A Complete Guide to Creating Custom URL Links in WordPress

Do you want to have unique link addresses for posts, pages or other types of content in WordPress?

Not long ago, a WordPress newbie asked us a question: Is it possible to customize the link structure of a post or page in WordPress?

In this post, we'll give you detailed instructions on how to set up custom links (also known as permalinks) in WordPress, while making sure that this change doesn't negatively impact your site's search engine optimization (SEO).

What are customized permalinks in WordPress?

A permalink is a fixed URL for each blog post, page, or other content page in your WordPress site.

The main purpose of setting up permalinks is to make these links easy for humans to read and search engines to understand.

For example, a link like this:https://example.com/best-refrigerators-for-tiny-kitchens/ is much better than something like https://example.com/index.php?p=4556 Such vague addresses are much clearer.

WordPress offers a variety of permalink styles for site owners to choose from. You can easily view and change these options by going to the Settings permalink page.

In addition to being able to modify the main link format, WordPress allows you to customize the respective URLs for individual posts, pages, categories, tags, and other blog sections.

For deeper personalization of specific sections of links, you can also use the WordPress plugin to create fully customized links that will override WordPress' default settings.

How to Change WordPress Fixed Link Structure

If you would like to adjust your overall link generation, please go to the WordPress administrator interface, click on "Settings", and then select the "Permalinks" page to make the changes.

Here you can set the link formatting for individual posts. It is also possible to develop a customized format for your WordPress links using the tags on the page.

比如说，您可以结合文章标题（%postname%）、分类（%category%）和发布年份（%year%）来设置。

When you're done, don't forget to tap the "Save Changes" button at the bottom of the page to make sure your settings are applied.

We recommend choosing a link format that includes the name of the post, which not only makes the link easier for users to understand, but also helps boost your WordPress SEO results.

If you are creating a brand new WordPress blog or website, make sure to adopt this Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly permalink structure.

However, if your existing website is already attracting visitors through search engines, changing the permalink settings may affect your SEO rankings. So think carefully before making changes.

How to Change Category and Tag URL Prefixes in WordPress

By default, WordPress uses "/category/" and "/tag/" as the url base for category and tag pages.

As an example, the URL might look something like this:

https://example.com/category/technology/ https://example.com/tag/fintech/

To change these prefixes, simply go to Settings > Permanent Links and enter the new prefix you want.

Don't forget to click the "Save Changes" button to refresh your category and tag settings.

This way, the category and tag links on your site will be updated to look new, like this:

For category pages:https://example.com/topics/technology/ For tabbed pages:https://example.com/hashtag/fintech
How to change a single WordPress post or page URL

Once the initial link format is set, WordPress will use it as the standard format for all links on the site.

However, you can also personalize the links for each post, page, and custom content type to make them more search engine optimized (SEO) friendly.

On the WordPress post editing page, you can change the "slug" part of the link directly - this is the last part of the URL that points specifically to the content.

If you are writing a new article or page, you will need to click "Publish" or "Update" to save your content.

After saving, you can change the "URL Slug" by clicking on the "Permanent Links" section of the page.

Next, change the URL suffix of the article to the link you want.

When you're done, don't forget to click the "Update" button to save the new link you've set.

This method works for all types of articles, whether they are product introductions, solutions, use cases, downloadable materials or video center content.

How to Change WordPress Category or Tag URL

In the previous steps, we have covered how to modify overall category and tag prefixes in WordPress. Now, we will guide you on how to customize url keywords for individual categories or tags.

Simply go to "Posts" > "Categories" and click the "Edit" link next to the category you want to customize.

Now, WordPress will display the details of the category.

Here you can modify the category alias so that you can customize its permalink.

Remember to click the "Update" button so that your changes to the category alias are saved.

The same method can be used to modify tags. Just go to "Posts" > "Tags" and follow the same steps to edit the tags you want.

You can also edit any custom taxonomy in the same way as mentioned earlier.

How to Create Fully Customized Permalinks in WordPress

The above methods allow you to customize the permalinks in WordPress to a certain extent. However, if you want fully customized links, these methods alone may not be enough, as WordPress does not support this feature by default.

But don't worry, there's a plugin that can help you. If you need to change the default link structure of certain parts of your website, this plugin is just right.

First, you need to install and enable the Customize Permalinks plugin. To learn how to install the plugin, check out the Getting Started with WordPress Plugin Installation guide.

Once the plugin is enabled, open the post for which you want to set a custom link.

Next, you'll see a "Customize permalinks" area under the post editor where you can set up new links instead of modifying them the way you did before.

Simply go to "Articles" > "Categories" and click the "Edit" link next to the category you want to change.

On the category details page, you can see the option to set an exclusive link for this particular category.

You can also set a URL with the usual category prefix removed.

You can control or disable all ad hoc links by going to "Custom permalinks" > "Post type permalinks" in the admin menu.

Simply check the custom links you want to remove and then select "Remove permalinks" in the "Bulk Actions" drop-down menu.

Next, click the "Apply" button and the plugin will remove those custom links you selected and they will automatically revert to the default link settings.

In addition, this plugin also helps you manage and batch delete custom links for categories. Just go to "Custom permalinks" > "Category permalinks" and repeat the same steps.