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To change your WordPress site-wide permalink format, open Settings → Permalinks, select a structure or enter a Custom Structure, then click Save Changes. For one page, edit its URL/Permalink field, change the slug, and select Update. On an established site, changing URLs can break incoming links, so inventory old addresses and create tested 301 redirects before switching.
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What a WordPress permalink is and why a change matters
A permalink is the permanent web address WordPress assigns to a post, page, archive, or other publicly reachable item. The site-wide setting controls the pattern WordPress uses when generating those addresses. A page-level slug controls the final descriptive part of one address. Category and tag bases control the path segment used by those taxonomy archives.
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Changing a format on a brand-new site is normally simple because few outside pages depend on its URLs. On an established site, the address may be saved in bookmarks, linked from other websites, printed in documentation, or indexed by search engines. If the old address stops resolving and no redirect points to the new one, visitors and crawlers receive an error instead of the content. Learn WordPress states the risk plainly: “If you change the permalink of an old post and other pages on the web have linked to it, the old links will stop working.”
Decide first whether you need a site-wide format change, a single slug change, or only a category/tag base change. Each uses a different control and has a different migration scope.
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Change the site-wide permalink structure
- Sign in to the WordPress administrator dashboard.
- Open Settings → Permalinks.
- Review the available common structures: Plain, Day and name, Month and name, Numeric, and Post name. You can also choose Custom Structure.
- If you choose a custom format, enter the desired structure tags in the custom field. Common tags include
%year%,%monthnum%, and%postname%. Combine them with the slash-separated text you want to appear in an address. - Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Save Changes. WordPress says the new settings do not take effect until this button is clicked.
Saving does two jobs: it stores your selection and asks WordPress to refresh the rewrite rules that translate readable paths into the correct content. If the site is already live, complete the redirect and testing work described below before sending visitors to the new format.
What each built-in choice means
| Structure | What the address exposes | Readability | Long-term consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | A query-string ID | Least descriptive | Changing to a readable format requires a migration plan for existing links. |
| Day and name | Year, month, day, and post name | Descriptive but long | Useful when the publication date is important; a later date-format change affects every dated address. |
| Month and name | Year, month, and post name | Descriptive and shorter than a day-based path | Still ties every address to its publication month and requires redirects if that structure changes. |
| Numeric | A numeric path segment | Less descriptive than a name-based path | Changing to a name-based format changes the address of every affected item. |
| Post name | The post’s name/slug | Short and descriptive | Often the simplest readable pattern, but each slug must remain unique and stable. |
| Custom Structure | The tags and fixed text you specify | Depends on your design | Provides control over bases and date/name tags, while increasing redirect and documentation work. |
Choose the shortest structure that communicates information readers genuinely need. A news publication may deliberately expose dates; a site where evergreen guides are reorganized may prefer a name-based path that does not advertise a date. The important constraint is consistency: once public links exist, changing the pattern is a URL migration rather than a cosmetic preference.
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Change the permalink (slug) for one page
You do not need to change the global structure to rename one page. Open the page in the editor and locate the URL or Permalink control in the sidebar. Edit the slug, then select Update to publish the new address.
For a faster change from the list screen, open Pages, locate the page, and choose Quick Edit. The Quick Edit panel provides the page URL field so you can change the slug without opening the full editor. Save the edit, then visit the new address in a logged-out browser window.
A slug change is still a URL change. If the page has been published for a while, record its old address and create a 301 redirect from that address to the new one. Do this even when only one word changed; links point to the complete old path, not to the page title displayed on the screen.
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Change category and tag URL bases
WordPress exposes category and tag base fields under the Optional settings on the Permalinks screen. You can replace the default category base with a term such as topics, and the tag base with a term such as keywords. These settings change the path segment used by those archive URLs.
- Open Settings → Permalinks.
- Expand or scroll to Optional.
- Enter the desired category base and/or tag base.
- Click Save Changes.
The Optional settings screen does not remove the base entirely; it replaces it with another segment. Treat a base change as a migration for every affected category or tag archive and map the old archive addresses to their new equivalents with 301 redirects.
Choose a structure before you change it
Use these questions to make the decision explicit:
- Do readers need the date? Day-and-name and month-and-name formats expose publication timing. If dates are not useful to readers, a date-free pattern avoids making a later reorganization a site-wide URL change.
- Do you need a compact, descriptive path? Post name uses the slug and is shorter than date-based patterns.
- Will the content move between sections? A custom structure that embeds a category or other changing label can create more redirect work when the editorial taxonomy changes.
- Can your team document the rule? Custom structures are powerful, but everyone who publishes content must understand the tags and fixed text used in the path.
- Is the site already receiving traffic or links? On an established site, migration cost and redirect testing should weigh as heavily as readability.
Write down the selected pattern before saving it. That record gives you a reference for redirect mapping, future troubleshooting, and developer changes to custom post types.
Safe workflow for changing permalinks on an established site
1. Inventory the current addresses
Make a list of every important published URL before changing the setting. Include pages, posts, category archives, tag archives, and any custom post type URLs that people use. Prioritize addresses that appear in navigation, high-value content, email campaigns, documentation, or links from other sites.
Record each old address in a two-column working list with a destination column left blank. For a single slug edit, the list may contain one row. For a structure change, it can include every published item affected by the pattern. Do not rely on memory: the old path disappears from the editor as soon as the new slug or structure is saved.
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2. Define the target pattern and mappings
Choose the final structure in Settings → Permalinks and work out the new address for each important old one. A redirect should point to the closest equivalent new URL, not simply to a generic home page. If a piece of content was retired rather than moved, decide separately how that old address should be handled instead of creating a misleading destination.
3. Prepare 301 redirects
A 301 redirect tells browsers and crawlers that an address has moved permanently. Create one mapping for each important old URL before or immediately after the new structure is enabled. You can implement mappings in your server configuration or with a redirect-management tool that your WordPress setup supports; the method depends on your hosting stack. Whatever method you use, keep the old-to-new list as documentation.
4. Save the new permalink settings
Open Settings → Permalinks, select the target structure, and click Save Changes. WordPress must regenerate its rewrite rules for the new paths to work. If you changed only a page slug or a taxonomy base, save that edit and ensure the corresponding redirect is active.
5. Test redirects and destinations
Open representative old addresses and confirm that each one redirects to the intended new address. Then open the new address directly. Test at least one item from every content type and archive type affected by the change. Check links in site navigation, feeds, XML or HTML sitemaps if your site uses them, and any manually maintained documents. A redirect that points to another error is not a successful migration.
6. Monitor for missed paths
Watch server logs, analytics reports, and user reports for old paths that were not included in the first inventory. Add a redirect when you identify a valuable missed URL. Keep the mapping record with your site documentation so later editors do not reuse an old path for unrelated content.
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Why WordPress permalinks show 404 errors
A 404 after changing a permalink usually means the new path was not translated into a working rewrite rule, the web server is not applying the required rewrite configuration, or another component is claiming the same URL base. Check the causes in this order.
The new setting was not saved
Return to Settings → Permalinks, confirm the intended option is selected, and click Save Changes again. WordPress explicitly requires the save action before new settings take effect. Test a newly generated address after saving.
Rewrite rules were not refreshed
Revisiting the Permalinks screen and saving it refreshes WordPress’s rewrite rules. This step is also required after changing rewrite-related code, including the public URL base for a custom post type. A browser cache refresh alone does not regenerate those rules.
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Pretty permalinks depend on compatible web-server configuration. On hosts that use an .htaccess file, WordPress may be unable to write the rules automatically. In that situation, WordPress displays the rewrite rules that must be copied manually into the file. Make the change through your host’s approved configuration process, then save the Permalinks screen and test again.
Windows/IIS hosting uses the equivalent web.config configuration rather than .htaccess. The server still needs its required rewrite module enabled. If you do not control the server configuration, provide the displayed rules and the failing URL to your hosting administrator.
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A plugin or custom code owns the same URL base
Two components cannot reliably claim the same path. A plugin, theme, or custom code may register a route or custom post type using the same base as your new structure. Temporarily isolate the conflicting component in a staging or maintenance workflow, identify the duplicate base, change one registration, save the Permalinks screen, and retest. Do not delete production data while troubleshooting a routing conflict.
The redirect points to the wrong destination
If the old address redirects but the destination returns 404, inspect the mapping itself. Confirm the target slug, category or tag base, and capitalization exactly match the address WordPress generated. Correct the mapping, save the redirect, and test the old address again.
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Custom post types can define their public URL base with the rewrite argument passed to register_post_type(). For example, a developer might register a public type with a base such as books. The exact code belongs in the theme or plugin that owns the post type; administrators should not edit production code casually.
After changing that rewrite argument, revisit Settings → Permalinks and save the screen so WordPress refreshes its rewrite rules. Test an archive, a single item, and any taxonomy URLs attached to the custom post type. If the base overlaps a page slug or another registered route, resolve the overlap before adding redirects.
Migration checklist
- Classify the change as site-wide, one slug, or a category/tag base.
- Record old URLs that matter before editing anything.
- Choose and document the target structure.
- Prepare one-to-one 301 mappings for important moved URLs.
- Make the change in Settings → Permalinks or the relevant editor control.
- Click Save Changes on the Permalinks screen.
- Refresh rewrite rules after custom post type or other rewrite-code changes.
- Verify the server’s
.htaccessorweb.configconfiguration when pretty URLs fail. - Test old URLs, new URLs, archives, navigation, and representative custom post types.
- Keep monitoring and add mappings for valuable missed addresses.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Changing the structure first and planning redirects later: this creates a window in which old links fail and makes it easier to miss important URLs.
- Assuming a page title change changes its address: the slug is controlled by the URL/Permalink field, not merely by the visible title.
- Editing a slug without recording the old one: you lose the information needed to create an accurate redirect.
- Leaving the category or tag base blank to remove it: the Optional settings replace the base; they do not remove that segment entirely.
- Saving code changes but not refreshing rewrite rules: WordPress may continue using the previous routing rules until the Permalinks screen is saved.
- Testing only while logged in: verify the old and new addresses in a normal browser session so authentication or editor previews do not hide a routing problem.
- Using a catch-all redirect for every old path: broad redirects can send visitors to irrelevant content. Map important URLs to their closest equivalents.
When to leave the permalink structure alone
If the current URLs are readable, stable, and serving the right content, a redesign alone is not a reason to change them. A migration has a real cost: every affected old address needs a destination, redirects must be tested, and server rewrite behavior must remain reliable. Make the change when the expected benefit—such as removing confusing query-string IDs, adopting a deliberate date policy, or correcting an unsuitable base—outweighs that operational work.
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