How To Change My Post URL in WordPress?
Changing the URL of your WordPress posts can be a crucial task for optimizing your website's SEO and user experience. In this article, we'll dive deep into the process of modifying post URLs in WordPress, providing you with step-by-step guidance and best practices to ensure a seamless transition.
Understanding Post URLs in WordPress
In WordPress, each post has a unique URL, often referred to as a "permalink." By default, WordPress generates post URLs based on the post's publication date and title, resulting in URLs that may not be the most user-friendly or SEO-optimized.
For example, a post with the title "The Best WordPress Plugins for 2023" might have a default URL like this:
https://example.com/2023/04/15/the-best-wordpress-plugins-for-2023/
While this URL can be functional, it may not be the most appealing or memorable for your readers. Additionally, it may not effectively convey the content of your post, which can impact your website's search engine optimization (SEO).
Why Change Your Post URLs?
There are several reasons why you might want to change the URL of your WordPress posts:
-
SEO Optimization: Customizing your post URLs to include relevant keywords can improve your website's search engine visibility and make it easier for users to find your content.
-
Branding and Readability: Short, descriptive URLs that reflect the content of your post can enhance your website's branding and make it more user-friendly.
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Permalink Changes: If you've recently changed the structure of your website, you may need to update your post URLs to maintain a consistent and cohesive URL structure.
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Improving User Experience: Intuitive and easy-to-remember URLs can enhance the overall user experience on your website, making it easier for readers to navigate and find the content they're looking for.
Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Post URLs in WordPress
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Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard: Begin by logging into your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
-
Navigate to the Permalinks Settings: In the left-hand menu, click on "Settings" and then select "Permalinks."
-
Choose a Permalink Structure: WordPress offers several predefined permalink structures to choose from, including:
- Plain (e.g.,
https://example.com/?p=123
)
- Day and name (e.g.,
https://example.com/2023/04/15/post-name/
)
- Month and name (e.g.,
https://example.com/2023/04/post-name/
)
- Numeric (e.g.,
https://example.com/archives/123
)
- Post name (e.g.,
https://example.com/post-name/
)
Alternatively, you can create a custom permalink structure by selecting the "Custom Structure" option and using the available tags, such as %postname%
, %year%
, %monthnum%
, and %day%
.
-
Update the Permalink Structure: Once you've selected or created your desired permalink structure, click the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page.
-
Change Individual Post URLs: If you need to change the URL of a specific post, you can do so by following these steps:
- Navigate to the "Posts" section in your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- Hover over the post you want to edit and click "Edit."
- In the post editor, scroll down to the "Permalink" section and update the URL slug as desired.
- Click the "Update" button to save your changes.
-
Redirect Old URLs: If you've changed the URLs of existing posts, it's essential to set up redirects to ensure that any existing links to the old URLs continue to work. This can be done using a plugin like Redirection or by manually adding redirects to your website's .htaccess
file.
Best Practices for Changing Post URLs
When changing your post URLs, it's important to follow these best practices:
-
Use Descriptive Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords into your post URLs to improve SEO and make them more user-friendly.
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Keep URLs Short and Concise: Aim for URLs that are 60-80 characters or less, as longer URLs can be less visually appealing and more difficult to share.
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Avoid Special Characters: Stick to letters, numbers, and hyphens (-) in your URLs, as special characters can cause issues with search engines and user experience.
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Implement Redirects Correctly: Ensure that you set up proper 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new ones to maintain your website's SEO and user experience.
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Test and Verify Changes: After making the changes, test the new URLs and verify that they're working correctly and that any redirects are functioning as expected.
By following these steps and best practices, you can successfully change the URLs of your WordPress posts, improving your website's SEO, branding, and user experience.
Flowpoint.ai can help you identify all the technical errors that are impacting conversion rates on your website and directly generate recommendations to fix them, including optimizing your post URLs for better performance.
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