What is a slug in a URL?

A URL slug is the part of a web address that comes after the domain name and identifies a specific page. For example, in https://example.com/free-seo-tools, the slug is free-seo-tools. It is written in lowercase, with words separated by hyphens, and describes the content of the page in a readable, keyword-rich format.

What is an example of a URL slug?

If your page title is "10 Best Free SEO Tools for Small Businesses", a well-formed slug would be 10-best-free-seo-tools-for-small-businesses or, with stop words removed, 10-best-free-seo-tools-small-businesses. Both are valid. Shorter slugs are generally preferred because they are easier to share and read.

How to create a URL slug?

To create a URL slug: (1) take your page title or target keyword, (2) convert it to lowercase, (3) replace spaces and special characters with hyphens, (4) remove punctuation and accented characters, and (5) optionally strip common stop words like "the", "and", and "of". This URL slug generator does all of that automatically as you type.

How to make a URL slug that is good for SEO?

A good SEO slug is short, includes the primary keyword, uses hyphens as separators (not underscores or spaces), is all lowercase, and avoids unnecessary stop words, dates, or ID numbers. Google uses the slug to understand what a page is about, so keeping it descriptive and concise helps with both rankings and click-through rate.

What is a slug in a link?

In a link, the slug is the human-readable segment at the end of the URL path that identifies the specific page. Unlike query parameters (which use ? and =), a slug is part of the clean URL structure and is indexed by search engines. It is sometimes called a "permalink" or "URL handle" in CMS platforms like WordPress or Shopify.

Should I use hyphens or underscores in a URL slug?

Google recommends hyphens over underscores. Hyphens are treated as word separators by search engines, so best-seo-tools is read as three separate words. Underscores were historically treated as character joiners, meaning best_seo_tools could be read as a single token. Our generator defaults to hyphens for this reason.

What are the best free URL generators?

The best free URL slug generators convert a page title or keyword into a clean, SEO-friendly slug with no sign-up required. RankSpot's free URL slug generator supports hyphen and underscore separators, optional stop word removal, a one-click copy button, and a character count hint. It works entirely in your browser with instant results as you type.

Free SEO Tool

Free URL Slug Generator

Convert any page title or keyword into a clean, SEO-friendly URL slug in seconds. No sign-up required.

Page title or keyword

Separator:

Remove stop words

How to use the URL slug generator

1. Enter your title

Paste a page title, blog post heading, or keyword phrase into the field above.

2. Choose your options

Pick a separator (hyphen or underscore) and optionally remove stop words to keep the slug concise.

3. Copy and use it

Your slug appears instantly. Hit Copy and paste it straight into your CMS or codebase.

What is a URL slug?

A URL slug is the human-readable segment at the end of a web address that identifies a specific page. In the URL https://example.com/seo-tools-for-beginners, the slug is seo-tools-for-beginners.

Well-formed slugs are lowercase, use hyphens as separators, avoid special characters, and include the target keyword for the page. They matter for both SEO (search engines read them to understand page content) and user experience (they tell visitors what to expect before clicking a link).

The process of converting a title to a slug is sometimes called slugifying. This free text to URL slug converter slugifies any text instantly, following the conventions that Google and most CMS platforms expect.

Why URL slugs matter for SEO

Google uses the words in your URL to help determine what a page is about. A clear, keyword-rich slug sends a relevance signal that supports your rankings, especially for competitive queries where every on-page signal counts.

Slugs also affect click-through rate. When a search result URL clearly reflects the page topic, users are more likely to click it. A messy URL with IDs or timestamps (like /p=2948) signals less trustworthiness than a clean slug like /free-seo-tools.

Once a slug is live and indexed, changing it requires a 301 redirect to avoid losing link equity. Getting the slug right from the start saves you that headache.

Best practices for URL slugs

Include your primary keyword

Put the most important keyword near the start of the slug so search engines and users see it immediately.

Keep it short

Aim for 3-5 words. Long slugs are harder to share and can get truncated in search results.

Use hyphens, not underscores

Google treats hyphens as word separators. Underscores can cause words to be read as one token.

Avoid dates and IDs

Slugs with /2024/03/15/ or ?id=123 are harder to update and can hurt long-term SEO when the content is refreshed.

Frequently asked questions

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