This is How to Get WordPress Blog URLs Without Title to Redirect to Post Detail Page
One of the most common headaches for WordPress users is dealing with blog post URLs that don't properly redirect to the post detail page when the post title is left blank. Typically, WordPress will generate a URL like /blog/post-id-number
instead of the nicer-looking /blog/%postname%/
format.
This can be a problem for a few reasons:
- Aesthetics: Having post URLs that don't match the rest of your site's clean, readable structure can make your website look unprofessional.
- SEO: Search engines tend to favor URLs that contain relevant keywords, which a post ID number won't provide.
- User Experience: Visitors are more likely to remember and share a URL that actually describes the content, rather than a random number.
Fortunately, there's a simple workaround that will allow you to get the /blog/%postname%/
URL structure even without a post title. In this article, we'll walk through the step-by-step process to make it happen.
Step 1: Publish the Post with a Temporary Title
The first step is to publish your post with a temporary title. This title will be used to generate the correct permalink structure in the WordPress database.
- Go to the "Posts" section of your WordPress dashboard and create a new post.
- Enter a temporary title for the post. This can be anything you like – just make sure it's descriptive enough to represent the content.
- Fill out the rest of the post details as usual and click "Publish".
Step 2: Edit the Post and Remove the Title
Now that the post is published, you can go back and remove the temporary title you added in the previous step.
- Locate the post in the "Posts" section and click "Edit".
- Delete the title from the "Title" field.
- Scroll down and click "Update" to save the changes.
Step 3: Verify the Permalink Structure
After removing the title, your post's permalink should still be in the correct /blog/%postname%/
format, even though the title field is empty.
To confirm this, you can check the post's URL in your browser. It should look something like this:
https://your-website.com/blog/my-post-slug/
If the URL doesn't contain the post's slug (the part after /blog/
), double-check that you followed the steps correctly. You may need to regenerate the permalinks by going to the "Settings" > "Permalinks" section of your WordPress dashboard and clicking "Save Changes".
Why Does This Work?
The reason this technique works is that WordPress generates the permalink structure based on the post's slug, which is derived from the post title. Even if you remove the title later, the slug and corresponding permalink remain the same.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
- Initial Post Creation: When you first create a post with a title, WordPress generates a unique slug based on that title. This slug is then used to create the post's permalink, which follows the
/blog/%postname%/
structure.
- Title Removal: When you remove the post title later, WordPress doesn't automatically update the permalink. Instead, it continues to use the original slug that was generated when the post was first created.
As long as you don't change the post's slug (which you can do by editing the "Slug" field in the post editor), the permalink will stay in the desired format, even without a post title.
Benefits of This Approach
Implementing this workaround for WordPress blog URLs without titles offers several benefits:
- Consistent URL Structure: Your blog posts will have a clean, readable URL structure that matches the rest of your website, improving the overall user experience.
- Enhanced SEO: Search engines tend to favor URLs that contain relevant keywords, which can help improve your blog's visibility and rankings.
- Easier Sharing and Remembering: Your blog post URLs will be more memorable and shareable for your readers.
- Flexibility: You can easily create blog posts without worrying about the title, knowing that the URL will still be in the desired format.
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Real-World Examples and Statistics
To illustrate the benefits of this approach, let's look at some real-world examples and data:
-
Improved SEO Performance: A study by Backlinko found that using keyword-rich URLs can increase click-through rates by up to 45%. By implementing the "/blog/%postname%/" structure, you can ensure your blog post URLs contain relevant keywords, potentially boosting your search engine visibility.
-
Increased Social Sharing: Research from BuzzSumo indicates that blog posts with more readable, descriptive URLs receive 25% more social shares on average. This suggests that your readers will be more likely to share and engage with your content when the URLs are easy to understand and remember.
-
Better User Experience: According to a survey by Nielsen Norman Group, users prefer URLs that are "short, human-readable, and contain keywords that describe the page content." Implementing this workaround for WordPress blog URLs without titles can help create a more positive experience for your site's visitors.
By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily set up WordPress blog URLs without titles to redirect to the post detail page. This simple optimization can have a significant impact on your website's performance, SEO, and user experience.
If you're looking for more ways to optimize your website's technical aspects and drive better conversion rates, be sure to check out Flowpoint.ai. Flowpoint's AI-powered tools can help you identify and fix a wide range of technical issues that might be impacting your site's performance.