# Permalink: definition

> A permalink is the final, permanent URL of a WordPress piece of content: a post, a page or, with WooCommerce, a product page.

- Source canonique : [https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/permalien](https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/permalien)
- Langue : EN
- Dernière mise à jour : 2026-09-30

## A structure you choose once, and shouldn't change often

WordPress lets you choose the permalink structure under Settings > Permalinks: a plain URL with a numeric identifier, or a more readable structure including the date or the name (slug) of the content. This setting determines whether a post's address looks like a technical identifier or a readable phrase including the title's keywords.

For a WooCommerce store, the choice of structure has a direct impact on SEO: a structure including the product name is generally more favourable than a purely numeric URL. The real danger comes when this structure changes afterwards on a site already indexed: every existing URL becomes invalid, which breaks links already shared and rankings already earned, unless redirects to the new addresses are put in place.

## To avoid

> Changing the permalink structure on a site already live, without redirects, generates 404 errors on every old URL already indexed or shared.

## FAQ

### Which permalink structure should be chosen for a WooCommerce store?

A structure including the product or category name is generally recommended, provided it's set from launch rather than changed afterwards.

### Are permalink and slug the same thing?

No: the slug is the readable part of the content in the URL, derived from the title, while the permalink refers to the complete, final URL.

### Does changing a post's title automatically change its permalink?

Not automatically once the post is published: WordPress keeps the original slug unless it's changed manually and explicitly, to avoid breaking links already in circulation.