If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've asked Google, “What is a permalink?”
In this post, we answer your question (and cover all the basics).
Permalink definition
A permalink is a unique and unchanging Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for a web page, blog post, or other content published on the Internet.
If you enter this URL address into your browser or click it as a hyperlink, you will go directly to that specific page.
Whether you're starting your own blog or need to link to other websites for some reason, you'll want to get this ubiquitous element of web architecture right.
Read on to understand what permalinks are and how to structure them for the best results.
What does a permalink look like?
Every permalink consists of two parts:
- The web domain
- And the snail
The slug comes after the first slash and can contain a date, category, post name, or other organizational information.
How do I find the permalink of a website?
Finding (and getting) a permalink for a page or post is easy:
- Go to a website, highlight the entire URL in the browser address bar and select “Copy”
- Or hover over any link, right-click and select it “Copy”
Why permalinks are important
Permalinks are important for two main reasons:
- They impact your website’s SEO
- They influence the reading experience
Let's look at these two factors.
Permalinks boost SEO
Search engines use permalinks to index your web pages, which affects those pages being found as a search result when someone types a search query into a search engine like Google.
A consistent permalink structure makes your website more SEO friendly and helps you generate more search traffic.
Below we'll look at some link structure options.
Permalinks improve the reading experience
Optimizing search is crucial, but don’t forget to consider your readers’ experience.
Well-structured permalinks help your readers navigate your website by giving them a clue as to where they will end up when they click the link or paste it into their browser's address bar.
Check out this logically organized, SEO-friendly permalink:
In the example above, there is no doubt that you are on the ahrefs blog and are going to learn about SEO.
A clean, simple URL structure always looks better than a jumble of numbers and letters. Don’t let ugly permalinks affect readers’ perception of your brand.
Which URL would you rather click on?
This default permalink:
http://www.example.com/index.php?id_tag=364f41730f1
Or this custom permalink:
https://www.example.com/best-vacation-bike-rentals
How to create a permalink
When creating your own WordPress site or blog, it's best to choose your custom permalink structure before publishing pages or posts. This ensures a well-organized and consistent approach without the need to make disruptive changes later.
To ensure the best SEO and reader experience when creating your permalinks, consider the following best practices.
6 Permalink Best Practices
- Make them unique: No two pages or posts should have the same URL
- Keep them short and descriptive:
- Limit or omit unnecessary “stop words” such as a, the, on, and, is, of, and you (unless they are part of your page’s main keyword).
- Only include data, categories, or tags that are necessary to keep permalinks relevant and organized
- Add the main keyword (see #3) but shorten any longer post titles
- Insert SEO keywords: Send a strong signal to search engines and help your content rank for your page's main keyword
- Separate words with hyphens (not underscores): Make everything easier to read for people and search engines
- Be consistent: This isn't a problem if you set your WordPress permalink settings in advance (instructions below).
- Use only lowercase letters: If someone enters an all-lowercase version of a URL that contains uppercase letters, this may result in an error message (404 page).
Permalink precautions
Now that you know how best to structure your permalinks, there are a few precautions you should keep in mind.
Although it's best to avoid this, sometimes it's necessary to change a permalink.
But be careful.
If done incorrectly, it can cause you to lose valuable backlinks and the SEO juice that comes with them. Not only that, if someone links to your page or post somewhere on the web and a reader tries to click on it, they will receive a 404 error instead of being redirected to the correct page.
That's why you need to let search engines know if you want to change a permalink.
This is done with a 301 redirect. Read this ahrefs.com guide for a deeper insight into the topic.
Additionally, if you have a well-established website with a lot of content, you should be very careful when restructuring your permalinks. You may need to consult a professional to avoid damaging your website and affecting your SEO.
Finally, keep in mind that when creating a new page or post in WordPress, the default permalinks are not optimal. They don't look professional, don't describe the content, and don't always contain the best SEO keywords.
Make sure you edit them before publishing.
How to format permalinks in WordPress
WordPress generates standard permalinks with dates for all pages and posts you publish.
If you ever update your material, you'll be stuck with the original date in the URL. This makes your content appear outdated to readers.
This link should be optimized for better SEO and readability.
To ensure a consistent and optimal permalink structure for all your posts, adjust your permalink settings in advance by going to:
Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks
There are various options for you to choose from. Most bloggers find that the Post Name option works best.
Make sure to save your changes after choosing your settings.
Even with your permalink preferences, it's still a good idea to check them manually before hitting publish. In general, if the post name is added to your domain as a slug, your URL will become very long and unwieldy.
To edit a permalink for a specific page or post, go to:
Dashboard → Page/Post → Title (Click the unpublished page or post with the permalink you want to edit.)
Then select Permalink from the drop-down menu and edit the URL slug:
What is a permalink? Now you know!
Now you know what permalinks are and how you can use them to your advantage.
Always review them before hitting publish and remember to use the best practices learned here.
Good luck!
This post was originally published on December 30, 2020. It has been updated for clarity and completeness.
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