Creating Good Page URLs
Use as few words as possible to keep the URL short while still using enough to communicate what the page contains.
If you're an Umbraco editor, you can customise the URL of your page. You can also request shorter URLs to be set up by the Web Content team, redirecting users to the full URL.
Page URLs
A page URL is created automatically based on the 'node name' of your page. That's the unlabelled field at the top of the screen in the Umbraco Back Office.
URLs can only contain numbers, letters and hyphens. Symbols like commas will be removed and spaces will be replaced with hyphens, turning "Creating Good Page URLs" into "creating-good-page-urls".
Each word in the full URL must be separated by a hyphen.
The full URL for a page will show its structure in the website using the url of each of its parent pages.
https://historicengland.org.uk/content-design/creating-good-page-urls/
Customise a URL
Customise the last part of the URL by using the URL field in the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) section of the page in the Umbraco Back Office.
You can shorten it to "creating-urls" or just "urls." This only affects the last part of the URL that refers to your page, making it:
- https://historicengland.org.uk/content-design/creating-urls/, or
- https://historicengland.org.uk/content-design/urls/
It's a good idea to configure a custom URL. It will stop the URL changing if you have to change the page name in the future.
Using as few words as possible to keep the URL short while still using enough to communicate what the page contains is also a good idea.
Short URLs
The Web Content team can create short URLs that are better to use when giving presentations or producing print material.
Short URL: https://historicengland.org.uk/international
Full URL: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/international/international-advisory-service/
When writing a URL in print, we recommend missing out the "https://" and "www.":
historicengland.org.uk/international
Guidance for Web Content team
A short URL can be created when it is relevant and available.
Scenario: A team creates a project called Windows into History where they are working with community groups to create window displays in conservation areas in Nottingham.
They ask if they can have the short URL https://historicengland.org.uk/windows
- Visit the URL and see if it currently leads to a 404 error.
✅ It does. So the short URL is available. - Consider if it is relevant, and whether it might conflict with other Historic England work.
❌ Technical guidance on windows is very popular and people might expect this URL to be about that, so it is not appropriate or descriptive enough for the requested project.
Outcome:
Suggest they use a more descriptive URL instead, such as:
- https://historicengland.org.uk/windowsintohistory, or
- https://historicengland.org.uk/nottinghamwindows
Avoid hyphens if you can in short URLs. Short URLs work best when they are between 1 and 3 words.
You can have more than 1 short URL to a page. You can set up additional redirects to include hyphens too, allowing for typing errors or verbally communicating a URL.
Short URL 1: https://historicengland.org.uk/histreetfest
Short URL 2: https://historicengland.org.uk/hi-street-fest
Full URL: https://historicengland.org.uk/campaigns/high-street-culture/hi-street-fest/
How to create a short URL
While connected to the Historic England VPN, go to http://heproddmziis01:8585/HEShortUrl
- Use the search fields to check for existing redirects with the shortURL or to the page
- If there is no conflict, click the Create new link underneath the page title.
- Fill in the redirect details
- From (Path / Alias): This is the Path or Alias only, such as 'nottinghamwindows'
- To (Enter Full URL): This is the Full URL to redirect to such as 'https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/in-your-area/midlands/launch-of-windows-into-history/'
Web Content Team
-
Email
[email protected]
Also of interest
