How to Remove “WordPress” or “WP” from the Website URL?

Have you ever looked at your WordPress site’s URL and cringed at the sight of “/wordpress/” or “/wp/” tacked on the end? I feel your pain.

As a WordPress agency owner, I’ve encountered this frustration countless times, both for my own projects and those of my clients.

The good news? You’re not stuck with it. Let’s dive into how you can clean up that URL and give your site a more professional look.

Why Does This Even Matter?

Before we jump into the how-to, let’s talk about why you might want to remove these telltale WordPress indicators from your URL:

• Professionalism: A clean URL looks more polished and custom-built.
• Branding: Your domain should reflect your brand, not your CMS.
• SEO: While not a major factor, cleaner URLs can be more user-friendly and potentially help with search engine optimization.

Now, let’s explore two methods to achieve this URL makeover. Don’t worry – I’ll guide you through each step, keeping things simple and beginner-friendly.

Method 1: Change the Site Address

This approach is perfect for most established WordPress sites and doesn’t require extensive technical know-how. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Settings” menu and click on “General”.
3. Look for two URL fields: “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)”.
4. In the “Site Address (URL)” field only, remove “/wordpress/” or “/wp/” from the end.
5. Leave the “WordPress Address (URL)” field as is.
6. Click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page.

Voila! Your site’s front-end URL should now be clean and WordPress-free.

But hold on – there’s a catch. This method might not update existing media URLs that still contain “/wordpress/” in their path. Don’t fret, though.

You have options:

• Use a plugin like “Velvet Blues Update URLs” to bulk update your media links.
• Manually update media URLs (time-consuming but thorough).

Method 2: Reinstall WordPress in the Root Directory

If you’re setting up a new site or don’t mind a bit more complexity, this method ensures a clean URL structure from the ground up. Fair warning: this process involves working with your server files, so proceed with caution.

Before we start, create a full backup of your WordPress site. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later if anything goes sideways.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Access your server’s files via FTP or your web hosting control panel’s file manager.
2. Locate and delete the existing “wordpress” folder.
3. Download the latest WordPress installation file from wordpress.org.
4. Upload the WordPress zip file to your website’s root directory (usually public_html). This is where your main website files reside, typically one level above the “/wordpress/” folder.
5. Extract the zip file in this location.
6. Run the WordPress installation process again by visiting yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php.
7. During installation, choose to keep your existing database to preserve your content.

After completing these steps, you’ll need to set up redirects to ensure old URLs with “/wordpress/” still work. You can use plugins like “Redirection” or edit your “.htaccess” file (proceed with caution if you’re not familiar with server configurations).

Post-Change Considerations

Whichever method you choose, keep these points in mind:

1. Broken Links: You might encounter some broken links on your site. Take the time to update URLs in your posts, pages, and menus.
2. Redirects: Set up redirects from your old URLs to the new ones. This helps both visitors and search engines find your content without hiccups.
3. Plugin Assistance: Consider using SEO plugins like RankMath SEO, which can help manage redirects and update your sitemap.
4. Testing: Thoroughly test your site after making these changes. Click through pages, test forms, and ensure everything functions as expected.

Conclusion

Removing “WordPress” or “WP” from your URL might seem like a small change, but it can have a big impact on your site’s perception. Whether you opt for the quick settings change or the more involved reinstallation process, you’re taking a step towards a more professional-looking website.

Remember, WordPress is incredibly flexible. Don’t let default settings hold you back from creating the exact site you envision.

So, now that you’ve cleaned up your URL, what’s next on your WordPress optimization journey? Perhaps it’s time to explore caching for faster load times or dive into custom post types for more tailored content?

I’d love to hear about your experiences with URL changes or any questions you might have. Drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going!

And hey, while you’re here, why not explore our other blog articles related to WordPress? From performance tips to design tricks, we’ve got a wealth of information to help you on your WordPress journey.