In short. Edit the post slug, save the change, and check the public URL and any redirect from the previous address.
Definition: A WordPress post slug is the URL-friendly post name represented by the
%postname%permalink tag. A permalink is the complete address of a post, built according to the site's permalink settings.
Key facts
As of 17 October 2026, WordPress documents the following controls:
- The Page/Post Settings sidebar has a Slug setting, prefilled from the post title, that becomes editable after saving a draft.
- The permalink documentation identifies
%postname%as the post slug field and locates the site's URL structure controls under Settings > Permalinks. - The Posts screen documentation lists Slug among the fields available through Quick Edit for an individual post.
Where is the slug edited?
The post opens for editing from its title in the Posts list. In the editor, the Post settings tab contains settings for the whole post; the Block tab contains settings for the selected content block. WordPress's sidebar documentation places the editable permalink text field inside the Slug popover. For a new post, saving a draft makes this field available.
The existing slug is replaced with the desired post name. The popover closes with its X control. The complete published address is available through View Post in the same settings area.
Learn WordPress's permalink lesson demonstrates opening the URL control in the sidebar, shortening a post name to pickpockets, clicking Update, and viewing the changed address on the public site. Its example supplies a slug that can be entered in the field:
pickpockets
For an existing post, the saved public address provides the practical check that the change has taken effect.
How does the permalink structure affect the result?
WordPress's Customize permalinks guide separates the post name from the overall URL pattern. Day and name includes the publication date before the post name; Month and name includes the year and month. Post name uses the post name itself.
The guide gives this custom structure containing %postname%:
/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/
Editing a post slug changes the value used by the final tag in that example. The date components remain part of the configured pattern. Settings > Permalinks controls that pattern across posts, while the post's Slug field supplies the name for an individual post.
With Plain permalinks, the documented address uses a p parameter containing the post's database identifier. WordPress’s sidebar documentation says URL customization is unavailable with Plain selected. Checking the permalink setting therefore explains why a name-based address may be unavailable.
What needs checking after a published slug changes?
A redirect sends a request for an old address to another address. WordPress's old-slug redirect reference documents a core function that attempts to locate the current permalink from past slugs. Its source begins with a condition requiring a 404 response and a nonempty post-name query variable. When it finds a destination, it issues a permanent redirect with status 301.
This conditional behavior makes testing the previous public URL part of checking the edit. The old address should reach the intended post at its new address. Learn WordPress's redirect lesson shows how an explicit redirect maps an old source URL to a new target URL through a plugin when a redirect needs configuring.
Related terms
FAQ
Can I set the slug before publishing?
Yes. WordPress's sidebar documentation says you can edit the last part of the URL once the post is saved as a draft. The Slug setting contains the permalink text field.
Why does the address still contain a date?
Your site's permalink pattern can include date components. WordPress's permalink guide describes Day and name and Month and name structures, both of which include the post name after date components.
Can I edit the slug from the posts list?
Yes. The Posts screen documentation places Quick Edit under the post title and lists Slug among its editable fields. You can use that control for an individual post.
Sources
- WordPress.org, "Customize permalinks", 28 June 2025
- WordPress.org, "Page/Post Settings sidebar", 24 October 2024
- WordPress.org, "Posts screen", 8 June 2024
- Learn WordPress, "Managing Settings: Permalinks", undated
- WordPress Developer Resources, "wp_old_slug_redirect()", undated
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