How to set up permanent links in WordPress
Permalinks are essential for any WordPress site, as they define the structure of your post and page URLs, helping them be optimized for search engines. In other words, permalinks are the web addresses that users will use to access that content. Here we show you how to configure them to improve your site's visibility and structure.
After installing WordPress, it is common to find a permalink configuration that is not optimal. Generally, this setup displays URLs that include numeric identifiers, such as yourwebsite.com/?p=123.
This type of URL configuration is problematic because it limits optimization possibilities both for search engines and for user understanding, which negatively affects your site's SEO.
Using dates or identification numbers in URLs does not contribute positively to ranking your content in search results. Additionally, including dates may indicate that the content is old, reducing reader interest over time. The best practice is to set permalinks using the Post name, which is more descriptive and effective for SEO.
First of all, access your WordPress site administrator.
Then go to Settings > Permalinks from your WordPress admin panel:
Here you can check the selected Permalink structure in your WordPress. By default, the Plain option is selected.
Select the Post name option and save the changes to apply the modification:
WordPress will automatically update your URLs to reflect the new permalink structure.
If you encounter issues with links or WordPress, it is most likely caused by the configuration of your .htaccess file. This file is essential for managing and interpreting server redirects and contains directives to optimize the entire WordPress site.
You can create a new default .htaccess file in your WordPress installation in case of errors: