Permalink structure in Wordpress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a permalink in WordPress?

A permalink is the permanent URL to a specific post, page, or other content on a WordPress site. It helps users and search engines find content easily.

beginner

Name two common permalink structures in WordPress.

Two common permalink structures are:
1. Plain (e.g., ?p=123)
2. Post name (e.g., /sample-post/)

beginner

How do you change the permalink structure in WordPress?

Go to WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks. Choose a structure or create a custom one, then save changes.

intermediate

Why is using a descriptive permalink structure important?

Descriptive permalinks improve user experience by showing what the page is about and help search engines understand content, boosting SEO.

intermediate

What is a custom permalink structure? Give an example.

A custom permalink structure lets you define how URLs look using tags like %postname%, %category%, or %year%.
Example: /%category%/%postname%/

Where do you set the permalink structure in WordPress?

A Settings → Permalinks

B Appearance → Themes

C Plugins → Installed Plugins

D Tools → Import

The permalink structure is set in the Settings → Permalinks section of the WordPress dashboard.

Which permalink structure is best for SEO?

A Plain (e.g., ?p=123)

B Numeric (e.g., /archives/123)

C Post name (e.g., /sample-post/)

D Date and name (e.g., /2024/06/15/sample-post/)

The post name structure is clean and descriptive, making it best for SEO.

What does %postname% represent in a custom permalink?

A The post's author name

B The post's title slug

C The post's publish date

D The post's category

%postname% is replaced by the post's title slug in the URL.

What happens if you change permalink structure on an existing site without redirects?

A Nothing changes

B Old URLs may break and show 404 errors

C Site speed improves

D WordPress automatically redirects old URLs

Changing permalink structure without redirects can cause old URLs to break, leading to 404 errors.

Which tag would you use to include the post's category in a permalink?

A %author%

B %category%

C %date%

D %id%

%category% inserts the post's category slug into the permalink.

Explain how to set and customize permalink structures in WordPress and why it matters.

Think about where in the dashboard you find permalink settings and what tags you can use.

Describe the impact of changing permalink structure on an existing WordPress site and how to avoid problems.

Consider what happens to links already shared or indexed by search engines.

Practice

1. What does the %postname% tag represent in a WordPress permalink structure?

easy

A. The date the post was published

B. The slug of the post or page

C. The category of the post

D. The author of the post

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of %postname%

   The %postname% tag is used to insert the post slug, which is a URL-friendly version of the post title.

2. Step 2: Compare with other tags

   Other tags like %year% or %category% represent date or category, not the post slug.

3. Final Answer:

   The slug of the post or page -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   %postname% = post slug [OK]

Hint: Remember postname means the post's URL-friendly title [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing %postname% with %category%
• Thinking %postname% shows the date
• Assuming %postname% is the author name

2. Which of the following is a valid custom permalink structure in WordPress?

easy

A. /%day%/%month%/%slug%/

B. /post/%author%/%date%/

C. /%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/

D. /%category%/%postid%/%title%/

Solution

1. Step 1: Check valid WordPress tags

   WordPress supports tags like %year%, %monthnum%, and %postname%. /%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/ uses only valid tags.

2. Step 2: Identify invalid tags in other options

   Options A, B, and C use invalid tags like %date%, %title%, or %slug% which are not recognized by WordPress.

3. Final Answer:

   /%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/ -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Valid tags only = /%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/ [OK]

Hint: Use only official WordPress tags in permalinks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using tags like %title% or %slug% which don't exist
• Mixing date formats incorrectly
• Forgetting trailing slash in structure

3. Given the permalink structure /%category%/%postname%/, what would be the URL for a post titled "Summer Tips" in the "Travel" category?

medium

A. /travel/summer-tips/

B. /summer-tips/travel/

C. /category/travel/summer-tips/

D. /travel/category/summer-tips/

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the structure tags

   The structure /%category%/%postname%/ means the URL starts with the category slug, then the post slug.

2. Step 2: Apply to given post and category

   Category "Travel" becomes "travel" and post "Summer Tips" becomes "summer-tips". So URL is /travel/summer-tips/.

3. Final Answer:

   /travel/summer-tips/ -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Category + postname = /travel/summer-tips/ [OK]

Hint: Category comes first, then postname in this structure [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping category and postname order
• Adding extra words like 'category' in URL
• Using capital letters in URL slugs

4. A WordPress site uses the permalink structure /%year%/%postname%/. After changing it to /%postname%/, some old links show 404 errors. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. The .htaccess file was not updated to reflect the new structure

B. The post slugs were deleted accidentally

C. The site URL was changed in settings

D. The category base was not set correctly

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand permalink changes effect

   Changing permalink structure requires updating rewrite rules in the .htaccess file for URLs to work correctly.

2. Step 2: Identify cause of 404 errors

   If .htaccess is not updated, old URLs won't redirect properly, causing 404 errors.

3. Final Answer:

   The .htaccess file was not updated to reflect the new structure -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Rewrite rules update needed = The .htaccess file was not updated to reflect the new structure [OK]

Hint: Always update .htaccess after changing permalinks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming post slugs were deleted
• Ignoring .htaccess rewrite rules
• Confusing category base with permalink structure

5. You want your WordPress URLs to show the year, category, and post name, but avoid duplicate URLs for posts in multiple categories. Which permalink structure helps prevent duplicates?

hard

A. /%year%/%category%/%postname%/

B. /%category%/%postname%/

C. /%postname%/

D. /%year%/%postname%/

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand duplicate URL issue

   Using %category% can cause multiple URLs if a post belongs to multiple categories.

2. Step 2: Choose structure avoiding category

   Removing %category% from the URL avoids duplicates. Including %year% and %postname% keeps URLs informative.

3. Final Answer:

   /%year%/%postname%/ -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Exclude category to prevent duplicates = /%year%/%postname%/ [OK]

Hint: Avoid %category% in URLs to stop duplicates [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including %category% causing multiple URLs
• Using only %postname% losing date info
• Ignoring SEO impact of URL clarity