This article explains how to remove dates from permalinks in WordPress. You’ll learn why this matters and the steps to do it. We’ll use simple language to help you understand permalinks better and improve your website’s performance in today’s mobile-first world.
What Are Permalinks and Why Do They Matter
Permalinks are the permanent web addresses for your WordPress posts and pages. They include your website’s domain name and a unique part for each piece of content. While older WordPress installations often included dates in permalinks by default, newer WordPress sites (post-2020) typically use the “Post name” structure automatically.
Long, confusing web addresses can make it hard for visitors to use your site, especially on mobile devices where users frequently share links through messaging apps. When you remove dates from permalinks, you create shorter, cleaner web addresses that load faster and provide a better user experience across all devices.
WordPress Permalink Structure Comparison
See how different URL structures affect readability and user experience
Default with Date
/?p=123
example.com/2023/05/15/wordpress-tips
Numeric ID
/?p=123
example.com/?p=1234
Month/Year
/%year%/%monthnum%/%postname%/
example.com/2023/05/wordpress-tips
Post Name Only
/%postname%/
example.com/wordpress-tips
Category + Post
/%category%/%postname%/
example.com/tutorials/wordpress-tips
Clean URLs without dates get 23% more clicks in search results
Shorter URLs are easier to share on mobile devices and social media
Search engines better understand content from descriptive URLs
Benefits of Removing Dates from Permalinks
Taking dates out of your WordPress URLs creates multiple advantages that affect different aspects of your website’s performance. Each benefit builds on the others to create a better overall experience for both your visitors and search engines.
Better User Experience and Core Web Vitals
Think about how frustrating it gets when you see a web address full of numbers and dates. Remove dates from permalinks and you make your website easier to use and potentially faster to load. Shorter URLs contribute to better Core Web Vitals scores, which Google uses as a major factor when ranking websites. Create web addresses that describe what’s on the page instead, which helps visitors find the information they need quickly.
For example, instead of a permalink like:
www.linkilo.com/2023/05/21/wordpress-tips-and-tricks
you can have a more user-friendly permalink such as:
www.linkilo.com/wordpress-tips-and-tricks
This change makes your website more user-friendly and performs better on mobile devices where screen space is limited.
Higher Click-Through Rate
Dates in web addresses can make older posts seem out of date. Someone sees an old date in search results and might think the information isn’t useful anymore, so they choose not to click on it. Remove dates and your web addresses stay relevant no matter when you wrote the content. This means more people are likely to click on your links and visit your website.
Compare these two web addresses when someone searches for WordPress tutorials:
URL with date: www.linkilo.com/2018/03/15/wordpress-tutorials
Updated URL: www.linkilo.com/wordpress-tutorials
The updated version is more likely to get clicks because it doesn’t appear outdated, even if the content is several years old but still relevant.
Better Search Engine Optimization
Remove dates from permalinks and help your website show up higher in search results. Use relevant keywords, categories, or post names in your web addresses instead, and search engines understand your content better. This approach aligns with Google’s continued emphasis on content relevance over publication date for topics that stay useful over time.
Let’s say you have a recipe blog and want to rank for “chocolate chip cookie recipe.” A web address like www.linkilo.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe has a better chance of appearing in search results than www.linkilo.com/2022/05/01/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.
This change helps match your web addresses with what people are searching for, which can lead to more visitors from search engines.
What to Consider Before You Remove Dates From WordPress URLs
Your WordPress blog is new (especially if created after 2020), so you likely already have clean permalinks without dates, as this became the default structure. However, your site has been around for a while and uses date-based URLs, so consider these important points:
Search Engine Effects: Change web addresses and create “Page Not Found” errors that might affect how people and search engines view your site. You might also see crawl errors in your Google Search Console that need your attention.
Links and Social Media Shares: Old links to your articles might stop working, which can hurt your search engine positions. Social media share counts might reset because most share counting services don’t follow redirected web addresses.
Analytics Tracking: You’ll need to update your Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and other tracking systems to account for the new URL structure. Consider setting up custom segments to track the transition period.
Address these issues properly and your website continues working well for both visitors and search engines during and after the transition.
Should You Remove Dates From Your WordPress URLs?
Follow this decision tree to determine if changing your permalink structure is right for your website
Start Here
Do your current WordPress URLs include dates?
Example: yoursite.com/2023/05/15/post-title
Low Risk – Safe to proceed
Medium Risk – Careful planning needed
High Risk – Expert consultation recommended
How to Change Permalink Structure in WordPress to Remove Dates
Now that you understand the advantages of taking dates out of permalinks, let’s explore how to make this adjustment in your WordPress admin dashboard. Follow these steps:
- Sign into your WordPress admin dashboard via yourdomain.com/wp-admin
- Go to “Settings” in the left sidebar
- Click on “Permalinks”
- In the Permalink Settings, you will find various options for configuring your permalink structure
Choose the structure that best suits your needs. The “Post name” option is typically the best choice for most websites, as it creates clean, descriptive URLs. For more complex sites, you might choose a custom structure that includes relevant categories or keywords.
For instance, you have a blog about travel destinations, so you might choose the custom structure /%category%/%postname%/, which results in permalinks like www.linkilo.com/travel/rome-travel-tips.
Save your changes, and WordPress will automatically update your permalink structure. This simple configuration can have a profound impact on your site’s organization, user experience, and mobile performance.
Set Up Redirects to Preserve Your Search Rankings
After you remove dates from your web addresses, you must set up 301 redirects. These redirects help people find your content when they use an old link, and they tell search engines about your new web addresses, which helps preserve your search positions. The redirect process involves choosing the right tools and following specific steps to avoid losing traffic.
Popular Redirect Plugin Options
Free Options:
- Redirection: The most popular free redirect plugin with over 2 million active installations
- Simple 301 Redirects: Lightweight and easy to use for basic redirect needs
Premium Options:
- RankMath Pro: Includes advanced redirect features along with comprehensive SEO tools
- Yoast SEO Premium: Offers redirect management as part of its premium SEO suite
Steps to Set Up 301 Redirects
- Choose a Redirect Plugin: Select a reliable redirect plugin from the options above based on your needs and budget
- Install Your Chosen Plugin: Install and activate the plugin through your WordPress dashboard under Plugins > Add New
- Create Your Redirects: Use the plugin to set up 301 redirects from your old web addresses (with dates) to the new ones without dates. Most current plugins offer bulk import features for handling large numbers of redirects
- Test Your Redirects: After you set up redirects, test several old URLs to make sure they properly redirect to the new structure
- Monitor in Google Search Console: Keep an eye on your Google Search Console for crawl errors and monitor how Google processes your new URL structure
Advanced Redirect Considerations
For sites with hundreds or thousands of posts, consider using your plugin’s bulk redirect feature or CSV import functionality. Many current redirect plugins can automatically detect your old permalink structure and create the appropriate redirects.
Monitor your website’s performance for 3-6 months after you make changes. This gives search engines time to fully process your new URL structure and allows you to catch any issues that might affect your positions.
Monitor Your Transition
After you implement these changes, keep track of several key metrics. Watching these numbers helps you spot problems early and understand how the changes affect your website’s performance over time.
- Google Search Console: Watch for crawl errors, index coverage issues, and changes in search performance
- Google Analytics: Monitor organic traffic patterns and set up custom reports to track the transition
- Core Web Vitals: Check if your shorter URLs contribute to better loading speeds
- Social Media Performance: Track how your content performs on social platforms with the new URL structure
Conclusion
Remove dates from your WordPress permalinks and make your website easier to use, increase click-through rates, and improve your search engine visibility. With cleaner, more descriptive web addresses, visitors will find it easier to navigate your site, especially on mobile devices. This can lead to better engagement, better Core Web Vitals scores, and happier visitors.
The process has become more straightforward in 2025, with better plugin options and WordPress’s improved default settings. However, proper planning and redirect implementation remain crucial for established websites.
Follow the steps outlined in this guide, and don’t hesitate to contact expert support if you need assistance. Take the time to properly implement these changes and improve your WordPress website’s performance and user experience for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Dates From WordPress URLs
Get answers to the most common questions about changing your WordPress permalink structure safely
Will removing dates from URLs hurt my search engine rankings?
Temporarily, yes – you might see a 10-20% drop in rankings for 2-6 weeks while search engines reindex your content. However, with proper 301 redirects, most sites recover within 60 days and often see improved click-through rates. The long-term SEO benefits usually outweigh the short-term dip, especially for evergreen content.
What happens to my existing backlinks when I change URL structure?
Existing backlinks will break unless you set up 301 redirects. These redirects automatically send visitors and search engines from your old URLs to the new ones. Most redirect plugins can handle this automatically, preserving the SEO value from your backlinks. Without redirects, you’ll lose that link equity permanently.
Do I need a plugin to remove dates from URLs?
No plugin is needed to change the permalink structure – that’s built into WordPress under Settings > Permalinks. However, you’ll need a redirect plugin like Redirection, RankMath, or Yoast to set up 301 redirects from your old URLs to prevent broken links and preserve SEO value.
Should I change URLs on a site that’s already getting good traffic?
It depends on your risk tolerance and business needs. Sites under 10,000 monthly visitors can usually handle the change well with proper redirects. High-traffic sites should test the change on a few posts first or consult an SEO professional. The decision should weigh current traffic stability against long-term user experience benefits.
How long do 301 redirects need to stay active?
Keep 301 redirects active permanently if possible. Search engines typically transfer most ranking signals within 6 months, but some backlinks and bookmarks may use old URLs for years. Removing redirects too early can create broken links and hurt user experience. Most redirect plugins have minimal performance impact.
Will this change affect my social media share counts?
Yes, most social media platforms will reset share counts because they treat the new URL as different content. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn don’t follow redirects for share counting. However, this is usually a minor concern compared to the SEO and user experience benefits of cleaner URLs.
What’s the best permalink structure to use instead of dates?
The “Post name” structure (/%postname%/) works best for most sites, creating URLs like yoursite.com/post-title. For sites with many categories, /%category%/%postname%/ adds useful context. Avoid overly complex structures with multiple variables – shorter, descriptive URLs perform better and are easier for users to remember and share.
Can I test this change before implementing it site-wide?
Unfortunately, WordPress permalink changes affect the entire site at once – you can’t test on individual posts. However, you can set up a staging site to test the full process, including redirect setup and functionality. This lets you identify potential issues before making changes to your live site.
How do I know if my redirects are working correctly?
Test redirects by visiting old URLs and confirming they automatically redirect to new ones. Use tools like Screaming Frog, Redirect Checker, or browser developer tools to verify 301 status codes. Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors and track organic traffic for unusual drops that might indicate redirect problems.
Do dates in URLs actually hurt click-through rates?
Yes, studies show URLs with old dates can reduce click-through rates by 15-30% in search results. Users often assume content from 2018 or 2019 is outdated, even if it’s still relevant. Clean URLs without dates appear more timeless and authoritative, leading to higher click rates and better user engagement.
What should I do if I see traffic drops after making the change?
Don’t panic – temporary traffic drops are normal. First, verify all redirects are working properly. Check Google Search Console for crawl errors or indexing issues. Submit your updated sitemap and be patient – recovery typically takes 4-8 weeks. If traffic doesn’t recover after 3 months, consider consulting an SEO professional.
Is it better to do this change gradually or all at once?
WordPress permalink changes happen all at once – there’s no way to do it gradually through the admin panel. However, you can minimize risk by making the change during low-traffic periods, ensuring all redirects are properly configured beforehand, and having a rollback plan ready if serious issues occur.
