URL slugs are the readable portions of web addresses that identify specific articles. In journalism, a slug is the short, keyword-rich URL path that appears after your domain (e.g., /seattle-housing-crisis-2026). Strong slugs improve search engine optimization, create shareable links, and give readers context before clicking. According to Moz research, URLs with keywords see 45% higher click-through rates in search results than generic URLs. Mastering slug generation helps journalism reach wider audiences.
What is a Slug in Journalism?
A slug in journalism is the URL-friendly version of an article's title, typically 4-8 words separated by hyphens. The term originated from print journalism, where "slug" referred to the short name editors gave stories for identification. Today, slugs serve as the permanent web addresses for articles, appearing in search results, social shares, and browser address bars.
Example: An article titled "Investigation Reveals City Officials Ignored Safety Violations" might have the slug: city-ignored-apartment-safety-violations
Slug vs. URL vs. Permalink
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Slug | The URL path identifying the article | seattle-housing-costs-rise |
| URL | Complete web address including domain | https://news.com/seattle-housing-costs-rise |
| Permalink | Permanent URL that won't change | Same as URL, implies permanence |
What 7 Rules Create Effective News Article Slugs?
Effective slugs follow 7 essential rules: use primary keywords early, keep under 60 characters, use hyphens (not underscores), lowercase only, omit stop words, include numbers as digits, and match content type. Following these rules consistently improves SEO and user experience.
7 Rules for Journalism Slugs
| Rule | Good Example | Bad Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Keywords first | mayor-resigns-corruption |
breaking-news-about-mayor |
| 2. Under 60 characters | seattle-housing-40-percent-rise |
investigation-reveals-city-officials-ignored-safety-violations-buildings |
| 3. Hyphens (not underscores) | tax-increase-vote |
tax_increase_vote |
| 4. Lowercase only | google-layoffs-2026 |
Google-Layoffs-2026 |
| 5. Omit stop words | city-council-raises-taxes |
the-city-council-voted-to-raise-taxes |
| 6. Numbers as digits | housing-costs-rise-40-percent |
housing-costs-rise-forty-percent |
| 7. Match content type | Breaking: include date; Evergreen: omit | Dates on how-to guides |
How Should You Handle Different Article Types?
Breaking news, features, and evergreen content require different slug approaches. Breaking news needs dates or specific events. Features focus on subjects or themes. Evergreen content omits time-specific references. Matching slug style to content type maximizes long-term value.
Breaking News Slugs: Include dates or events for archival organization.
Example: mayor-resigns-corruption-march-2026 or seattle-bridge-collapse-november-27
Feature Slugs: Emphasize subjects and themes without dates.
Example: teacher-fights-school-funding-crisis or how-farmers-survive-drought
Evergreen Slugs: Omit all time references for maximum longevity.
Example: write-strong-news-leads or fact-check-claims-journalism
How Do You Convert Headlines to Slugs?
Most slugs derive from headlines with modifications for brevity and SEO. Follow this systematic process:
Step 1: Start with headline: "The City Council Voted to Increase Funding for Parks"
Step 2: Remove stop words: "City Council Voted Increase Funding Parks"
Step 3: Convert to lowercase with hyphens: city-council-votes-increase-park-funding
Step 4: Consider shorter alternative: council-increases-park-funding
What Slug Mistakes Hurt SEO?
These 5 common slug mistakes reduce search performance:
1. Generic language: new-policy-announced provides no specific information. Better: mayor-bans-plastic-bags
2. Auto-generated numbers: article-12847 gives zero context. Always use descriptive slugs.
3. Underscores instead of hyphens: Search engines treat housing_costs as one word. Use housing-costs.
4. Too many stop words: the-mayor-said-that-the-city-will-raise-taxes wastes characters. Use mayor-city-raise-taxes.
5. Missing keywords: local-news-story doesn't tell readers or search engines what the story is about.
Frequently Asked Questions About Journalism Slugs
What is the difference between a slug and a headline?
Headlines are written for readers and can be long, clever, or use punctuation. Slugs are written for URLs and must be short, lowercase, hyphenated, and keyword-focused. Headlines might change after publication; slugs should remain permanent to avoid broken links.
Should slugs include the publication date?
Include dates only for breaking news that needs archival organization. "mayor-resigns-march-2026" makes sense for news. "how-to-write-news-leads-2026" makes evergreen content appear dated unnecessarily.
Can I change a slug after publication?
Avoid changing slugs after publication—it breaks existing links and harms SEO. If you must change a slug, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one to preserve link equity and prevent 404 errors.
How long should a news article slug be?
Aim for 4-8 words and under 60 characters. Shorter slugs are easier to share and display fully in search results. Google displays roughly 50-60 characters of URLs, so staying under this limit ensures full visibility.
Can AI help generate article slugs?
Yes, AI tools like River's Slug Generator can create SEO-optimized slugs from headlines automatically. Input your headline and article type, and the AI generates keyword-rich slugs following all 7 best practices.
Generate slugs that include primary keywords first, use hyphens between words, and stay under 60 characters. Match slug style to content type: include dates for breaking news, emphasize subjects for features, omit dates from evergreen content. When URLs are descriptive and keyword-rich, your journalism becomes more discoverable. Use River's Slug Generator to create optimized slugs automatically.