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Remove Category URL – Remove 'category' base from category permalinks

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Remove Category URL – Remove 'category' base from category permalinks

by Themeisle

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Description

Remove Category URL strips the /category/ base from your category URLs, turning something like /category/my-category/ into simply /my-category/.

Just activate, and you’re done. No configuration needed.

Features

  • Creates cleaner URLs like mydomain.com/my-category/ and mydomain.com/my-category/my-post/
  • Works out of the box with no settings to configure
  • Supports multiple sub-categories
  • Automatically 301 redirects old category URLs to the new structure (SEO-friendly)
  • Sitemaps are automatically updated with the new URLs after activation
  • Compatible with WordPress Multisite, WPML, and popular sitemap plugins

Why remove /category/ from URLs?

The /category/ base in WordPress URLs is there by default, but it doesn’t help your visitors or search engines understand your content any better. When you remove /category/ from URLs, you get cleaner paths like mydomain.com/news/ instead of mydomain.com/category/news/. They’re shorter, easier to remember and share, and more consistent with how your pages are already structured.

Shorter URLs also tend to look better in search results and make your site feel more polished overall. Removing the category base is a small change that makes your whole URL structure cleaner.

Support

We’re here to help. Feel free to open a new thread on the Support Forum.

Useful Resources

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New
  2. In the Search field, type “Remove Category URL”
  3. Under “Remove Category URL” by Themeisle, click the Install Now link
  4. Once the process is complete, click the Activate Plugin link

You’re done! No configuration is needed.

Will this break my existing links?

No. The plugin automatically redirects your old category URLs to the new shorter ones using 301 redirects. So if someone visits mydomain.com/category/my-category/, they’ll be seamlessly redirected to mydomain.com/my-category/.

What happens if a page or other content has the same slug as a category?

The category will take priority. So if you have both a category and a page with the slug travel, visiting mydomain.com/travel/ will load the category archive, not the page. To avoid conflicts, make sure your categories don’t share slugs with pages, posts, or other content on your site.

Does this remove the base from other taxonomies like WooCommerce product categories?

No, this plugin only affects the built-in WordPress category taxonomy. For WooCommerce, you’d need a different solution.

What happens if I deactivate the plugin?

If you deactivate the plugin, your category URLs will revert to the default WordPress structure with /category/ in the path.

If you only deactivate the plugin without uninstalling it, you will need to flush permalinks manually. You can do this by going to Settings > Permalinks and clicking Save Changes.

If you uninstall the plugin, permalinks are flushed automatically.

Note that after deactivation, links pointing to the shortened URLs will no longer work unless you set up your own redirects.

I uninstalled the plugin, but /category/ didn’t come back. Why?

You’ll need to manually refresh your permalinks. Go to Settings Permalinks and click Save Changes. This will restore the default /category/ base.

Уникайте!

By Laset (LaSet) on November 7, 2025

додає непотрібні елементи в адмінку, спамить свій блог

Warning, blocks Google's indexing robot!

By spamlover on August 6, 2023

I used this plug-in recently and when I analysed my sites via Google Search Console, none of my pages were referenced. Each time, the Google crawler told me that the URL was invalid or that the server had a problem (with the page inspector).
I removed the plug-in and everything was back to normal (I now use Rank Math to remove the category).
Maybe this plug-in has had its day in the past, but be careful now.

Perfecto para mejorar las urls de nuestra web

By carlosmartinez001 on March 12, 2023

Este plugin hace algo que en mi opinión debería hacer nativamente WordPress. Elimina ese molesto "category" de nuestras urls para darle un aspecto más naturar a todas las urls de categorías de la web.

Not working with latest WP version

By PUShAUNE on September 21, 2022

No setting page to use the plugin.

Still works perfectly

By hfng on June 28, 2022

Despite not having any updates since 2 years+, this plugin works like a charm!

Still Works Great

By studioactiv8 on July 31, 2021

If you are like me .. there are some websites that need this function..It works and is a fundamental fix.. so don't worry if it isn't an 'updated plugin'. The Category Base hasn't changed in WordPress.. and this works better than adding "." in the permalink area.

Works like a charm!

By toad78 on November 11, 2020

I struggled to get the Category base removed using WordPress' Permalink structure and it always resulted in Error 404s. Adding this plugin (which I should've done in the first place), saved oodles of time.

Great and without side effects!

By housePeople29 on June 6, 2020

I needed to remove the 'category' word from url and by the classic procedure from WordPress default setting I faced a bit of side effects...problems of redirect and other stuff. This plugin with only the installation has resolved all my problems.

great !

By Ümit Solmaz (uslmz) on February 13, 2020

great

Doesn't work as promised

By bhutjolokia on January 30, 2020

Doesn't work as promised

Version 1.2.1 (2026-01-12)

  • Improved experience by flushing permalinks on uninstall
  • Enhanced security

Version 1.2.0 (2025-11-06)

Remove Category URL plugin has been acquired by Themeisle 🎉
We’re happy to announce that Themeisle is now the new owner of Remove Category URL. This acquisition will help ensure the plugin’s continued development, better support, and exciting new updates in the future.

Your existing setup will continue to work as usual — no action is required on your part.

1.1.6

  • Fixed: Minor bugs

1.1.4

  • Update Fix WPML

1.1.3

  • Update Fix

1.1.2

  • Update

1.1.1

  • Compatible with translate.wordpress.org

1.1

  • Fix Erros

1.0.2

  • Update Compatible with WPML.

0.1.1

  • Add uninstall.

0.1.0

  • Initial release.
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