{"id":13120,"date":"2018-12-09T14:02:56","date_gmt":"2018-12-09T14:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/?p=13120"},"modified":"2025-04-28T07:47:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:47:39","slug":"what-is-a-wordpress-slug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/tutorials\/what-is-a-wordpress-slug","title":{"rendered":"What is a WordPress slug: how to change it and optimize for SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress uses a slug to identify different posts and pages. Optimizing every WordPress slug in your website can improve user experience and rankings on <strong>search engine results pages (SERPs)<\/strong>.<\/p><p>This article will explain what a WordPress slug is and the steps to change and optimize it.<\/p><p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h2 class=\"featured-snippet title\">What Is a WordPress Slug?<\/h2>\n                    <p>A WordPress slug is a part of a URL that identifies a specific page or post on a website. It is the user-friendly version of a post or page&rsquo;s title and appears after the domain name. Slugs should be short, descriptive, and relevant to the content they represent.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-change-the-post-slug-in-wordpress\">How to Change the Post Slug in WordPress<\/h2><p>Changing the default website slug helps visitors and search engines understand your content better. When editing slugs, WordPress will follow these two basic rules:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace spaces with dashes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only use lowercase letters<\/li>\n<\/ul><p>To customize the default slug in WordPress, head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Settings -&gt; Permalinks<\/strong>. Under <strong>Permalink Settings -&gt; Common Settings<\/strong>, choose the best permalink structure for your content.<\/p><p>If you choose <strong>Custom Structure<\/strong>, you can select multiple settings for the permalink makeup.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1217\" height=\"878\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress permalink settings\n\" class=\"wp-image-70631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/w=1217,fit=scale-down 1217w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-permalink-settings.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1217px) 100vw, 1217px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><p>\n\n\n<div><p class=\"important\"><strong>Important!<\/strong> We recommend setting the slug before publishing your first blog post or page.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><p>There is also the option to change the slug on your posts, pages, categories, tags, and authors.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Change the WordPress Post Slug<\/h3><p>Changing your post slug can be done on the <a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-text-editor\">WordPress text editor<\/a> or using the <strong>Quick Edit<\/strong> feature on the dashboard.<\/p><p>If you want to change the slug before publishing a new post, click <strong>Save draft<\/strong>. This step is the same with Gutenberg and classic editors.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1073\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/public\" alt=\"The save draft button on WordPress editor\n\" class=\"wp-image-70632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/w=1073,fit=scale-down 1073w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/The-save-draft-button-on-WordPress-editor.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1073px) 100vw, 1073px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><p>For <a href=\"\/tutorials\/gutenberg-wordpress\">Gutenberg block editor<\/a> users, open the <strong>Permalink<\/strong> section and make your changes in the <strong>URL Slug<\/strong> box.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1073\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/public\" alt=\"A WordPress slug example for posts\" class=\"wp-image-71634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/w=1073,fit=scale-down 1073w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-posts-1.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1073px) 100vw, 1073px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>With the classic editor, the <strong>Permalink<\/strong> is available under the <strong>Post Title<\/strong>. Click <strong>Edit<\/strong> to change your post slug.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1014\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\/public\" alt=\"A WordPress slug classic editor\n\" class=\"wp-image-70634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\/w=1014,fit=scale-down 1014w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-classic-editor.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1014px) 100vw, 1014px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><p>Another option is to change your post slug using the<strong> WordPress dashboard&rsquo;s Quick Edit <\/strong>feature:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Posts -&gt; All Posts<\/strong> and click on the <strong>Quick Edit <\/strong>button under the blog post.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Edit the post slug and click <strong>Update<\/strong> to finalize the new post slug.<\/li>\n<\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress quick edit for slugs\n\" class=\"wp-image-70638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\/w=985,fit=scale-down 985w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-slugs.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-change-the-wordpress-page-slug\">How to Change the WordPress Page Slug<\/h3><p>Changing the website slug for a WordPress page can also be done using the editor or the <strong>Quick Edit<\/strong> feature. The same steps as editing post slugs apply, except you should head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Pages<\/strong> instead.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-change-the-wordpress-tag-and-category-slug\">How to Change the WordPress Tag and Category Slug<\/h3><p>Every WordPress tag and <a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-category-page\">category page<\/a> has its own slug.<\/p><p>Here are the steps to customize the slug of a new category:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Posts -&gt; Categories<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under <strong>Add New Category<\/strong>, fill out the <strong>Slug<\/strong> section to create your own. WordPress will automatically use the category name as its slug if you leave the section blank.<\/li>\n<\/ol><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1204\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress quick edit for slugs\" class=\"wp-image-70637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/w=1204,fit=scale-down 1204w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/A-WordPress-slug-example-for-categories.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><p>To edit a published category slug, follow these steps:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click on the <strong>Quick Edit <\/strong>button under the category.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make your changes on the <strong>Slug <\/strong>section and click <strong>Update Category<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"777\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress quick edit for categories slug\n\" class=\"wp-image-70639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\/w=777,fit=scale-down 777w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-quick-edit-for-categories-slug.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><p>The process is the same with <a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-tags\">WordPress tags<\/a>. But instead, you must head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Posts -&gt; Tags <\/strong>to customize tag slugs.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-change-the-wordpress-author-slug\">How to Change the WordPress Author Slug<\/h3><p>A WordPress website with multiple authors can customize the original slug for better consistency.<\/p><p>By default, WordPress will use the username as the author slug. With the right plugin, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/edit-author-slug\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edit Author Slug<\/a>, you can change and optimize it.<\/p><p>Follow these steps after installing and activating the plugin:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head to <strong>Dashboard -&gt; Users -&gt; All Users<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose the user and click <strong>Edit<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find the <strong>Edit Author Slug<\/strong> section. Choose the<strong> Custom<\/strong> option to customize it accordingly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Update Profile<\/strong> to save the settings.<\/li>\n<\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-edit-author-slug.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"656\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-edit-author-slug.png\/public\" alt=\"WordPress edit author slug\n\" class=\"wp-image-70640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-edit-author-slug.png\/w=656,fit=scale-down 656w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-edit-author-slug.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/WordPress-edit-author-slug.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 656px) 100vw, 656px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><p>Keep in mind that authors must create a user account first before editing the slug.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a class=\"hgr-tutorials-cta hgr-tutorials-cta-wordpress-hosting\" href=\"\/wordpress-hosting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/public\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-111781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=2048,fit=scale-down 2048w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/New-WP_in-text-banner.png\/w=1536,fit=scale-down 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-optimize-wordpress-slugs-for-seo\">How to Optimize WordPress Slugs for SEO<\/h2><p>Optimizing every slug in your WordPress website can help improve rankings on SERPs and drive more traffic.<\/p><p>Here are some <a href=\"\/tutorials\/what-is-seo\/\">search engine optimization (SEO)<\/a> tips for your slug URL:<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-target-your-seo-keywords\">Target Your SEO Keywords<\/h3><p>Search engines and readers look at the URL to determine the WordPress page&rsquo;s content. Therefore, including the focus keyword is an essential slug SEO method.<\/p><p>For example, the focus keyword you&rsquo;re targeting for a blog post is &ldquo;best hosting providers&rdquo;. Therefore, an ideal slug for that post is <strong>www.example.com\/best-hosting-providers<\/strong>.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-keep-it-simple-yet-descriptive\">Keep It Simple Yet Descriptive<\/h3><p>A post slug does not have to be as long as its title. Keeping your slugs short makes them more user-friendly, improving the chances of ranking higher in SERPs.<\/p><p>Take a look at our Hostinger Blog post as an example. Although the post title is &ldquo;World Photography Day 2022: 4 Lessons From Photographers On How They Went Pro&rdquo;, the SEO slug is simply &ldquo;world-photography-day&rdquo;.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\/public\" alt=\"Hostinger Blog example\n\" class=\"wp-image-70641\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\/w=1024,fit=scale-down 1024w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\/w=300,fit=scale-down 300w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\/w=150,fit=scale-down 150w, https:\/\/imagedelivery.net\/LqiWLm-3MGbYHtFuUbcBtA\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/12\/Hostinger-Blog-example.png\/w=768,fit=scale-down 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-remove-unnecessary-words\">Remove Unnecessary Words<\/h3><p>Deleting unnecessary words from your slugs can make them more readable. If readers can still understand the slug without certain words, exclude them.<\/p><p>For example, remove pronouns and prepositions like: a, the, to, on, in, and at.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-avoid-using-dates-and-numbers\">Avoid Using Dates and Numbers<\/h3><p>Always consider how your slug will look like as time passes. Although updating the post name and content is possible, changing the slug can influence traffic and rankings.<\/p><p>Therefore, avoid using dates and years to keep the content evergreen. Using numbers can also be tricky as it may change in the future.<\/p><p>For instance, instead of using &ldquo;8-ways-to-make-money-online-in-2025&rdquo; as your slug, we recommend changing it to &ldquo;make-money-online&rdquo; instead.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-use-redirects\">Use Redirects<\/h3><p>Changing the slug after publishing the post or page will change the whole URL. So, users and search engines might not find the new slug without redirection. Using a redirect can also help avoid broken links on your website.<\/p><p>Use a plugin like <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/redirection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Redirection<\/a> to set up 301 redirects for posts and pages.<\/p><p>\n\n\n<div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Pro Tip<\/h4>\n                    <p> Check out what <a href=\"\/wordpress-hosting\">WordPress managed hosting plans<\/a> Hostinger has to offer. All plans include an SSL certificate, multiple data centers, and dedicated support. You're one click away from fast, secure, and scalable WordPress hosting.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2><p>A slug in WordPress is a customizable part of a URL. It helps direct visitors and search engines to understand your content better.<\/p><p>This article has explained how to change the slug for your WordPress page, blog post, category, tag, and author.<\/p><p>We have also shared ways to optimize slugs by including focus keywords and keeping them short.<\/p><p>\n\n\n<div class=\"protip\">\n                    <h4 class=\"title\">Learn More About WordPress<\/h4>\n                    <p><a href=\"\/tutorials\/what-is-wordpress\">What is WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/how-to-secure-wordpress\">Guide to WordPress Security<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/change-wordpress-username\/\">How to Change Username in WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/how-to-install-wordpress\">How to Install WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-widgets\">Guide to WordPress Widgets<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress\/how-to-login-to-wordpress-dashboard\">How to Login to WordPress<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-smtp\">How to Use SMTP in WordPress to Send Emails<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/how-to-make-a-wordpress-site-live\">How to Make a WordPress Site Live<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"\/tutorials\/how-to-duplicate-wordpress-page-or-post\">How to Duplicate Pages in WordPress<\/a><\/p>\n                <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions-about-wordpress-slug\">Frequently Asked Questions about WordPress Slug<\/h2><p>In this article, we have discussed what is a URL slug and ways to change and optimize it. Here are some frequently asked questions to understand the topic better.<\/p><div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1669396231768\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">Why Is URL Slug Important?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A URL slug in WordPress can direct visitors and search engines to a specific web page. In addition, a page and post slug can help explain your content better.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1669396241026\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">What Is the Difference Between a Slug and a Permalink?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><a href=\"\/tutorials\/what-is-a-permalink\">Permalinks<\/a> are permanent URLs of your web pages. They often consist of the domain and the slug.<br><br>For example, if a page&rsquo;s permalink is <strong>https:\/\/www.example.com\/focus-keyword<\/strong>, then the slug is <strong>focus-keyword<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br><br>Depending on your permalink structure, it can also include dates and categories. Therefore, it is possible to have two posts with the same slug but different permalinks.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1669396257459\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How Important Is Slug for SEO?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Writing a good slug is essential for <a href=\"\/tutorials\/wordpress-seo-tips\">WordPress SEO<\/a> as it influences user experience and rankings. By customizing the page and post slug in WordPress, you can include the focus keyword to rank higher in SERPs.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress uses a slug to identify different posts and pages. Optimizing every WordPress slug in your website can improve user [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"\/tutorials\/what-is-a-wordpress-slug\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":77076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"WordPress Slug: What It Is, How to Change It + Tips for SEO","rank_math_description":"A WordPress slug is the text after your domain that leads visitors to your content. 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