Setting up permalinks is an important step to ensure your website URLs are clean, readable, and SEO-friendly. Here’s how to configure your permalinks properly:
Step 1: Access Permalink Settings
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings -> Permalinks.
- You will see several options for how your URLs will appear.
Step 2: Choose a Permalink Structure
For most WordPress themes, including ours, it is recommended to use the “Post name” structure for SEO and user-friendliness. This structure will create URLs based on the titles of your posts or pages, making them easy to understand for both visitors and search engines.
To select this structure:
- Click the “Post name” option.
- Scroll down and click Save Changes.
Step 3: Check for Custom Post Types (if applicable)
If your theme includes custom post types (CPTs), make sure they are also supported by the selected permalink structure. You can verify this by visiting a sample post or custom post type and checking the URL.
Step 4: Regenerate Permalinks (if necessary)
If you’ve recently changed your permalink structure and notice any broken links, you may need to regenerate the permalinks. This can be done by simply visiting the Permalinks settings page and saving changes again without making any modifications.
Troubleshooting
- If you encounter a 404 error after changing permalinks, try resetting the permalinks by saving the settings again.
- Make sure your server has mod_rewrite enabled if you’re using the Apache web server, as it’s necessary for custom permalinks.
By following these steps, your permalinks should be properly configured for optimal website performance and SEO.