URL slug
What is a URL slug?
A URL slug is the part of a URL that identifies a specific page, usually after the last slash, for example “repot-snake-plant” in example.com/guides/repot-snake-plant. A good slug is short, readable, uses lowercase words separated by hyphens and describes the page’s topic.
Most content systems create a slug from the page title automatically, which can produce long slugs full of stop words or dates. Editing it before publishing is easy; changing it later means setting up a 301 redirect from the old URL.
The slug sits inside the full URL, which may also include folders that show where the page lives, such as /guides/ or /shop/shoes/. Together they make up an SEO-friendly URL when they are short, consistent and descriptive. Stick to letters, numbers and hyphens; non-ASCII characters work but are encoded in links and can look messy when shared.
Why URL slug matters for SEO
Google says it uses words in URLs as a lightweight signal and shows the URL as breadcrumbs or a path in some results. A descriptive slug helps people judge a link before clicking it, in search, in shared links and in anchor text when people paste the bare URL.
Changing slugs without redirects breaks links and loses the authority they carried, so getting slugs right the first time saves trouble.
How to write a URL slug
- Use the main keyword or a short description of the page.
- Use lowercase letters and separate words with hyphens, not underscores or spaces.
- Drop filler words where the slug still reads naturally.
- Avoid dates and numbers that will date the page, unless they are part of the topic.
- Once published, don’t change the slug without a 301 redirect.
URL slug example
Good: /guides/repot-snake-plant. Weaker: /guides/how-to-repot-your-snake-plant-the-complete-2026-guide. Bad: /p?id=4821&cat=7.
URL slug FAQ
Should I put keywords in my URL slug?
Yes, briefly. A keyword in the slug is a small relevance signal and helps users see what the page is about. Don’t stuff several keywords in.
Hyphens or underscores in URLs?
Hyphens. Google recommends hyphens to separate words in URLs; underscores may be read as joining words.
Related SEO terms
An SEO-friendly URL is short, readable and descriptive, uses hyphens and lowercase, and shows where a page sits in the site’s structure.
A 301 redirect permanently sends visitors and search engines from one URL to another and tells Google the new URL should be indexed.
URL parameters are key-value pairs after a ? in a URL, used for tracking, sorting, filtering and pagination. Each variation can look like a new page.
Breadcrumbs are a row of links showing where a page sits in a site’s hierarchy, such as Home > Shoes > Running. They help users and search engines.
Site architecture is how a website’s pages are organised and linked together, which shapes how people and search engines find and value them.