How to Remove Category Base in CranSEO #

By default, WordPress includes /category/ in category URLs (e.g., example.com/category/seo-tips/). Removing the category base can create cleaner URLs, which can be beneficial for SEO and user experience. CranSEO makes this process simple.

Step 1: Enable Category Base Removal in CranSEO #

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to CranSEO > Settings > SEO Tweaks.
3. Look for the option Remove Category Base.
4. Toggle it ON to enable category base removal.
5. Click Save Changes.

Step 2: Flush Permalinks #

1. After enabling the setting, go to Settings > Permalinks.
2. Scroll down and click Save Changes (even if you didn’t modify anything). This forces WordPress to refresh the permalink structure.

Step 3: Test Your URLs #

1. Open a category page (e.g., example.com/seo-tips/ instead of example.com/category/seo-tips/).
2. Ensure that it loads correctly without a 404 error.
3. Try accessing the old URL (example.com/category/seo-tips/) to confirm it automatically redirects to the new URL.

Step 4: Update Your Sitemap (Optional) #

1. Navigate to CranSEO > Sitemap.
2. Click Regenerate Sitemap to reflect the updated URL structure.
3. Resubmit your sitemap in Google Search Console (yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).

Troubleshooting #

• If the old /category/ URLs don’t redirect, clear your site’s cache and re-save the permalinks.
• If you use a caching or redirection plugin, check its settings to ensure it’s not interfering.

---

#