What is a URL slug?
A URL slug is the readable portion of a web address that identifies a specific page.
In a product URL such as /products/bigfoot-graphic-tee,
the final segment is the slug.
Clear slugs make links easier to read, share and manage. They can also give visitors
and search systems useful context about the page before it is opened.
How to create a clean SEO-friendly slug
- Use short words that accurately describe the page.
- Separate words consistently, usually with hyphens.
- Remove punctuation and unnecessary formatting.
- Keep important model numbers, years or product identifiers when useful.
- Avoid changing a published slug without a proper redirect.
URL slug examples
| Original title |
Generated slug |
Notes |
| Bigfoot Riding a Red Bike with an Alien |
bigfoot-riding-a-red-bike-with-an-alien |
Keeps the full descriptive product name. |
| The Moon Is Fake: Lunar Deception Shirt |
moon-fake-lunar-deception-shirt |
Example with stop-word removal enabled. |
| Operation Northwoods World Tour 1962 |
operation-northwoods-world-tour-1962 |
Retains a meaningful year. |
| Men’s Black & White Graphic T-Shirt |
mens-black-white-graphic-t-shirt |
Removes punctuation and normalizes the apostrophe. |
Should stop words be removed?
Words such as “the,” “a,” “of” and “for” can sometimes be removed to shorten a URL,
but removal is optional. Keep them when they are part of a recognizable title or when
removing them makes the slug awkward or ambiguous.
Use redirects when changing live URLs
This tool generates candidate slugs; it does not update your website. When a page has
already been published and indexed, changing its URL can break old links. Create an
appropriate permanent redirect from the old address to the new one.
URL slug generator questions
Are hyphens or underscores better for URL slugs?
Hyphens are the conventional choice for public-facing URLs because they create a clear
visual separation between words. The generator also supports underscores for systems
that require them.
Should URL slugs always be lowercase?
Lowercase slugs are easier to keep consistent and avoid confusion on systems where URL
paths are case-sensitive. The lowercase option is enabled by default.
Should product numbers and years be removed?
Keep numbers when they identify a model, version, year, size or meaningful product detail.
Remove them only when they add no value or are temporary internal information.
How long should an SEO-friendly slug be?
There is no universal required length. Use the shortest slug that still communicates the
page topic accurately. The maximum-length control helps keep unusually long product titles
manageable.
Does changing a slug automatically create a redirect?
No. The generator only creates text. Configure a permanent redirect in your website,
ecommerce platform or server when replacing the URL of an existing published page.