How to Change Permalink Structure in WordPress

How to Change Permalink Structure in WordPress (Step-by-Step Guide)

Permalinks are the permanent URLs of your posts, pages, categories, and other content on a WordPress website. A clean and SEO-friendly permalink structure makes your URLs easier to read, improves search engine visibility, and helps users understand your content at a glance. WordPress allows you to change the permalink structure from the dashboard, but it should be done carefully—especially on an existing website.

Below are all the methods and best practices explained step by step.

Before You Change Permalink Structure (Important)

• Changing permalinks on an existing website can break old links.

• Always take a backup of your website before making changes.

• If your site is already indexed, set up 301 redirects after changing permalinks.

Method 1: Change Permalink Structure from WordPress Settings

Step 1: Open Permalink Settings

• Go to WordPress Dashboard

• Click Settings → Permalinks

Step 2: Choose a Permalink Structure

Select one of the available options:

• Plain – ?p=123 (not SEO-friendly)

• Day and name – /2026/01/30/sample-post/

• Month and name – /2026/01/sample-post/

• Numeric – /archives/123

• Post name (Recommended) – /sample-post/

Step 3: Save Changes

• Click Save Changes

• WordPress will automatically update the structure

Recommended option: Post name

Method 2: Create a Custom Permalink Structure

Step 1: Select Custom Structure

• In Settings → Permalinks

• Choose Custom Structure

Step 2: Add Custom Tags

Common tags:

• %postname%

• %category%

• %year%

• %monthnum%

Example:

Step 3: Save Changes

• Click Save Changes

Use case: Content-heavy blogs or news websites

Method 3: Change Category and Tag Base URLs

Step 1: Scroll to Optional Settings

• In Permalinks settings, scroll down

Step 2: Edit Base Names

• Category base (example: /topics/)

• Tag base (example: /labels/)

Step 3: Save Changes

Method 4: Fix 404 Errors After Changing Permalinks

Option 1: Re-save Permalinks

• Go to Settings → Permalinks

• Click Save Changes again (without changing anything)

Option 2: Update .htaccess File (Apache Servers)

Ensure this code exists:

Method 5: Set Up 301 Redirects (For Existing Websites)

Option 1: Using a Plugin

• Install Redirection plugin

• Add old URL → new URL

• Set redirect type to 301

Option 2: Using .htaccess

Example:

SEO Best Practices for Permalinks

• Use lowercase letters only

• Avoid special characters and stop words

• Keep URLs short and descriptive

• Use hyphens (-), not underscores (_)

• Do not change permalinks frequently

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Changing permalinks without redirects

• Using dates for evergreen content

• Using numeric or plain structures

• Keyword stuffing in URLs