JournalismFree
Write clean URL slugs for articles
Paste a headline or story and get short, readable URL slugs built on the words readers would search, with a recommended pick.
River turns a headline or story into a few short URL slugs, the readable part of a web address after the last slash. Each option keeps the words a reader would actually search for, drops filler, and stays readable to a person who sees the link in a message or a search result.
A slug outlives the headline. Headlines change during the day, but the address usually should not, because changing it after publication breaks links unless a redirect is set up. River writes slugs that will still be accurate if the headline is revised.
It is for web producers, digital editors, bloggers and newsletter writers publishing on a content management system that asks for a slug.
What makes a good slug
Google's guidance on URL structure recommends simple, descriptive URLs with readable words and hyphens between them rather than long strings of numbers or codes. In practice that means lowercase letters, hyphens instead of spaces or underscores, and the key subject words near the start.
Shorter is usually better, but not at the cost of meaning. Small words like the, a and of can usually go. Names, places and the specific subject should stay. Avoid words that may soon be wrong, such as today, latest or breaking, and avoid details likely to change as the story develops, such as an early casualty count.
Once an article is published and shared, treat its slug as permanent. If it must change, the old address should redirect to the new one so existing links still work. Many publishing systems add a date or ID automatically; follow your site's existing pattern rather than adding your own.
How it works
Paste the headline
Paste the headline, or the story if the headline is not final.
River finds key words
It keeps names, places and the subject; drops filler.
Get the options
Several slugs, each with a note, plus a recommended pick.
Adjust in chat
Tell River your site's pattern and it matches it.
What you get
- Three to five slug options in lowercase with hyphens
- The searchable subject words kept, filler words dropped
- Flags on words that will date quickly or details likely to change
- A recommended pick, with a one-line reason
- A reminder to redirect the old address if a published slug ever changes
Common questions
Should a slug include the date?
Only if your site's system already uses dates in its addresses. Many news sites add a date or ID automatically. Adding one yourself, or words like today, makes the address look stale later and does not help readers find the story.
Can I change a slug after the story is published?
Avoid it. Shared links, search results and other sites point to the original address. If you must change it, set up a redirect from the old address to the new one so those links keep working.
How long should a slug be?
There is no fixed rule. Aim for the fewest words that still tell a person what the story is about, usually a handful. River keeps the subject, names and places and drops words that add nothing.
Should the slug match the headline exactly?
No. Headlines are written to be read and are often revised. A slug only needs the core subject in plain words, so it stays accurate if the headline changes.
Write clean URL slugs for articles
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.