With ACF (Advanced Custom Fields), you can register custom post types and taxonomies without writing code, right from the WordPress admin. Their URL structure, however, cannot be freely customized through ACF alone.
By default, ACF post types use the same slug-based URL structure as standard WordPress content types. WordPress does not provide a built-in way to include taxonomy terms, custom field values, or other dynamic segments in those URLs.
This guide explains how to fully customize ACF permalinks with Permalink Manager Pro. From adjusting a single URL to reorganizing the permalink format for all posts in a post type, everything can be done through the built-in permastructure editor without writing any code.
Key Takeaways
- ACF uses WordPress’s native
register_post_type()function, which restricts URL structures to a fixed slug prefix. - WordPress does not allow multiple post types to share the same URL base. Permalink Manager fixes this by storing and matching full permalinks, avoiding rewrite rules conflicts.
- Permalink Manager allows to completely customize URLs for all ACF post types and taxonomies. You can insert ACF field values and taxonomy terms into your URLs using dynamic tags like
%field_name%.
How to Change ACF Permalinks with Permalink Manager
How to Edit Individual Permalinks
The custom permalink editor, added by Permalink Manager to every post edit screen, offers a straightforward way to change the permalink for any custom post type or custom taxonomy created with ACF.
It works much like the standard WordPress permalink editor. The difference is that you are not limited to the slug (last part of the URL) and you can adjust the entire permalink.
- Open the post in the WordPress editor.
- If you are using the Classic Editor, click the "Permalink Manager" button located just below the title field. For the Block Editor, you will find the editor already visible in the sidebar.
- Replace the existing permalink with the custom one, for example
/london/senior-barista/. - Save the post to apply the change.
For larger websites, the Bulk URI Editor lets you edit multiple permalinks in one screen (grouped by post type and taxonomy). This makes it quicker than editing posts one by one when restructuring a group of URLs.
How to Change the Permalink Structure for an ACF Post Type
You can use the plugin to bulk change ACF permalink structures in several ways, such as:
- removing the post type slug,
- using the same URL base for mulitple ACF content types,
- or adding taxonomy terms to custom post type URLs.
The Permastructures editor lets you make these changes in a few clicks, without writing and implementing code snippets. Follow the steps below to set up your permalink structure.
- Go to "Permalink Manager -> Permastructures" in your WordPress admin.
- Find the ACF post type you want to modify.
- Replace the existing pattern with your new structure using the available tags.
- Click Save. The structure applies to new posts immediately.
- To update existing posts, open the "Regnerate/reset" tool and run it for the selected post type.
Using Custom Fields in Permalinks for ACF Post Types
One of Permalink Manager’s unique features is the ability to add custom fields to custom post types' permalinks. It is currently the only actively maintained plugin that offer this functionality, as other plugins with similar features are no longer maintained.
The plugin supports custom post types, taxonomies, and all standard field types managed by ACF. You can combine multiple fields within a single permalink structure to create URLs that reflect your content relationships and hierarchy, without writing complex PHP code snippets.
A custom field value may be interpreted as another parent or child slug, which can lead to unexpected 404 errors.
Can You Customize URL Structures for ACF Post Types?
Why ACF Does Not Support Custom Permalink Structures Natively
ACF is commonly used to register custom post types and taxonomies. However, if you need to customize their permalink structures, neither ACF nor WordPress provides a built-in setting to create a fully custom URL structure.
A custom post type normally uses its registered slug as the URL base. This slug can be changed when the post type is registered, but the general permalink structure remains controlled by WordPress.
The same applies to ACF content types. ACF does not modify or extend the default permalink system, so these URLs use the same rewrite rules as custom post types and taxonomies registered with
register_post_type()
or
register_taxonomy()
functions.
For example, if you register the post types
job
and
event
, and the taxonomy
city
, WordPress will generate URLs such as:
| Post type / taxonomy slug | Title | Default URL |
|---|---|---|
job
| Senior Barista |
https://example.com/job/senior-barista/
|
event
| World of Coffee 2026 |
https://example.com/event/world-of-coffee-2026/
|
city
| Brussels |
https://example.com/city/europe/belgium/brussels/
|
The base, such as
/job/
, can be renamed, but this is the only part of the URL structure that can be changed.
ACF does not provide a built-in option to create a different structure, such as
/%city%/%job%/
(for example,
/brussels/senior-barista/
), where the URL reflects the content hierarchy or is generated from values stored in custom fields (ACF Support Forums, 2023).
When a Plugin Is Better Than a Custom Code Snippet
Simple permalink changes can often be handled with custom code and WordPress rewrite rules. You can find many examples online or generate your own code snippet with a prompt in AI/LLM tools.
More advanced permalink structures can increase the risk of URL conflicts and other issues. A common problem is an ambiguous permalink structure, where WordPress may match a URL to the wrong content type or return a 404 error.
Most popular custom permalink plugins work around this by using their own URL-matching logic instead of relying solely on rewrite rules.
Permalink Manager, for example, stores complete permalinks and uses them for URL matching instead of relying only on the URL patterns defined by rewrite rules.
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