SEO guide

SEO-Friendly URL Slugs: How to Create Clear, Readable Page URLs

Learn what a URL slug is and how to create short, descriptive, readable slugs for pages and articles.

Published 2026-09-13 · MetaSEO Editorial Team

A URL slug is the part of a web address that identifies a specific page, usually after the domain name. In example.com/word-counter-guide/, the slug is word-counter-guide.

What makes a good slug?

Examples

Clear: /instagram-bio-ideas/
Less useful: /page?id=8392&cat=7/

Do not keep changing published URLs

If Google and other sites already know a URL, changing it creates extra work and can break links unless redirects are configured correctly. Choose a sensible slug before publishing and keep it stable.

Create a clean slugTry the Slug Generator

Use words people understand

A slug should make sense without needing to decode abbreviations. You do not need to cram every keyword variation into it.

Related guides

See Meta Description Guide and Keyword Density Guide.

Related MetaSEO guides

MetaSEO guides are written to help users understand and use our tools. Platform features and policies can change, so verify time-sensitive details with the relevant platform.