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No Category Base (WPML)

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No Category Base (WPML)

by DigitalME

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Description

The Cleanest WordPress Category URL Plugin

WordPress adds a mandatory /category/ prefix to all your category URLs by default. No Category Base removes it completely — no setup, no code changes, no broken links.

By TRS Plugins | Pro ⭐ | Docs | Privacy Policy

What It Does

Turn URLs like this:
mysite.com/category/my-category/

Into this:
mysite.com/my-category/

The plugin works automatically the moment you activate it. No settings to configure, no WordPress core files to modify. It also handles 301 redirects from old URLs so your SEO is never impacted.

Who Is It For?

No Category Base is ideal for bloggers, store owners, agencies, and anyone who wants cleaner, more professional WordPress URLs.

It is especially useful for:

  • Stores using WooCommerce product categories
  • Content sites with deep category structures
  • Multilingual sites running WPML
  • Agencies managing multiple WordPress installations

Main Features

  • Removes /category/ base from all category permalinks automatically
  • No setup required — works out of the box
  • Handles 301 redirects from old category URLs
  • Compatible with subcategories and nested structures
  • Works with WordPress Multisite
  • Compatible with sitemap plugins
  • Zero overhead — barely affects site performance

Admin Settings Page

The plugin adds a settings page under Settings No Category Base with the following tabs:

  • Settings — View plugin status and flush rewrite rules
  • Help — Access the live demo and quick-start guide
  • ⭐ Go Pro — Unlock advanced permalink management features
  • URL Control (Pro) — Remove base slugs from tags and custom taxonomies
  • Conflict Handler (Pro) — Detect and resolve slug collisions
  • Redirects & 404 (Pro) — Manage redirects and track 404 errors
  • Dashboard (Pro) — Overview of URL changes, redirects, and SEO status
  • WPML Advanced (Pro) — Translated slugs and hreflang management
  • Import / Export (Pro) — Save and restore settings across sites

Compatible With

  • WooCommerce
  • Elementor
  • SureCart
  • EasyCart
  • WPML
  • WordPress Multisite
  • All major sitemap plugins

Pro Version

Upgrade to No Category Base Pro ⭐ to unlock:

  • Custom taxonomy base removal (tags, product categories, and more)
  • Conflict detection and one-click resolution
  • Redirect manager with hit counts and 404 tracking
  • Preview mode and rollback
  • WPML translated slug management and hreflang audit
  • Import/export settings across multiple sites

External Services

This plugin optionally sends usage data to TRS Plugins
when the site admin explicitly opts in. No data is collected without consent.
Data sent may include: admin name, email, site URL, WP/PHP version, and
plugin/theme list depending on the options selected.
Privacy policy: https://trsplugins.com/privacy-policy/

  1. Upload the no-category-base-wpml folder to the ‘/wp-content/plugins/’ directory
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
  3. That’s it! You should now be able to access your categories via mysite.com/my-category/
  1. Look Ma, No Category Base!

    Look Ma, No Category Base!

Why should I use this plugin?

Use this plugin if you want to get rid of WordPress’ “Category base” completely. The normal behavior of WordPress is to add ‘/category’ to your category permalinks if you leave “Category base” blank in the Permalink settings. So your category links look like ‘mysite.com/category/my-category/’. With this plugin your category links will look like ‘mysite.com/my-category/’ (or ‘mysite.com/my-category/sub-category/’ in case of sub categories).

Will it break any other plugins?

As far as I can tell, no. We have been using this on several sites for a while and it doesn’t break anything.

Won’t this conflict with pages?

Simply don’t have a page and category with the same slug. Even if they do have the same slug it won’t break anything, just the category will get priority (Say if a category and page are both ‘xyz’ then ‘mysite.com/xyz/’ will give you the category). This can have an useful side-effect. Suppose you have a category ‘news’, you can add a page ‘news’ which will show up in the page navigation but will show the ‘news’ category.

Do I need WPML to use it?

No, you can use this plugin without having WPML installed.

Can you add a feature X?

Just ask on the support forum. If its useful enough and we have time for it, sure.

I get 404 errors when I deactivate the plugin. What can I do?

When you deactivate the plugin, you need to tell WordPress to refresh its permalink rules. This is easy to do.

Go to Settings -> Permalinks and then click on Save Changes.

Will removing the category base hurt my SEO?

No. The plugin automatically sets up 301 redirects from old URLs to the new ones, preserving your SEO rankings.

Does it work with WooCommerce product categories?

Yes, it is compatible with WooCommerce.

Does it work with custom taxonomies?

The free version handles WordPress categories only. Custom taxonomy base removal is available in the Pro version.

Will it work with my caching plugin?

Yes. After activating, simply clear your cache and the new URLs will work correctly.

Does it work with Yoast SEO or Rank Math?

Yes, No Category Base is compatible with major SEO plugins including Yoast SEO and Rank Math.

Do I need to reconfigure anything after updating WordPress?

No. The plugin maintains its rules automatically across WordPress updates.

Adware

By gabbsmo (Gabbsmo) on April 12, 2026

Since the latest updated a modal popup is shown in the dashboard to prompt you to opt-in to personal data collection for marketing purposes.

Perfect !

By mengeco on November 6, 2024

I had tested with Yoast but my pages were in 404. With this plugin, no problem since it ensures the redirection. Thank you very much!!

Life saving plugin

By delrod on December 7, 2023

This plugin works well.

Light and does the job as described.

Good!

By Jakob Helmer (Jakobuz) on June 3, 2023

Thanks for this plugin!

Working

By Web Building (webbuilding) on January 24, 2023

Working!

It does not work with custom taxonomies and custom post type.

By ricardofrdrc on March 27, 2021

It does not work with custom taxonomies and custom post type.

Quick Relif From Sub-Category 404 Problem

By Imran Sayyad (sayyadimran) on October 30, 2020

Thanks to developers, the feature to support multiple sub category URL. Very much appreciated.

Great plugin

By Lígia 'Lilly' Freitas (lfreitas) on May 22, 2020

The right substitute to "WP No Category Base" that is no longer being updated.

Hacklenmiş

By elbisesi on November 6, 2019

This plugins hacker or hacked (terrout1.biz and traficsend hack) not load and not active

It saved my website structure!

By Gina Anagnostopoulou (ginatraveler) on July 30, 2019

Great and simple plugin, performing exactly as it is supposed to. Thank you.

1.5.4

  • Updated: Refreshed plugin description with full feature overview and admin menu documentation
  • Added: Pro version feature highlights

1.5.3

  • Updated: Plugin homepage and branding to TRS Plugins
  • Added: Privacy policy link
  • Added: Compatibility notes for WooCommerce, Elementor, SureCart, and EasyCart
  • Maintenance and stability improvements

1.5.2

  • Added: Optional usage analytics to help improve the plugin (opt-in, disabled by default)
  • Maintenance and stability improvements

1.5.1

  • Maintenance release

1.4

  • Plugin ownership transferred to DigitalME
  • Updated author information and links
  • Confirmed compatibility with latest WordPress versions

1.3

  • Bug fix provided by Albin.

1.2

  • Plugin transferred to Marios Alexandrou. Support and development resumed.
  • Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 4.4.2.

1.1.5

  • Added support for custom pagination_base.

1.1.0

  • Fixed compatibility for WordPress 3.4.

1.0.0

  • Initial release.
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