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%.
Why Can't You Change ACF Permalink Structures in WordPress Settings?
WordPress resolves URLs by processing its rewrite rules from top to bottom and stopping at the first matching rule. As a result, each custom post type requires a unique base slug.
ACF does not change this behavior and uses the same rewrite rules system as any custom post type registered through
register_post_type()
.
For instance, registering a post type with the slug
jobs
results in URLs such as:
| Post type / taxonomy slug | Title | Default URL |
|---|---|---|
jobs
| Senior Barista |
https://example.com/jobs/senior-barista/
|
city
| Brussels |
https://example.com/city/europe/belgium/brussels/
|
event
| World of Coffee 2026 |
https://example.com/event/world-of-coffee-2026/
|
None of those URLs carry context about category, location, or date. According to the ACF support forums, dynamic URL structures that include taxonomy terms, custom field values, or hierarchical paths require a custom solution (ACF Support Forums, 2023).
This functionality is not available in ACF alone. Permalink Manager solves this by bypassing rewrite rules and using direct URL matching, so two post types or taxonomies can share a base without conflict.
How to Edit Individual ACF 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 Bulk Change ACF URL Structures
If you need to apply a new URL pattern to an entire post type, the Permastructures editor will handle it for you. Instead of editing posts one by one, it applies a dynamic template to all items in the post type at once.
- 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.
ACF Permalink Customization: Practical Examples
Add ACF Custom Field Values to URLs
Permalink Manager lets you embed ACF custom field values directly in the URL. Unlike AI-generated code snippets that cause 404 errors, you can implement this directly from the admin dashboard without any extra PHP code.
For a full walkthrough of this specific feature, see our guide on adding custom fields to WordPress permalinks.
Remove the Post Type Slug from ACF URLs
The "rewrite slugs" make permalinks longer and harder to read. With Permalink Manager, you can remove the post type and taxonomy slugs from your content. A post at
example.com/jobs/senior-barista/
becomes
example.com/senior-barista/
.
This is most useful when the post type functions like a standard page and the base slug adds no navigation value.
Use the Same URL Base for Different ACF Post Types
Permalink Manager allows you to do more than just remove rewrite slugs from ACF permalinks. It can also be very useful if you want to implement silo architecture and use the same permalink structure to different types of content.
WordPress’ built-in permalink system is limited, and ACF alone does not allow to override it. Permalink Manager solves this by letting you assign custom permalinks to your content items.
This can be helpful for websites that organize content hierarchically with multiple post types or taxonomies. You can duplicate slugs and use the same permalink format for all of them to reflect relationships between them directly in the URL.
Add ACF Taxonomy Terms to Custom Post Type URLs
Permalink Manager lets you add the slug of custom taxonomy terms to the custom post type URLs.This makes the permalink even more descriptive and helps visitors understand the content hierarchy at a glance.
How to Add ACF Field Value to WordPress URL?
Permalink Manager Pro allows you to include ACF custom field values directly in your permalinks. This can make your URLs more descriptive and can help reflect data relationships or hierarchies stored in custom fields.
To use custom field meta keys in your permalinks, format them like
%__field_name%
, replacing field_name with your actual ACF field key. Once set up, Permalink Manager will automatically generate URLs based on the values of these fields whenever you save or update a post.
This works with a variety of ACF field types, including Text, Number, Relationship, Taxonomy, Select, Post Object, and Date Picker. You can include a single field or combine multiple fields in one permalink structure.
FAQ
Why ACF Permalinks Can’t Be Changed in WordPress Settings?
By default, WordPress requires a unique slug in the permalink structure for every custom post type and taxonomy. The built-in permalinks system depends on this slug to correctly resolve URLs and determine which content should load.
When WordPress parses a URL, it loops through the rewrite rules array and stops at the first matching rule. If multiple post types and taxonomies share the same permalink structure, WordPress applies only the first rule, ignoring the rest and displaying 404 errors for their items.
Custom post types and taxonomies created with ACF use WordPress’s standard permalink system. ACF does not change how these URLs are built, so the structure follows the post type or taxonomy slug you define, e.g.:
| Post type/taxonomy slug | Title | Final URL |
|---|---|---|
| jobs | Senior Barista | https://example.com/jobs/senior-barista/ |
| city | Brussels | https://example.com/city/europe/belgium/brussels/ |
If you need more granular control over your URL structures, Permalink Manager can work around this. It does not rely on standard rewrite rules. Instead, it checks the entire URL for an exact match.
This allows full permalink customization, including using the same permalink base for different post types or taxonomies.
How to Fix 404 Errors After Registering ACF Post Types
If your new custom post type items show a "Page Not Found" (404) error, it is likely because WordPress does not recognize the new link structure yet. To fix this, go to "Settings -> Permalinks" and click Save Changes to flush rewrite rules.
Another common cause is a slug conflict. If multiple content types use the same URL structure, WordPress load only the first matching content type and return "404 error" for other content types using the same URL structure.
Can I Use an ACF Relationship Field in a Permalink?
By default, you cannot use an ACF Relationship field directly inside a WordPress permalink structure. Since the Relationship field stores referenced post IDs rather than native rewrite variables, WordPress cannot resolve it automatically in the URL.
You can work around this limitation with the Permalink Manager. It allows you to include ACF Relationship field in custom permalinks, since the plugin stores permalinks statically rather than relying on the dynamic WordPress rewrite system.
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