20 How to Remove the Date From WordPress URLs

Last updated: February 8, 2026Reviewed date: February 8, 2026Reading time: 6 min read
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Article Summary

WordPress is a popular platform for creating websites and blogs, but sometimes it adds dates to your URLs automatically. These dates can make your URLs longer and less user-friendly. In this article, we'll provide a step-by-step guide on how to remove the date from WordPress URLs. We'll explain each step in plain and simple English to make it easy for anyone to follow. Let's get...

Key Takeaways

  • This article explains 20 How to Remove the Date From WordPress URLs in simple medical language.
  • This article explains Benefits of Removing Dates from URLs in simple medical language.
  • This article explains Step-by-Step Guide to Remove Dates from WordPress URLs in simple medical language.
  • This article explains Common Issues and Solutions in simple medical language.
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Emergency safety firstUrgent warning signs are highlighted below.

Seek urgent medical care if you notice

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  • Severe symptoms, breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening illness.
  • New weakness, severe pain, high fever, or symptoms after a serious injury.
  • Any symptom that feels urgent, unusual, or unsafe for the patient.
1

Emergency now

Use emergency care for severe, sudden, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening symptoms.

2

See a doctor

Book a professional medical evaluation if symptoms persist, worsen, recur often, affect daily activities, or occur in a high-risk patient.

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Learn safely

Use this article to understand possible causes, tests, treatment options, prevention, and questions to ask your clinician.

WordPress is a popular platform for creating websites and blogs, but sometimes it adds dates to your URLs automatically. These dates can make your URLs longer and less user-friendly. In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to remove the date from WordPress URLs. We’ll explain each step in plain and simple English to make it easy for anyone to follow. Let’s get started!

20 How to Remove the Date From WordPress URLs

Why Remove Dates from WordPress URLs

Definition 1: URL

A URL is the web address that you type into your browser’s address bar to access a specific webpage. It usually starts with “http://” or “https://” and includes the website’s domain name.

Definition 2: WordPress

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage websites and blogs without needing to code from scratch.

Definition 3: Date in WordPress URLs

When you publish a new post in WordPress, it often includes the publication date in the URL. For example, if you publish a post on September 30, 2023, the URL might look like this: “https://yourwebsite.com/2023/09/30/post-title.”

Explanation:

WordPress automatically adds dates to URLs to help organize your content chronologically. However, in some cases, you might want to remove the date to make your URLs shorter and more user-friendly.

Benefits of Removing Dates from URLs

Definition 4: User-Friendly URLs

User-friendly URLs are easy to read and remember. They typically contain words or keywords related to the content of the page, making it easier for visitors to understand what the page is about.

Definition 5: SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO refers to the process of improving a website’s visibility in search engines like Google. Removing dates from URLs can improve SEO by making URLs cleaner and more focused on keywords.

Explanation:

Removing dates from WordPress URLs can benefit your website by making the URLs more user-friendly and improving SEO. User-friendly URLs are easier for visitors to remember, and they can also help search engines better understand your content.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remove Dates from WordPress URLs

Now, let’s walk through the steps to remove dates from WordPress URLs.

Step 1: Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard

Definition 6: Dashboard

The WordPress dashboard is the control center of your website. It’s where you can manage your content, settings, and plugins.

Step 2: Go to “Settings” and Select “Permalinks”

Definition 7: Permalinks

Permalinks are the permanent URLs for your posts and pages in WordPress. They define the structure of your website’s URLs.

Step 3: Choose a Custom Structure

Definition 8: Custom Structure

A custom structure allows you to define how your URLs should be formatted. You can choose which elements, such as categories or post names, appear in your URLs.

Step 4: Remove the Date Tag

Definition 9: Date Tag

In the custom structure field, you may see a tag like “%year%” or “%monthnum%.” Removing this tag will prevent WordPress from including the date in your URLs.

Step 5: Save Changes

Explanation:

By following these steps, you can customize your permalink structure to exclude the date and create cleaner URLs for your WordPress site.

Common Issues and Solutions

Definition 10: Issues

Issues are problems or challenges you might encounter while trying to remove dates from WordPress URLs.

Definition 11: Solutions

Solutions are the steps or actions you can take to address and resolve the issues.

Issue 1: 404 Errors

Definition 12: 404 Errors

A 404 error occurs when a webpage is not found. Removing dates from URLs can sometimes lead to 404 errors if not done correctly.

Solution 1: Set Up Redirects

To fix 404 errors, you can set up redirects to ensure that old URLs with dates redirect to the new ones without dates.

Issue 2: Broken Links

Definition 13: Broken Links

Broken links are links on your website that no longer work. Removing dates from URLs can break existing links.

Solution 2: Update Internal Links

To avoid broken links, you’ll need to update any internal links that point to pages with the old date-based URLs.

Issue 3: SEO Impact

Solution 3: Update Sitemaps

Updating your website’s sitemap can help search engines discover and index your new, date-free URLs.

20 How to Remove the Date From WordPress URLs

Now, let’s explore 20 methods to achieve this.

  1. Explanation: Go to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Settings > Permalinks, and select a permalink structure without the date.
  2. Benefits: This is a simple built-in option that doesn’t require technical knowledge.

Method 2: Use a Plugin

  1. Explanation: Install a plugin like “Simple URLs” or “Yoast SEO” to customize your permalinks, including removing dates.
  2. Benefits: Easy and user-friendly, even for beginners.

Method 3: Modify Theme Functions

  1. Explanation: Edit your theme’s functions.php file to remove dates from URLs using code snippets.
  2. Benefits: Customizable, but requires some coding knowledge.

Method 4: Use a Custom Post Type

  1. Explanation: Create a custom post type without dates, and move your content there.
  2. Benefits: Effective if you have a lot of dated content.

Method 5: Rewrite Rules

  1. Explanation: Modify your site’s .htaccess file or use a plugin to rewrite URLs without dates.
  2. Benefits: Offers flexibility but requires technical skills.

Method 6: Redirects

  1. Explanation: Set up redirects from dated URLs to new ones without dates.
  2. Benefits: Helps maintain SEO and user experience, but can be time-consuming for large sites.

Method 7: Custom Taxonomies

  1. Explanation: Create custom taxonomies for your content, eliminating the need for dates in URLs.
  2. Benefits: Useful for organizing content, but may require coding.

Method 8: Disable Date Display

  1. Explanation: Use CSS or a plugin to hide dates on your posts without changing the URLs.
  2. Benefits: Maintains URLs while removing date visibility.

Method 9: Content Silos

  1. Explanation: Organize your content into silos or categories without dates.
  2. Benefits: Enhances content organization and SEO.

Method 10: Third-party Services

  1. Explanation: Utilize services like the Wayback Machine to archive dated content and serve dateless URLs.
  2. Benefits: Preserves historical content while offering dateless URLs.

Method 11: Child Themes

  1. Explanation: Create a child theme and override parent theme functions to modify permalinks.
  2. Benefits: Maintains theme updates while customizing URLs.

Method 12: Database Query

  1. Explanation: Run a database query to remove dates from existing URLs.
  2. Benefits: Effective for large sites, but requires technical expertise.

Method 13: Use Post Types

  1. Explanation: Separate posts with dates from those without by using different post types.
  2. Benefits: Allows for content differentiation.

Method 14: Content Duplication

  1. Explanation: Create dateless copies of your content and redirect dated URLs to them.
  2. Benefits: Avoids losing traffic while transitioning.

Method 15: Category Base Removal

  1. Explanation: Remove category bases from URLs to simplify and remove date references.
  2. Benefits: Enhances URL cleanliness.

Method 16: Edit Old Posts

  1. Explanation: Manually remove dates from old posts by editing each one.
  2. Benefits: Gives full control, but can be time-consuming.

Method 17: Content Rewriting

  1. Explanation: Rewrite old content to make it evergreen, then update the URLs.
  2. Benefits: Ensures content remains relevant.

Method 18: Use Custom Fields

  1. Explanation: Use custom fields to add dates to content without displaying them in URLs.
  2. Benefits: Allows for date tracking without affecting URLs.

Method 19: CDN Rewriting

  1. Explanation: If using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), set up URL rewriting to remove dates.
  2. Benefits: Speeds up your site while maintaining clean URLs.

Method 20: Hire a Developer

  1. Explanation: If all else fails, consider hiring a developer to implement a custom solution.
  2. Benefits: Ensures a tailored solution but comes at a cost.

Conclusion:

Removing dates from WordPress URLs can enhance the user experience and improve SEO. By following our step-by-step guide and addressing common issues, you can successfully make your website’s URLs cleaner and more accessible. Remember that while removing dates can be beneficial, it’s essential to plan and execute the process carefully to avoid any negative impacts on your site’s traffic and ranking.

In conclusion, simplifying your WordPress URLs is a small but effective way to enhance your website’s overall performance and user-friendliness.

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Warning: Do not use this in emergencies, pregnancy, severe illness, or as a substitute for a doctor. For children or teens, use with a parent/guardian and clinician.
A rural-friendly guide: warning signs, when to see a doctor, related articles, tests to discuss, and OTC safety education.
1 Symptom 2 Severity 3 Safe guidance
First safety question

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Start here: Write or select a symptom. The guide will show warning signs, doctor guidance, diagnostic tests to discuss, OTC safety education, and related RX articles.

Important: This tool is educational only. It cannot diagnose, treat, or replace a doctor. OTC information is not a prescription. In an emergency, contact local emergency services or go to the nearest hospital.

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Prepare before seeing a doctor

A simple rural-patient checklist to help you explain symptoms clearly, ask better questions, and avoid unsafe self-treatment.

Safety note: This is not a prescription or diagnosis. For severe symptoms, pregnancy danger signs, children with serious illness, chest pain, breathing difficulty, stroke-like weakness, or major injury, seek urgent care.

Which doctor may help?

Start with a registered doctor or the nearest qualified health center.

What to tell the doctor

  • Write when the problem started and how it changed.
  • Bring old prescriptions, investigation reports, and current medicines.
  • Write allergies, pregnancy status, diabetes, kidney/liver disease, and major past illnesses.
  • Bring one family member if the patient is weak, elderly, confused, or a child.

Questions to ask

  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • Which danger signs mean I should go to hospital quickly?
  • Which tests are necessary now, and which can wait?
  • How should I take medicines safely and what side effects should I watch for?
  • When should I come for follow-up?

Tests to discuss

  • Vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen saturation
  • Basic physical examination by a clinician
  • CBC, urine test, blood sugar, or imaging only when clinically needed

Avoid these mistakes

  • Do not use antibiotics, steroid tablets/injections, or strong painkillers without proper medical advice.
  • Do not hide pregnancy, kidney disease, ulcer, allergy, or blood thinner use.
  • Do not delay emergency care when danger signs are present.

Medicine safety and first-aid guide

This section is for patient education only. It does not replace a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency care.

Safe first steps

  • Avoid heavy lifting, sudden bending, and prolonged bed rest.
  • Use comfortable posture and gentle movement as tolerated.
  • Discuss physiotherapy, X-ray, or MRI only when clinically needed.

OTC medicine safety

  • For mild back pain, pain-relief medicine may be discussed with a doctor or pharmacist.
  • Avoid repeated painkiller use if you have kidney disease, stomach ulcer, uncontrolled blood pressure, or are taking blood thinners.

Avoid these mistakes

  • Do not start antibiotics without a proper medical decision.
  • Do not use steroid tablets or injections casually for quick relief.
  • Do not delay emergency care because of home remedies.

Get urgent help if

  • Back pain with leg weakness, numbness around private area, loss of urine/stool control, fever, cancer history, or major injury needs urgent care.
Medicine names, dose, and timing must be decided by a qualified clinician or pharmacist after checking age, pregnancy, allergy, other diseases, and current medicines.

For rural patients and family caregivers

Patient health record and symptom diary

Write your symptoms, medicines already taken, test results, and questions before visiting a doctor. This note stays on your device unless you print or copy it.

Doctor to discuss: Doctor / qualified healthcare provider
Tests to discuss with doctor
  • Basic vital signs: temperature, pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level if needed
  • Relevant blood, urine, imaging, or specialist tests only after clinical assessment
Questions to ask
  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • Which warning signs mean I should go to emergency care?
  • Which tests are really needed now?
  • Which medicines are safe for my age, pregnancy status, allergy, kidney/liver/stomach condition, and current medicines?

Emergency warning signs such as chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, sudden weakness, confusion, severe dehydration, major injury, or loss of bladder/bowel control need urgent medical care. Do not wait for online information.

Safe pathway to proper treatment

Back pain care roadmap

Use this simple roadmap to understand the next safe steps. It is educational and does not replace examination by a doctor.

Go to emergency care if you notice:
  • New leg weakness, numbness around private area, or loss of bladder/bowel control
  • Back pain after major injury, fever, unexplained weight loss, cancer history, or severe night pain
Doctor / service to discuss: Orthopedic/spine specialist, physical medicine doctor, physiotherapist under guidance, or qualified clinician.
  1. Step 1

    Check danger signs first

    If danger signs are present, seek emergency care and do not wait for online information.

  2. Step 2

    Record the symptom story

    Write when symptoms started, severity, medicines already taken, allergies, pregnancy status, and test results.

  3. Step 3

    Visit a qualified clinician

    A doctor, nurse, or qualified healthcare provider can examine you and decide which tests or treatment are needed.

  4. Step 4

    Do only useful tests

    Discuss neurological examination first. X-ray or MRI may be needed only when red flags, injury, nerve weakness, or persistent severe symptoms are present.

  5. Step 5

    Follow up and return early if worse

    If symptoms worsen, new warning signs appear, or treatment is not helping, return for review quickly.

Rural patient practical tips
  • Take a written symptom diary and all previous prescriptions/test reports.
  • Do not hide medicines already taken, even herbal or over-the-counter medicines.
  • Ask which warning signs mean urgent referral to hospital.
  • Avoid forceful massage or bone-setting when there is weakness, injury, fever, or nerve symptoms.

This roadmap is for education. A real diagnosis and treatment plan requires history, examination, and clinical judgment.

RX Patient Help

Ask a health question safely

Write your symptom story. A health professional or site editor can review it before any answer is prepared. This box is not for emergency care.

Emergency first: Severe chest pain, breathing trouble, unconsciousness, stroke signs, severe injury, heavy bleeding, or rapidly worsening symptoms need urgent local medical care now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this article a replacement for a doctor?

No. It is educational content only. Patients should consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment.

When should I seek urgent care?

Seek urgent care for severe symptoms, rapidly worsening condition, breathing difficulty, severe pain, neurological changes, or any emergency warning sign.

References

Add references, clinical guidelines, textbooks, journal articles, or trusted medical sources here. You can edit this area from the RX Article Professional Blocks panel.

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