Readable permalinks make WordPress posts and pages easier to understand before the page even loads. A slug-based path carries the topic of the content in the URL itself, which makes copied links clearer and keeps search results, internal navigation, and shared links less opaque than the default ?p=123 form.
WordPress controls that global URL pattern from Settings → Permalinks. The Post name structure maps each published post or page slug into the permalink, while the optional category and tag base fields only affect taxonomy archive prefixes and do not need to change unless the archive URL scheme is being redesigned deliberately.
Changing permalinks on an established site changes public URLs, so the cutover should be treated as a live URL change rather than a cosmetic toggle. On Apache, WordPress can update .htaccess automatically only when the file is writable; otherwise the dashboard shows the exact rewrite rules to copy manually. On standalone Nginx, WordPress cannot generate or apply the server rewrite configuration, so the site-level rewrite rules must already exist before readable slugs will resolve.
Steps to configure SEO-friendly URLs in WordPress:
- Log in to the WordPress dashboard with an administrator account, then open Settings → Permalinks.
If the site already serves public traffic, capture a current backup or snapshot before changing the public URL pattern.
Related: How to back up a WordPress site
- In Common Settings, select Post name.
The Category base and Tag base fields in the Optional section control category and tag archive prefixes only. Leave them unchanged unless the archive URL structure also needs a planned update.
- Click Save Changes.
If WordPress can write .htaccess on Apache, the page shows Permalink structure updated. If it instead shows generated rewrite rules, copy that block into the site's .htaccess file and save it before testing slug URLs.
On standalone Nginx, WordPress cannot write or generate the server rewrite configuration for permalinks. Confirm the site-level Nginx rewrite rules already match the standard WordPress front-controller pattern before expecting Post name URLs to work.
- Open a published post or page and confirm the address now resolves with a readable slug such as /hello-world/ instead of ?p=123.
If the previous permalink structure was already indexed, bookmarked, or hard-coded elsewhere, add redirects or plan the migration before changing production traffic over to the new path format.
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.
