Slug: The Readable Part of Your URL
A slug is the descriptive part of a URL that identifies a specific page, and a clear slug helps users and search engines understand it.
Slug is the readable part of a URL that identifies a page.
What It Is
A slug is the final, human-readable part of a URL that identifies a specific page, such as /slug in this address.
It is the part of the URL most people read and remember.
A good slug tells users and search engines what the page is about at a glance.
How to Write a Good Slug
- Keep it short and descriptive.
- Use hyphens to separate words.
- Include the main keyword naturally.
- Keep it stable once published.
- Match it to the page title and heading.
- Skip words that add no meaning.
Why It Matters
- Users see the slug in results and shares.
- It supports search understanding of the page.
- A clean slug is easier to link and remember.
- It is a small but real relevance signal.
- It improves trust before anyone clicks.
What to Avoid
- Stop words that add no meaning.
- Long random strings and IDs.
- Underscores, which read as word joins.
- Changing slugs after publishing.
- Keyword stuffing and repetition.
- Characters that break or complicate URLs.
Common Mistakes
- Using the post ID as the slug.
- Editing a slug after the page has links.
- Repeating keywords across slugs.
- Ignoring the slug when the title changes.
- Forgetting to add redirects after a slug change.
Before: a page slug reads ?p=129033.
After: it becomes /seo-glossary/on-page-seo.
The result: users and search engines can read the page from the URL.
The lesson: the slug is the pages name tag.
Quick Tip
Write the slug like a headline for the URL, keeping it short and keyword-focused without going overboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Slug, in Short
The slug is the pages handshake with the world.
Keep it short, clean, and stable.
Write it like a headline for the URL, then leave it alone.