URL structure
How to write an SEO-friendly URL slug
Choose a readable URL slug that will still make sense after the page is updated. Work through word choice, separators, casing, dates, IDs, and parameters before publishing the address.
Direct answer
Use a simple, descriptive path that a person can understand. Separate words with hyphens and follow one casing convention. Keep the canonical page address free of unnecessary parameters while preserving parameters needed for a function or campaign link. Prefer a durable address over one packed with keyword variations. Decide carefully before publishing because changing an established URL creates migration work.
What makes a slug useful
The slug is usually the final path segment in a URL. In https://example.com/guides/solar-permit-checklist, the slug is solar-permit-checklist. It should help a person recognize the destination and help the publishing team maintain a predictable information structure.
Google recommends simple, descriptive URLs with readable words. It specifically recommends hyphens rather than underscores for separating concepts. Google also handles differently cased paths as distinct URLs, so one consistent convention avoids needless variations. Lowercase is a practical house style where the platform supports it, not a Google requirement.
Examples with editorial reasoning
| Draft | Assessment | Reason |
|---|---|---|
/guides/solar-permit-checklist | Clear | Readable words, a stable topic, and hyphen separators. |
/guides/solar_permit_checklist | Revise before publishing | Google recommends hyphens rather than underscores between words. |
/Blog/Best-Solar-Permit-Checklist-Ever | Revise | Mixed casing and promotional filler create avoidable maintenance. |
/article?id=8247&view=1&source=nav | Investigate | The destination is hard to infer. Simplify only when parameters are unnecessary and the platform supports the change. |
/events/2026/search-workshop | Reasonable | The year distinguishes a genuinely time-bound event. |
A five-step drafting method
- Write the page topic or task in the audience's language.
- Remove words that add no distinction within the parent folder.
- Apply the site's casing convention consistently.
- Separate the remaining words with hyphens.
- Check whether the address will still make sense after an ordinary content update.
If the parent path is /guides/, the slug does not need to end in -guide merely to repeat the folder. Use /guides/customer-interview-plan rather than /guides/customer-interview-plan-guide, unless “guide” genuinely distinguishes the page from another format.
Length is an editorial decision, not a Google limit
A concise path is often easier to read, type, share, and maintain, but Google does not publish a preferred slug length or promise a ranking benefit for shorter URLs. Remove words that add no useful meaning in the context of the full address.
When dates, IDs, and parameters belong
Not every useful URL is made only of plain words. Dates can distinguish annual events, regulations, or reports when the date is part of the document's identity. Stable IDs can be necessary for applications and databases. Parameters can represent meaningful filters or states.
The avoidable problem is uncontrolled multiplication: tracking values, sort orders, and filter combinations can create many crawlable URLs for identical or very similar content. Address that through intentional link generation, parameter design, crawl controls, and consistent canonical signals where appropriate. A canonical element by itself is not a universal fix for an unlimited faceted crawl space.
https://example.com/guides/customer-interviews?utm_source=newsletter#checklist
customer-interviewsis the slug to review.utm_source=newsletteris a campaign query parameter, outside the slug.#checklistidentifies a section on the page, also outside the slug.
Keep the stable page address separate from a campaign link. Removing a tracking parameter from a campaign can remove information you intended to measure. See the UTM campaign walkthrough for choosing those values deliberately.
Check the full address before publishing
- Look for an existing page or redirect at the proposed path. A readable slug is still wrong if it overwrites another destination.
- Check how the CMS combines the slug with its parent folder. Editing one field may move a page farther than expected.
- Open the resulting address and verify the intended page, title, and links. Check the site's trailing-slash convention as well as capitalization.
- Keep the address stable when changing a headline, unless the underlying page identity has changed enough to justify a move.
The URL Slug Analyzer checks the text you supply and offers conservative cleanup. It does not request the URL, detect an existing page, or create a redirect. Its suggestions need the same path and CMS checks as a manually written slug.
Pre-publish checklist
- A person can reasonably predict the page from the path.
- The slug uses the audience's language.
- Words are separated with hyphens.
- Casing follows one site-wide convention.
- Parameters serve a content or application purpose.
- The address can survive ordinary content updates.
- The full path is available and matches the CMS's published address.
A prettier slug is not automatically worth a migration. Existing URLs may have links, search history, bookmarks, campaigns, and integrations. Review those dependencies and plan the URL change before moving it.
Primary sources
Review Google's guidance on crawlable URL structure and managing faceted navigation. These sources support the structural guidance above; they do not establish a preferred slug length or promise a ranking result.