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Remove Category URL
Remove Category URL strips the /category/ base from your category URLs, turning something like /category/my-category/ into simply /my-category/.
The facts
- Rating
- 4.2★ from 59
- Active installs
- 40k+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 20 Aug 2026
- Added
- Jul 2014
- Requires WP
- 3.1
- Tested up to
- WP 7.1
- Downloads
- 545,853
Our analysis
AI-assistedRemove Category URL is a WordPress plugin that removes the '/category/' base from category permalinks, resulting in cleaner URLs. For example, it transforms '/category/my-category/' into '/my-category/'. The plugin works out of the box without any configuration needed, making it easy to implement.
This plugin is suitable for users who want to enhance their site's URL structure for better aesthetics and SEO. It automatically redirects old URLs to the new format and updates sitemaps accordingly, supporting both WordPress Multisite and popular sitemap plugins.
Best for: This plugin is best for WordPress users looking to simplify their category URLs for improved SEO and user experience.
What it does well
- ✓Creates cleaner URLs without the '/category/' base
- ✓No configuration required; works out of the box
- ✓Automatically redirects old category URLs
- ✓Supports multiple sub-categories
- ✓Compatible with WordPress Multisite and popular sitemap plugins
Where it falls short
- •No information on compatibility with specific themes or plugins
- •Limited details on support options
Verdict
Remove Category URL offers a straightforward solution for cleaning up category permalinks. It is easy to use and effectively enhances URL structure without requiring any setup.
From the developer
Themeisle's own description of Remove Category URL, lightly tidied.
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/andmydomain.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
- If you like this plugin, you’re sure to love our other plugins as well.
- Our blog is a great place to learn more about WordPress.
- Get the most out of your website with our helpful WordPress YouTube Tutorials.
Tagged as
purpose
Redirects & 404 Management
platform
WordPress Multisite
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