How to write SEO-friendly URL slugs

By the FreeAllTool team · Published January 2, 2026

A URL slug is the part of a web address that names a specific page. In freealltool.com/tools/word-counter.html, the slug is word-counter. It is a small detail, but a clean slug makes a link easier to read, share and trust.

Why slugs matter

People see the address in search results, in messages and when they hover over a link. A slug like /how-to-calculate-gst tells them what to expect before they click. A slug like /p?id=48213&ref=x tells them nothing. Search engines also read the words in a URL as a small hint about the page’s topic.

Rules for a good slug

Use lowercase letters. Some servers treat uppercase and lowercase as different addresses, which can create broken links.
Separate words with hyphens. Hyphens are widely read as spaces. Underscores and spaces are less reliable.
Keep it short. Three to five meaningful words is usually enough. Drop filler words like a, the and of if the meaning stays clear.
Describe the content. Use the main words someone would search for, without repeating them.
Avoid special characters. Characters such as &, %, ? and # have special meanings in URLs and can cause errors.
Leave out dates unless they matter. A slug like /best-tips-2024 looks outdated the following year, even if you update the article.

Examples

An article titled “10 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Electricity Bill This Summer” could have the slug save-money-electricity-bill. A recipe for “Mom’s Easy Masala Chai” could use easy-masala-chai.

Do not change slugs casually

Once a page is published and shared, other sites and search engines link to its address. If you change the slug, set up a permanent (301) redirect from the old address to the new one, or visitors will land on an error page.

Create a slug in seconds

Paste your title into our case converter and choose the url-slug option. It lowercases the text, removes symbols and replaces spaces with hyphens. Then trim any words you do not need.