# How to Change Your WooCommerce Product Link Structure: A Beginner’s Guide
Changing your WooCommerce product link structure might seem daunting, but it’s a surprisingly simple process with potentially huge benefits for your SEO and user experience. This guide will walk you through it, step-by-step, explaining why you might want to do it and how to achieve it safely.
Why Change Your WooCommerce Product Link Structure?
Your WooCommerce product URLs, by default, usually look something like this: `yourwebsite.com/product/product-name/`. While functional, these URLs aren’t always optimized. Consider these reasons for changing them:
- SEO: Search engines like Google prefer clean, descriptive URLs Check out this post: How To Show Woocommerce Products On Facebook Shop that clearly indicate the content of the page. A URL like `yourwebsite.com/shoes/running-shoes/best-running-shoes-for-men` is much more informative than `yourwebsite.com/product/1234`. This helps with ranking and click-through Learn more about How To Add Widget In Header WordPress Woocommerce Github rates.
- User Experience: Clear URLs improve user experience. Users are more likely to click a link that tells them exactly what to expect. Imagine seeing `yourwebsite.com/womens-clothing/dresses/red-dress` versus `yourwebsite.com/product/5678`. Which one is more appealing?
- Brand Consistency: Customizing your URLs allows you to maintain a consistent brand voice and structure across your entire website.
- Plain: `/index.php?p=123` (Avoid this – it’s not SEO-friendly)
- Day and name: `/2023/10/27/product-name/` (Good for blogs but may not suit products)
- Month and name: `/2023/10/product-name/` (Similar to Day and name)
- Post name: `/product-name/` (Highly recommended for most WooCommerce stores – clean and SEO friendly)
- Custom Structure: `/product/%product_id%/` or `/product/%postname%/` (Allows for more control, but requires understanding the variables).
- Yoast SEO: While primarily an SEO plugin, Yoast SEO also offers permalink customization options.
- Rank Math: Similar to Yoast SEO, Rank Math provides advanced permalink control.
- Avoid using numbers or IDs in your URLs. Descriptive keywords are key for SEO.
- Keep URLs short and concise. Avoid overly long URLs.
- Use hyphens (-) to separate words in your URLs. Don’t use underscores (_).
- Always test Discover insights on How To Add Woocommerce To Rev Slider your changes thoroughly after making any adjustments to your permalink structure.
- Back up your website before making any significant changes.
How to Change Your WooCommerce Product Link Structure
There are primarily two ways to change your WooCommerce product link structure: using Permalinks within WordPress settings, or by using a plugin. Let’s examine both methods.
Method 1: Changing Permalinks in WordPress
This is the easiest method for most users and often sufficient for achieving a good structure.
1. Access Permalinks: Log into your WordPress dashboard. Navigate to Settings > Permalinks.
2. Choose a Structure: You’ll see several options for your permalink structure. Here’s a breakdown of some common options and their implications:
3. Select and Save: Choose the structure you prefer (we recommend “Post name” for simplicity and SEO benefits). Click the “Save Changes” button.
Example: If you choose “Post name”, a product named “Red Running Shoes” might have a URL like `yourwebsite.com/red-running-shoes/`.
Method 2: Using a Plugin (For More Advanced Customization)
Plugins offer more granular control over your permalink structure if the default options aren’t flexible enough. Some popular plugins include:
These plugins typically allow you to use custom slugs, add prefixes or suffixes, and implement more complex URL structures. Always thoroughly read the plugin documentation before implementation.
Important Note: After changing your permalink structure, use a 301 redirect to ensure that old URLs still direct to the correct pages. This prevents losing SEO juice and avoids broken links for users. You can use plugins like “Redirection” to manage redirects easily.
Troubleshooting and Best Practices
By following these steps, you can easily optimize your WooCommerce product link structure for better SEO and a smoother user experience. Remember to choose a structure that’s both user-friendly and search-engine-friendly. If you have trouble, consult your WooCommerce documentation or seek help from a WordPress expert.
