How to Change a URL Slug in WordPress
For Posts and Pages
- Go to the post or page editor in the WordPress admin dashboard.
- Locate the Permalink settings or URL Slug field.
- Edit the slug as desired, keeping it SEO-friendly and relevant to the content.
- Save or update the post/page to apply the changes.
For Automatic Generation:
WordPress automatically generates slugs upon creating a new post or page by converting the title into a URL-friendly format. This process involves removing special characters, replacing spaces with hyphens, and enforcing lowercase letters. While convenient, this method may not consistently generate the most optimized slugs for SEO purposes.
Example:
- Title: “Top 10 Tips for WordPress Beginners”
- Automatically Generated Slug: “top-10-tips-for-wordpress-beginners”
For Manual Editing
Users can manually adjust the automatically generated slug prior to publishing a post or page, granting them more control over the URL structure and the ability to optimize for specific keywords. Through slug editing, users can ensure alignment with content and enhance SEO performance.
Example:
- Title: “How to Create Engaging WordPress Content”
- Edited Slug: “create-engaging-WordPress-content”
For Customizing Permalinks:
WordPress allows users to customize permalinks, dictating URL structure and incorporating custom elements in slugs. Users can set permalink structure in settings, defining the order and format of elements like category, post name, and custom text. While this method offers flexibility, it demands careful planning to ensure consistency and adhere to SEO guidelines.
Example:
- Permalink Structure: “/%category%/%postname%/”
- Customized Slug: “blog/create-engaging-wordpress-content”