What Is a Permalink? Everything You Need to Know
5 min read
A permalink (permanent link) is the full, permanent URL of a specific page, post, or resource on the web. Once published, a permalink should never change — it's the address that people bookmark, share, and that search engines index.
Permalink vs URL Slug
These two terms are related but different:
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Permalink | The complete, permanent URL | https://example.com/blog/what-is-a-permalink |
| URL Slug | The last segment of the URL | what-is-a-permalink |
The slug is a part of the permalink. When you edit a slug, you change the permalink.
Why Permalinks Matter
- SEO: Search engines use the URL to understand page content. A descriptive permalink with keywords ranks better than a random ID.
- User trust: Users are more likely to click a URL that tells them what to expect.
- Link durability: Backlinks, social shares, and bookmarks all point to the permalink. Changing it without a redirect breaks all of those.
- Analytics: Clean permalinks make it easier to analyze traffic patterns in tools like Google Analytics.
Permalink Structures in WordPress
WordPress offers several permalink structures in Settings > Permalinks:
| Structure | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | ?p=123 | example.com/?p=123 |
| Day and name | /YYYY/MM/DD/slug/ | example.com/2026/05/31/my-post/ |
| Month and name | /YYYY/MM/slug/ | example.com/2026/05/my-post/ |
| Post name (recommended) | /slug/ | example.com/my-post/ |
| Custom | /blog/%postname%/ | example.com/blog/my-post/ |
The Post name structure is recommended for SEO because it creates the shortest, most descriptive URLs.
Permalink Best Practices
- Set your structure before publishing. Changing permalinks after launch breaks existing links.
- Keep slugs short and descriptive. 3-5 words targeting your primary keyword.
- Use hyphens, not underscores. Google treats hyphens as word separators.
- Avoid dates in URLs. They make evergreen content look outdated.
- Always redirect old URLs. If you must change a permalink, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
Permalinks in Other Platforms
| Platform | Default Pattern | Customizable? |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | /?p=123 (plain) | Yes, fully |
| Ghost | /slug/ | Yes, via routing |
| Hugo | /posts/slug/ | Yes, in config |
| Next.js | File-system based | Yes, via routing |
| Shopify | /products/handle | Handle only |
Generate Clean Permalinks
Use our URL slug generator to create SEO-friendly slugs for your permalinks. For WordPress specifically, try the WordPress slug generator or the blog slug generator.