How do I change the category URL base in WordPress?

Definition: The category URL base is the prefix before the category name in a WordPress category archive address. As of October 2026, WordPress documents custom category and tag bases under Settings > Permalinks > Optional.

Key facts

• WordPress's Customize permalinks documentation identifies category and tag as the default archive prefixes.
• The Settings Permalinks screen documentation states that blank base fields use the defaults and that Save Changes applies new settings.
• Google's site move guidance, updated in August 2026, recommends permanent server redirects when URLs change.

Where are the category and tag base settings?

In the dashboard, Settings > Permalinks contains an Optional section with separate Category base and Tag base fields. WordPress's Settings Permalinks screen documentation gives this example: a category base of /topics/ produces the following category address.

http://example.org/topics/uncategorized/

The category base field accepts the custom category prefix; the tag base field accepts the custom tag prefix. Save Changes at the bottom of the screen saves the settings to the database. A confirmation appears at the top of the screen after saving. Leaving either field blank uses its default prefix.

How does the base relate to the category name?

WordPress's Customize permalinks documentation shows the archive address pattern as follows:

example.net/category_base/category_name
example.net/tag_base/tag_name

The base and category name occupy separate parts of the address. The same documentation defines %category% as a structure tag for custom post permalinks: it uses a sanitized category name from the category slug field. A slug is the URL form of that name. Nested subcategories appear as nested directories when this structure tag is used.

The Optional fields configure archive prefixes. The Custom structure field configures the post permalink pattern using structure tags. These settings therefore address different parts of the site's URLs.

What needs checking after an archive URL changes?

Changing an established base changes archive addresses. Applying Google's URL change guidance to those archives means mapping each old address to its replacement and arranging permanent server redirects between them. Existing internal links also need the new destinations.

The same guidance recommends testing redirects. Opening an old category or tag address and checking its destination is a practical check for this change. Google names the URL Inspection tool for testing individual URLs and command line tools or scripts for larger sets. This check belongs alongside confirming that the replacement archive opens successfully.

Related terms

• How do I change a WordPress permalink structure?
• How do I change the URL slug of a WordPress post?
• HTTP redirects

FAQ

Can I remove the category prefix by leaving the field empty?

The Settings Permalinks screen documentation says that empty fields use the defaults. Leaving Category base empty restores category.

Can I remove both bases through these settings?

WordPress's Customize permalinks documentation says that the category and tag bases can be changed but cannot be removed altogether through these settings.

Sources

1. WordPress.org, "Customize permalinks", updated 28 June 2025
2. WordPress.org, "Settings Permalinks screen", updated 8 June 2024
3. Google Search Central, "How to move a site", updated 20 August 2026

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