- Is there a current backup available?
For a large website, a change in the permalink structure should therefore be considered as Website migration to new URLs be treated and not as a simple WordPress setting.
WooCommerce and other content types #
If you use WooCommerce or other plugins with custom post types, additional settings may appear on the permalink page.
For example, WooCommerce uses its own URL structures for products and product categories. Other plugins can also register additional rewrite and permalink options.
Do not change such structures just to make URLs as short as possible. In an existing online store, changes can affect a large number of product and category URLs simultaneously.
Common mistakes with WordPress permalinks #
Common mistakes include:
- change the permalink structure of an existing website without redirects,
- generating unnecessarily long URLs with dates, categories, and additional components,
- Stuffing slugs with as many keywords as possible,
- continually changing existing slugs,
- cannot control 404 errors after a migration,
- Server files like
.htaccessedit without backup, - using multiple plugins for URL manipulation at the same time,
- Accepting SEO promises about supposedly „perfect“ permalink structures without verification.
What do we recommend for a new WordPress website? #
For a standard new corporate website or blog, the structure is:
/%postname%/
or rather the WordPress selection „Post title“ in most cases, a very good starting solution.
This creates URLs such as:
They are concise, easy to understand, and not unnecessarily tied to a publication date or a category.
For news portals, very large editorial websites, or special applications, other structures can make sense. Therefore, there is no permalink structure that represents the best solution for every single WordPress website without exception.
Recommendation: For a new website: Post title choose, use meaningful short slugs, and keep the structure as stable as possible afterwards. For an existing website: only change permalinks with a backup, URL analysis, and correct redirects.
Save changes and test #
After selecting your desired permalink structure, click on Save changes.
Afterwards, open several pieces of content on your website and check whether they are accessible correctly. For a new website, checking various posts and pages is usually sufficient.
For an existing website, you should also test old URLs if their structure has changed. These should not simply end up on a 404 page, but – provided a corresponding substitute exists – be correctly redirected to the new address.
What should you configure next? #
This largely sets up the most important basic WordPress settings. Next, we will look at the WordPress editor and show you how to switch from the block editor to a classic editing interface if needed.
Afterwards, we will turn our attention to a topic that is particularly important for productive websites: the reliable WordPress email delivery via SMTP.
Conclusion #
Permalink settings determine how WordPress structures the permanent URLs of your posts. For most new business websites and blogs, the structure „Post title“ a good choice because it generates short and understandable URLs.
However, the crucial point is not to construct a supposedly perfect SEO URL. Much more important is a logically structured and long-term stable URL structure.
Therefore, you should configure the permalinks as early as possible for a new website. For an existing website, however, a change must not be made lightly. URLs that have already been published may have been indexed by search engines, linked externally, and used internally in many places.
When existing URLs have to change, correct redirects and a subsequent check of the website are mandatory parts of the migration.
Important: Changing a permalink on an existing website is not just a cosmetic setting. It alters the addresses of your content. If you are not sure what the impact of such a change will be, do not simply change the structure on a live website; make sure to figure out the necessary redirects first.
