This guide covers “wordpress permalinks” in plain language. Permalinks are the permanent URLs of your posts and pages. Good ones are short, readable and stable, which helps visitors and search engines. This guide explains the options, the best choice and how to fix common 404 problems.
Where to find permalink settings
In your dashboard, go to Settings, then Permalinks.
The options
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| Plain | example.com/?p=123 |
| Day and name | example.com/2026/10/08/sample-post/ |
| Month and name | example.com/2026/10/sample-post/ |
| Numeric | example.com/archives/123 |
| Post name | example.com/sample-post/ |
The best choice: Post name
For most sites, Post name is best. URLs are short, readable and do not include dates that make content look old. Write a short slug containing your main keyword.
Changing permalinks on an existing site
Changing structure changes every URL. If your site is already live:
- Back up first.
- Plan 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones. A redirect plugin can handle this.
- Update internal links and your sitemap.
- Monitor Search Console for 404 errors.
On a new site, set Post name before publishing.
Fixing 404 errors
Posts show 404 after changing settings
Go to Settings, Permalinks and click Save Changes without changing anything. This refreshes the rewrite rules.
Custom post types 404
Save the permalinks page after registering a custom post type. See how to create a custom post type.
Still 404?
- On Apache, check the
.htaccessfile exists and is writable. WordPress needs its rewrite rules in it. - On Nginx, make sure the server config sends requests to
index.php. - Disable plugins that handle redirects to see if one conflicts.
Good slug practices
- Keep slugs short and descriptive.
- Use lowercase and hyphens.
- Avoid stop words where possible.
- Do not change slugs of ranking pages without redirects.
Related: on-page SEO checklist.
WordPress permalinks FAQ
Do permalinks affect SEO?
Slightly. Clear URLs help users and search engines, but stability matters more.
Should I include categories in URLs?
Not necessary for most sites; it can lengthen URLs.