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Custom Permalinks

By Sami Ahmed Siddiqui

Site Structure & Navigation / Menu Management & Mega Menus

Reviewed by Omar Dabbas

Trusted WordPress expert with 20+ years of experience evaluating plugins for the WP ecosystem.

Custom Permalinks Review - In-Depth Analysis

Custom Permalinks allows full control over WordPress URLs. Set unique permalinks, manage auto-redirects, and utilize dynamic tags for optimal site structure.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.82/10

User Rating

4.1/5 (based on 116+ reviews)

Active Installations

100,000+

Update Frequency

Outstanding It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Custom Permalinks gives you the power to set unique, custom URLs for any post, page, tag, or category. You can design your site's structure exactly how you envision it, rather than being limited by WordPress's default settings. When you set a custom permalink, the original post URL will be automatically redirected to your new, customized URL.

Key features include individual permalink control, site structure control, and the ability to define custom permalink structures for each public post type using predefined tags. This allows for automatic URL generation upon content creation while still permitting manual edits.

To configure Custom Permalinks, navigate to Settings > Custom Permalinks in your WordPress Dashboard. You can use a variety of dynamic tags to populate the URL, such as %year%, %monthnum%, %post_id%, and more. This flexibility enables you to create a tailored URL structure that meets your specific needs.

For developers, Custom Permalinks offers a range of filters to control its behavior. You can explore all available filters in the GitHub repository. Premium users can reach out for assistance through dedicated support channels.

Comparing to Alternatives

Custom Permalinks offers unique permalink customization features but faces competition from several alternatives that also cater to permalink management needs.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Allows detailed permalink customization for posts and pages.
Supports complex permalink structures for various content types.
Has a pro version offering additional features.
Widely used with a substantial user base.
Regularly updated to fix vulnerabilities.

Weaknesses

Known to cause redirect issues affecting SEO.
Difficult to remove cleanly without residual effects.
Bugs affecting bulk editing of permalinks.
Security vulnerabilities have been reported in past versions.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a majority of positive ratings but a significant minority of negative reviews, users appreciate the plugin's functionality but report serious issues affecting usability and SEO.

Positive highlights

"Thank you very much, this plugin solves a lot of problems" - john0zhuang
"Excellent plugin. I would really like to see categories included as well." - nimonogi
"Caused Posts/Pages to redirect to other posts/pages. Deactivating resolved the issue." - saad7777

Common complaints

Plugin causes SEO issues and Google indexing problems due to redirects.
Difficult or impossible to fully remove the plugin without issues.
Bug causing permalink copying errors during bulk editing.
Redirect issues leading to unavailable pages.

Weaknesses

Past security vulnerabilities including XSS and SQL injection.
Plugin can cause URL crashes upon deactivation.
Complexity and rough user experience for large sites.
Residual redirection problems after removal.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who need advanced permalink customization and are comfortable managing potential complexities and troubleshooting issues.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a simple, hassle-free permalink solution or those concerned about SEO risks and plugin removal difficulties.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers core permalink customization features suitable for most users.

Pro version

Premium features likely include enhanced permalink options, priority support, and additional customization capabilities.

Final Verdict

Custom Permalinks is a powerful tool for users needing detailed control over URL structures, supported by a strong base of positive reviews and a pro version for advanced needs. However, it carries risks including past security vulnerabilities and reported issues with redirects and plugin removal that can impact SEO and site stability.

Potential users should weigh these concerns against their requirements and consider alternatives if ease of use and SEO safety are priorities. Regular updates and fixes improve its reliability, but caution is advised especially for large or SEO-sensitive sites.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Custom Permalinks plugin.

Custom permalinks

URL control

Dynamic tags

Screenshots

FAQ

Custom Permalinks automatically redirects the original (default) URL to your new custom permalink, so existing links, bookmarks, and search engine rankings keep working.

Some page builders load their live/front-end preview in an iframe using a POST request carrying special values the builder needs (for example Cornerstone’s cs_preview_time). If that page also has a custom permalink, Custom Permalinks may redirect the request, and since redirects are followed as GET, the builder’s POST data is lost and the preview breaks.

You can tell Custom Permalinks to skip its redirect for that request with the custom_permalinks_avoid_redirect filter, added to your theme or a site-specific plugin:

add_filter( 'custom_permalinks_avoid_redirect', function( $permalink ) {     if ( isset( $_POST['cs_preview_time'] ) ) { // Adjust to match the field your builder sends.         return true;     }     return false; } );

See the Advanced Customization and Filters section on GitHub for this and other available filters.

You can tell Custom Permalinks to skip its redirect for that request with the custom_permalinks_avoid_redirect filter, added to your theme or a site-specific plugin:

add_filter( 'custom_permalinks_avoid_redirect', function( $permalink ) {     if ( isset( $_POST['cs_preview_time'] ) ) { // Adjust to match the field your builder sends.         return true;     }     return false; } );

See the Advanced Customization and Filters section on GitHub for this and other available filters.