WordPress automatically adds a rewrite slug to custom post type and taxonomy URLs. For example, a custom post type named book may use /book/book-title/, while a taxonomy may use /genre/fiction/.
If you want cleaner URLs such as /book-title/ or /fiction/, you need to not only change the permalink structure, but also make sure WordPress can still resolve the shortened URLs correctly.
The rewrite slugs help WordPress distinguish different content types and cannot usually be removed through the standard permalink settings. Removing them usually requires custom code or workarounds that can lead to URL conflicts and 404 errors.
Permalink Manager handles this without code and lets you remove these slugs directly from the WordPress admin dashboard.
How to Remove Custom Post Type and Taxonomy Slugs?
Remove Custom Post Type and Taxonomy Slugs in Bulk
If your website uses multiple custom post types or taxonomies, changing their URL structures can be complicated. Using Permalink Manager you can remove the bases from multiple content types at once. You can optionally apply the updated permalink structures to existing URLs.
To automatically remove post type and taxonomy slugs from new URLs, use the Permastructures settings, available under "Tools → Permalink Manager → Permastructures" in your WordPress admin dashboard.
You can define a separate permalink structure for each post type and taxonomy. To remove a slug, delete the default base from the input field for the custom post type or taxonomy where you do not want to use it.
Once you save the settings, the removed slug will no longer be included in the permalinks generated for new posts or terms.
Update Existing URLs After Removing the Slug
If you want to apply a new URL structure to existing WordPress URLs, use the Regenerate/reset tool to regenerate them. You can skip this step if you have not added any posts or terms yet.
The Regenerate/reset tool updates all existing URLs to match the new structure. If you only need to change a few permalinks, you can also overwrite them individually.
Remove Slugs from Individual Custom Post Type URLs
If you do not want to update all your CPT URLs in bulk, Permalink Manager lets you change custom permalinks individually. You can use this to remove slugs from individual URLs as well.
Why Do I Need a Plugin or Custom Code to Remove the Rewrite Base?'
WordPress does not include a built-in setting for removing the rewrite base from custom post type (CPT) or custom taxonomy URLs. The Settings → Permalinks screen lets you change the permalink structure for standard posts, but not for custom content types or taxonomies.
You can change the rewrite slug in register_post_type() or register_taxonomy(), but leaving it empty will not remove the base. WordPress uses the post type or taxonomy name as a fallback.
A common workaround is to set the rewrite slug to / or .. However, neither approach reliably removes the base, and both can cause problems with other URLs on your site because WordPress uses this setting to generate rewrite rules.
Without a rewrite base, CPT permalinks share the same URL structure as standard post and page permalinks. For instance, example.com/sample-item/ could resolve to several different content types.
WordPress checks its rewrite rules in order and uses the first match. If the wrong rule matches, WordPress may return a 404 error or load a different item with the same slug.
Removing a CPT base requires more than a change to the rewrite argument. WordPress must distinguish between posts, pages, custom post type items, and taxonomy terms when resolving URLs that do not contain the CPT base.
Permalink Manager handles this by matching the requested URL against its stored custom permalinks, rather than relying on WordPress rewrite rules.
FAQ
How Do I Remove a Taxonomy Slug from WordPress URLs?
If you want to remove a taxonomy slug in WordPress, please follow the same instructions as for custom post type permalinks.
Permalink Manager handles custom post types and taxonomies as separate content types, each with its own Permastructure setting. This means you can strip the rewrite base from a taxonomy URL without affecting your CPT URLs, and the other way around.
What Content Types Does Permalink Manager Support?
Permalink Manager supports built-in WordPress post types and taxonomies including posts and pages, categories and tags. The plugin also fully supports custom post types and custom taxonomies controlled by 3rd party themes or plugins.
This includes custom post types and taxonomies declared with popular WordPress builders and field management plugins such as WooCommerce, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Toolset, JetEngine, and similar tools.
The plugin automatically detects all registered content types, so you can access them in the Permastructures settings and change their permalinks individually.
Will Removing Post Type and Taxonomy Slugs Affect SEO?
Google recommends using clear and understandable URLs. One way to do this is to remove slugs from custom post type and taxonomy URLs.
This is fine for a new website that has not been indexed yet and has no existing backlinks. For an established website, however, you should not change existing URLs just for this reason.
If you change already indexed URLs without setting up the redirects, visitors may encounter broken links and search engines may need some time to reindex the affected pages. Keeping existing URLs unchanged is usually the safest approach.
Permalink Manager uses a granular approach to prevent unwanted URL changes. New settings apply to new posts and terms, while existing content keeps its current URLs until you explicitly use the "Regenerate/reset" tool.
The plugin also automatically redirects old URLs to the new ones, so visitors are sent from the original permalink to its updated version instead of seeing a 404 error.