How to Change Permalink Structure in WordPress Easily

To change the permalink structure in WordPress, go to Settings > Permalinks in your admin dashboard and select or customize the URL format you want. After saving, WordPress updates your site URLs to the new structure automatically.

Syntax

The permalink structure in WordPress uses tags inside a format string to define URL patterns. Common tags include:

• %postname%: The post slug (title in URL-friendly form)
• %year%: The year of the post
• %monthnum%: The month number
• %day%: The day of the month
• %category%: The post category slug
• %author%: The author’s username

You combine these tags to create your desired URL pattern.

plaintext

/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/

Example

This example shows how to set a permalink structure that includes the year, month, and post name for better readability and SEO.

plaintext

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to <strong>Settings &gt; Permalinks</strong>.
3. Select the <strong>Custom Structure</strong> option.
4. Enter <code>/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/</code> in the field.
5. Click <strong>Save Changes</strong> to apply the new permalink structure.

Output

URLs will change from something like https://example.com/?p=123 to https://example.com/2024/06/sample-post/

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when changing permalinks include:

• Not saving the changes, so the new structure does not apply.
• Using unsupported or incorrect tags in the custom structure.
• Permalink changes causing broken links if old URLs are not redirected.
• Server rewrite rules not updating, causing 404 errors (fix by refreshing permalinks or updating .htaccess).

Always back up your site before changing permalinks and consider setting up redirects from old URLs.

plaintext

/* Wrong: Using unsupported tag */
/%year%/%month%/%postname%/

/* Right: Use supported tag */
/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/

Quick Reference

Tag	Description	Example
%postname%	Post slug (title in URL)	sample-post
%year%	Year of the post	2024
%monthnum%	Month number	06
%day%	Day of the month	15
%category%	Category slug	news
%author%	Author username	john

Key Takeaways

Change permalinks in WordPress under Settings > Permalinks by selecting or customizing the URL format.

Use supported tags like %postname%, %year%, and %monthnum% to build readable URLs.

Save changes and verify your server supports URL rewriting to avoid 404 errors.

Set up redirects if you change permalinks on a live site to prevent broken links.

Always back up your site before modifying permalink structures.