How to Set Custom URL Slugs on WordPress, Shopify, and Webflow
Setting custom URL slugs on WordPress, Shopify, and Webflow requires knowing where each platform stores the slug and how to override its auto-generated value. WikiPlus Slug Generator at wikiplus.co produces the optimal SEO slug for any title — this platform-specific guide shows exactly where to paste that slug in each major CMS and website builder.
Setting Custom Slugs in WordPress
In WordPress, the permalink (slug) appears below the title in the post or page editor. When you first type the title, WordPress auto-generates a slug by lowercasing and hyphenating the title text. To set a custom slug: click the Edit button next to the auto-generated permalink. Delete the existing slug text. Paste the slug from WikiPlus Slug Generator. Click OK. Publish or Update the page. The custom slug is now live. In WordPress Settings > Permalinks, ensure your permalink structure uses the post name (/%postname%/) rather than numeric IDs — this is the structure that makes custom slugs meaningful. For bulk slug management, plugins like Permalink Manager Pro allow bulk slug editing across many posts without opening each one individually.
Setting Custom Slugs in Shopify
In Shopify, page URLs are called handles and are managed in the SEO section of each content editor. For products: go to Products > select product > scroll to Search Engine Listing Preview > click Edit Website SEO > update the URL and handle field. Shopify auto-fills the handle from the product title but you can override it. For blog posts: go to Blog Posts > select post > same SEO section at the bottom. For pages: go to Online Store > Pages > select page > Edit Website SEO. For collections: go to Products > Collections > select collection > Edit Website SEO. After changing a handle in Shopify, the platform automatically creates a redirect from the old URL to the new one — a helpful feature that prevents broken links.
Setting Custom Slugs in Webflow
In Webflow, slugs are set at the page or CMS item level. For static pages: open the Designer, click the Pages panel, hover over the page, click the gear icon, and find the Slug field. Edit the slug value and press Enter. For CMS collection items (blog posts, products): open the CMS editor, click on the item, and find the Slug field at the top of the item form. Enter your custom slug. For CMS templates, the slug is typically derived from the item Name or Title field but can be set independently. After changing a Webflow slug, set up a redirect in Project Settings > Redirects to preserve any inbound links to the old URL — Webflow does not create redirects automatically for slug changes unlike Shopify.
Maintaining Slug Consistency Across Platform Changes
The biggest slug management challenge is maintaining consistency during platform migrations and redesigns. When migrating from WordPress to Webflow, export your WordPress post slugs, match them as closely as possible in Webflow, and set up 301 redirects for any that cannot be matched exactly. During a Shopify theme change, handle slugs are preserved — the theme does not affect URL structure. During a domain change, all existing slugs remain valid on the new domain; just update your canonical tags and sitemap. Before any migration, export a list of your current slugs using a site crawler, verify all slugs are set correctly on the new platform before going live, and implement redirects for any changes as part of your migration checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Shopify automatically redirect old product URLs?
- Yes. When you change a product handle (slug) in Shopify, the platform automatically creates a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This preserves inbound links and SEO authority. The redirect appears in Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects where you can manage or delete it. This automatic redirect feature makes Shopify safer for slug changes than many other platforms.
- Can I use the same slug on different pages?
- No. Each page within the same directory must have a unique slug. /blog/how-to-seo and /products/how-to-seo are technically different URLs (different directories), but having identical slugs within the same section (/blog/seo and /blog/seo) creates a conflict. CMS platforms enforce slug uniqueness within their content type — WordPress will append a number if a duplicate slug is detected. Always check slug uniqueness before publishing.
- Should my category pages have slugs in the URL?
- Yes. Category page slugs follow the same best practices as post slugs: lowercase, hyphenated, descriptive, and keyword-focused. For WordPress, configure your permalink structure to include the category slug (/%category%/%postname%/) for hierarchical URLs, or just the post name (/%postname%/) for flat URLs. Flat URL structures are generally preferred for SEO because they avoid nested category slugs that add length to every post URL in that category.