Title: Dreadful Permalinks Last modified: August 19, 2016 --- # Dreadful Permalinks * Resolved [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/) * So, I turned on permalinks to make my URLs clearer and for some SEO. Generally they are working great, but sometimes WP allows things like quote marks in the URL. That’s just plain horrible. Check out this one, for example: * [http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/08/%E2%80%9Ccash-for-clunkers%E2%80%9D-program-a-success-%E2%80%93-u-s-government-approves-further-funding/](http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/08/%E2%80%9Ccash-for-clunkers%E2%80%9D-program-a-success-%E2%80%93-u-s-government-approves-further-funding/) * That’s a nightmare waiting to happen. Is there any way to optimize this and get rid of bad characters? Assuming I can do so, will my change screw up the posts that have already been made? Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) * [Samuel B](https://wordpress.org/support/users/samboll/) * (@samboll) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166504) * you only see it like that when you copy and paste. if you want to edit the permalinks edit a page above the editor is a spot to edit the permalink save permalink save page * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166525) * ah yes… true, but the quotes are still there in the actual URL. Click on it, you’ll see. * I know I can edit the permalinks manually, but once things are published, it’s too late as there will be inbound links, etc… * [Samuel B](https://wordpress.org/support/users/samboll/) * (@samboll) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166537) * pretty permalinks are generated from the page and post titles – so if you use quotes, they will naturally be in the url * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166804) * That’s ridiculous. Quotes are often useful in titles, but I can’t believe wordpress would allow them in a URL. Isn’t it just common sense to avoid dodgy characters in URLs like that? It knocks out spaces, why can’t it knock out odd characters? Is there a plugin or something floating around for this? * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166814) * To elaborate, here are the specs for URLs: * [http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm](http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/topics/urlencoding.htm) * Quotes and other non-alphanumeric characters are not allowed in URLs unless encoded. I realize that most modern browsers let you get away with it, but many times, if a machine processes that URL it’ll return an error. * I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, just wondering how this slipped through vis a vis wordpress and whether there’s a way around it. I’ve been looking for a plugin, but can’t find anything. * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166845) * Okay… in case anyone else wants to take a whack at this. Here’s an example of a wordpress site that doesn’t seem to have the problem: * [http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/](http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/31/could-fossil-free-fossil-fuels-be-in-our-future/) * I’ve emailed them but have not heard back. I find it very hard to believe those authors are painstakingly removing the quotes from the permalink so there must be something automated going on. * Any thoughts? * [doc4](https://wordpress.org/support/users/doc4/) * (@doc4) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166846) * nickaster, * You could always alter the permalink when creating a new post using the permalink field just under the title. * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166847) * Yeah but that’s not realistic – especially with dozens of writers of varying technical prowess and commitment. It’s also the kind of thing people will constantly forget to do. I’m just stunned that WP would permit this as a default given that it successfully knocks out spaces etc… * [sleppanen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sleppanen/) * (@sleppanen) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166865) * I’d like to see a solution for this also. * [sleppanen](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sleppanen/) * (@sleppanen) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166867) * I’ve had the same issue with no fix to this besides telling the writers to watch the permalinks before pressing publish. * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166869) * Well I just can’t believe that a project like wordpress, with all its attention to detail would permit URLs to be created that contain quote marks. I think this would qualify as a bug in the software! * Thread Starter [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * (@nickaster) * [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166872) * So… progress. * This guy says his site automatically gets rid of the quotes: * [http://wordpress.org/support/topic/299650?replies=3](http://wordpress.org/support/topic/299650?replies=3) * Then I tested again on my site, and the dang thing works!!! The only thing I can think of is that someone might have been using those blasted “smart quotes” that MS Word spits out. * So I tested that. Sure enough, the quotes are now in the URL. * %#(*@%(# Microsoft!!! * At least the mystery is now solved. Thanks to all who helped. Viewing 12 replies - 1 through 12 (of 12 total) The topic ‘Dreadful Permalinks’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 12 replies * 4 participants * Last reply from: [nickaster](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nickaster/) * Last activity: [16 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/dreadful-permalinks/#post-1166872) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics