WordPress permalinks and SEO: which structure to choose

A permalink is the permanent address of a post, page or archive. WordPress documentation says these addresses should never be changed, which is where the name comes from. It also says permalinks help create a URL structure that is easy for people and search engines to understand and share.

If your site still uses plain permalinks, our WordPress SEO services.

The three types

• Plain. The default, which looks like /?p=123, where 123 is the post's ID in the database. It works on every server. WordPress says it is not user-friendly and not optimized for search engines.
• Pretty. Addresses with words in them, such as the post title or category, like /post-name/. WordPress describes them as SEO-friendly and says the words help readers understand what the page is about.
• Almost pretty. The same as pretty, with /index.php added in front.

How to change it

In the dashboard, go to Settings, then Permalinks. You can choose Plain, Day and name, Month and name, Numeric, Post name, or a custom structure. The WordPress docs say to end a custom structure with %post_id% or %postname% so each address points to one post. If pretty permalinks do not work after you switch, the docs say to contact your hosting provider, because the server needs the right configuration.

A few details worth knowing

• The post name tag turns a title like "This Is A Great Post!" into this-is-a-great-post.
• If a post has several categories and you use the category tag, only one appears in the address, chosen alphabetically.
• You can change the category and tag base words, but you cannot remove them from the address.

Changing it on a live site

Changing the structure changes the address of every post. Visitors, other sites and Google still use the old ones, so each needs a permanent redirect to its new address. We explain how Google handles that in WordPress redirects after you change a URL.

What not to expect

A readable address helps people and search engines understand a page. It is not a ranking trick, and WordPress does not say a particular structure gives better rankings. If you are starting a new site, pick one early and leave it.

Where to go from here

If your site still uses plain permalinks, our WordPress SEO services can plan the change and the redirects. Passieon is an independent agency and is not affiliated with Google or WordPress.

Sources

• WordPress.org Documentation: Customize permalinks, read November 10, 2026.