WordPress Permalink Setting

Permalinks, or permanent links, are the URLs used to link to your content in WordPress. They help in making your content structured and accessed by users and search engines. You can navigate to WordPress permalink settings by going to Dashboard -> Settings -> Permalink. It looks something like the picture below. ( my WordPress installation directory is WordPress on localhost).

What Are Permalinks?

Permalinks are the permanent web addresses used to link to your posts, pages, categories, and other content on your WordPress site. They are designed to remain unchanged over time, providing a stable and consistent URL structure even if the content is updated. A well-structured permalink is not only user-friendly but also search-engine-friendly, which can positively impact your site’s visibility.

How to Configure Permalinks in WordPress

Step 1: Accessing Permalink Settings

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Settings > Permalinks.

Step 2: Choosing a Permalink Structure

WordPress offers several default permalink structures. Here’s a breakdown of each:

• Plain: https://example.com/?p=123
• Day and name: https://example.com/2024/07/11/sample-post/
• Month and name: https://example.com/2024/07/sample-post/
• Numeric: https://example.com/archives/123
• Post name: https://example.com/sample-post/
• Custom Structure: Create a personalized structure using available tags.

Recommended Permalink Structure

For most sites, the Post name option is the best choice. It keeps URLs short, descriptive, and easy to remember. For example:

Good: https://example.com/sample-post/

Bad: https://example.com/2024/07/11/sample-post/

Step 3: Setting a Custom Permalink Structure

If your website requires a unique URL format, you can create a custom structure using the following tags:

• %year%: Year of the post, four digits (e.g., 2024).
• %monthnum%: Month of the year (e.g., 07).
• %day%: Day of the month (e.g., 11).
• %hour%: Hour of the day (e.g., 15).
• %minute%: Minute of the hour (e.g., 43).
• %second%: Second of the minute (e.g., 33).
• %post_id%: Unique ID of the post (e.g., 123).
• %postname%: Post slug (e.g., sample-post).
• %category%: Category slug.
• %author%: Author name.

For example, you might use: /blog/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/

Step 4: Save Changes

After selecting or customizing your permalink structure, scroll down and click Save Changes. WordPress will automatically update your .htaccess file with the new settings.

Optional Permalink Settings

WordPress also provides optional settings to further customize your URLs:

• Category Base: This option allows you to change the base of your category URLs. For instance, if your default category URL is https://example.com/category-name/, adding a base like “books” would change it to https://example.com/books/category-name/
• Tag Base: Similar to the category base, this option lets you customize the URL structure for your tags.