I notice many of my friends’ blogs are still using the post number as their permalink URL. I read that it is more beneficial to use a friendlier URL like our blog post titles. Anyway, I personally do not like to see my post number appearing because it is rather embarassing to have a blog with 2,000+ blog posts. Hehehe, moreover, having titles mean useful keywords = better chance on being found by the search engines. On top of that, we can easily know which post someone is referring to when they send us the URL.
So, here is how to make your URL friendlier. I assume your webhost has a .htaccess file which is editable on your site. I will explain what is .htaccess in my noob way in the next post.
First step, log on to your dashboard and go to Option > Permalink
Second step, by default your WordPress give you the first choice :
You do not want the default choice, so pick the second choice, i.e. date and name base. Date is the date you posted and name is the title of your blog. I picked custom because my blog has an /index.php/ to it.
After you have picked the date and name base, click the upper top right button, Update Permalink.
You should see a yellow bar at the top that says…Your permalink has been updated (or something similar)
If you see a message that goes something like, “You need to update your .htaccess, then, there are a few other things that need tweaking. I will explain that in the next post.
So, go on, make your URL looks more professional with this simple step of making the second choice instead of default.
12 thoughts on “Make your URL (permalinks) friendlier”
decypher
(May 21, 2007 - 1:37 pm)well, just make .htaccess writable then easy already lor… beats maneuvering around cpanel file manager like a blind man. :P
KennyP
(May 21, 2007 - 2:28 pm)How to remove the “index.php”? Instead of “domains.com/index.php/blogposts”, how to make it become “domains.com/blogposts”?
Macro Dave
(May 21, 2007 - 2:32 pm)Thanks for the tip. I just changed mine. And it makes sense.
TenthOfMarch
(May 21, 2007 - 4:40 pm)KennyP, using 5xmom’s example:
“/index.php/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/” gives you URL like “http://www.5xmom.com/index.php/2007/05/21/make-your-url-permalinks-friendlier/”
If you want URL like “http://www.5xmom.com/2007/05/21/make-your-url-permalinks-friendlier/”, just remove “/index.php” from the stucture. The code you should be using is “/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/”. But that will be exactly the same as the second option “Date and named based”.
TenthOfMarch
(May 21, 2007 - 4:44 pm)KennyP, sorry. If what you want is URL like “http://www.5xmom.com/make-your-url-permalinks-friendlier/”, then the code you need is “/%postname%/”. I haven’t tested this, but I think it should work.
KennyP
(May 21, 2007 - 5:31 pm)Hello TenthOfMarch,
I am able to do exactly what you said in one of my blog, but I have problem on another blog.
When I update a permalinks without index.php, it doesn’t come out the corresponding .htaccess code for me, what is the problem?
Thank you very much :)
TenthOfMarch
(May 21, 2007 - 9:05 pm)KennyP, I’ll send you an e-mail to discuss this matter with you in a short while. I don’t want to discuss here because I don’t exactly know what your problem is. Anyway, I don’t want 5xmom to send me an invoice at the end of the month :-P
Adam
(May 21, 2007 - 9:40 pm)No question that using real words rather than numbers is friendlier and easier for search. But WP permalinks are fragile creatures, especially when u are using plugins. I switched my permalinks away from numbers and all hell broke loose. Indexing fell apart, posts went missing, bla bla. My programmer tore what little hair he had left out for a few days until I innocently mentioned the word “permalinks”. 5 minutes later my blog is functioning and I have been told, politely, to not touch anything ever again!
Bucky from bloggingwv.com
(May 22, 2007 - 12:46 am)Just a small warning here…
If you already have several blog posts that are being indexed by google, if you have links to certain blog posts coming in from other blogs, or links coming from anywhere for that matter, changing or switching to permalinks will KILL the traffic coming from those sites.
Your blog will show a 404 error when someone tries to click through a link. Permalinks should only be changed or set up on a relatively new blog, or a blog with very few incoming links.
Once you get the permalink structure you like, you CAN NEVER SWITCH IT
Bucky from bloggingwv.com
(May 22, 2007 - 12:48 am)Just a small warning here…
If you already have several blog posts that are being indexed by google, if you have links to certain blog posts coming in from other blogs, or links coming from anywhere for that matter, changing or switching to permalinks will KILL the traffic coming from those sites.
Your blog will show a 404 error when someone tries to click through a link. Permalinks should only be changed or set up on a relatively new blog, or a blog with very few incoming links.
Once you get the permalink structure you like, you CAN NEVER SWITCH IT without the threat of losing all of the incoming link traffic.
Aside from that, you will definitely benefit on the SEO front by using permalinks.
lilian
(May 22, 2007 - 1:32 am)Bucky – Thanks for that tip. I didn’t realise about that. I have one blog which I just changed. Hope it won’t affect so much cos I forgot to set it earlier.
Adam – Your comment is so funny.
tenthofmarch – Now I am learning more from yr helpful tips.
kennyP – Hope you get some tips here like me.
decypher – Aiyor, when gbyeow told me how to do .htaccess, I got all blur and figure it out many months later. Hahaha. Not everyone knows about htaccess ler.
papajoneh
(May 24, 2007 - 10:49 am)i would like to offer help… but seeing two expert up there already here… hmm.. i just keep quiet lah… ;)
I noticed ahpek.com too got this index.php in the address…
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