Changing the permalinks in WordPress is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1. Login to Your WordPress Dashboard:
- Open your web browser and go to your WordPress admin login page (usually, it’s http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/).
- Log in with your administrator username and password.
2. Navigate to Permalink Settings:
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After logging in, go to the left sidebar and find “Settings.” Hover over it, and a submenu will appear.
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Click on “Permalinks” from the Setting.
3. Choose a Permalink Structure:
- On the Permalink Settings page, you’ll see several common permalink structure options.
- Select the one that best suits your needs, or choose “Custom Structure” to create your own.
4. Custom Structure (Optional):
- If you selected “Custom Structure,” you can enter your structure using tags.
Common tags include %postname% for the post name and %category% for the category.
For example, if you want your permalink structure to include the post name, you can use /%postname%/.
5. Save Changes:
After selecting your preferred permalink structure or customizing it, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
- Click the “Save Changes” button to apply the new permalink settings.
6. Update .htaccess File (if necessary):
WordPress will prompt you to update your .htaccess file. If your file is writable, WordPress will automatically update it. If not, it will provide you with the code to manually update the .htaccess file.
Verify Your Permalinks:
Visit your site to ensure that the new permalink structure is working as expected. Check a few posts or pages to confirm that the URLs have been updated.
That’s it! You’ve successfully changed the permalink settings on your WordPress website.
Remember that changing permalinks can affect your site’s SEO, so be cautious if your site has been around for a while. If you have a significant number of existing posts, consider setting up redirects to maintain SEO rankings and prevent broken links.
