Shortlinks in WordPress can be a helpful tool for quickly sharing content across the web. However, some website owners prefer to remove shortlinks for various reasons, such as improving SEO, cleaning up the source code, or maintaining better control over how their website is presented. Shortlinks are embedded in the header of WordPress posts by default, but there are methods to remove them without compromising the functionality of your site. This blog will guide you through the process of removing shortlinks from WordPress and explain why you might want to do so.
What Are WordPress Shortlinks?
WordPress shortlinks are simplified versions of the URLs that point to specific posts or pages. Typically, shortlinks are displayed in the form of "https://yoursite.com/?p=123," which redirects to a specific post with the ID "123". These shortlinks are primarily used for ease of sharing, but they can clutter up your site’s code and are generally not beneficial for SEO. The shortlink tag in WordPress is added to the <head> section of your page, making it easily accessible to search engines and social platforms. While shortlinks might help with quick sharing, they don’t offer any SEO advantages compared to clean, descriptive URLs.
Why Remove Shortlinks from WordPress?
Removing shortlinks from WordPress can streamline your site’s code, making it cleaner and potentially faster to load. Shortlinks don’t add much value to the user experience or SEO, and they can even contribute to duplicate content issues when used incorrectly. For those focused on optimizing their site for search engines, removing unnecessary elements like shortlinks can be an effective step in the process. Furthermore, some users simply prefer to have cleaner, more readable code that doesn’t contain unnecessary redirects or tags. By removing shortlinks, you can enhance both site performance and SEO.
Disabling Shortlinks with a Plugin
One of the easiest ways to remove shortlinks from your WordPress site is by using a plugin. Several WordPress plugins are designed specifically to disable shortlinks, such as "Remove Shortlink" and "No Shortlink Plugin." These plugins typically work by either removing the shortlink tag from the header or preventing it from being added altogether. Plugins are an excellent solution for non-technical users who want to quickly and easily disable shortlinks without modifying any code. Using a plugin can save time and effort, especially if you’re managing multiple WordPress sites.
7 Plugins for Removing Shortlinks
- Remove Shortlink – A simple plugin to remove shortlink tags.
- No Shortlink Plugin – A lightweight plugin to disable shortlinks from your site.
- Yoast SEO – Offers an option to remove shortlinks in its advanced settings.
- Disable Shortlink Header – Removes the shortlink header from WordPress pages.
- SEO Ultimate – Provides a setting to disable shortlink meta tags.
- WP Rocket – A caching plugin with an option to clean up WordPress code, including shortlinks.
- Autoptimize – A performance plugin that can remove shortlink meta tags as part of its optimization features.
7 Benefits of Disabling Shortlinks
- Cleaner HTML code.
- Improved page load speeds.
- Better control over site elements.
- Enhanced SEO by eliminating unnecessary redirects.
- Fewer opportunities for duplicate content issues.
- Reduced server load.
- More precise control over your site’s meta tags.
| Plugin Name | Feature | Ease of Use |
|---|---|---|
| Remove Shortlink | Simple removal of shortlink tag | Very Easy |
| No Shortlink Plugin | Disables shortlink on all pages | Easy |
| Yoast SEO | Advanced settings to disable shortlink | Moderate |
Manual Code Modification for Advanced Users
For those comfortable with editing code, removing shortlinks manually is also an option. You can do this by modifying the functions.php file in your WordPress theme. Add the following code to disable shortlink functionality:
remove_action( 'wp_head', 'wp_shortlink_wp_head', 10, 0 );This code snippet removes the shortlink from the site’s <head> section, preventing it from being generated on your pages. While this method is more technical, it offers complete control over the removal process without the need for a plugin. It’s an ideal solution for developers who prefer a hands-on approach to WordPress customization.
Modifying WordPress Theme Files
In some cases, you may also want to check your WordPress theme files for any custom code that might be generating shortlinks. If you’ve customized your theme, it’s possible that shortlinks are being added manually through custom functions. By reviewing your theme’s header.php or other relevant files, you can remove any code related to shortlinks. It’s important to proceed cautiously when making manual edits to your theme, as incorrect changes could break your site. If you’re not familiar with editing PHP files, it’s recommended to create a child theme to make modifications safely.
7 Things to Check in Your Theme for Shortlinks
- Look for custom functions in
functions.php. - Review
header.phpfor any manual code generating shortlinks. - Check for third-party plugins that may add shortlinks.
- Inspect the site’s
<head>section for any shortlink tags. - Look at JavaScript files that might reference shortlinks.
- Test the changes in a staging environment before applying them.
- Ensure all code changes are backed up.
SEO Considerations
When managing shortlinks, it’s important to consider the potential SEO impact. Search engines tend to favor clean, descriptive URLs that accurately reflect the content of your pages. By removing shortlinks, you can avoid duplicate content issues that might arise when shortlinks are indexed separately from full URLs. Additionally, removing unnecessary meta tags such as the shortlink tag can help streamline your site’s code, leading to better SEO performance. With cleaner code, search engines may crawl your site more effectively, improving your chances of ranking higher.
Testing After Removing Shortlinks
After removing shortlinks from your WordPress site, it’s essential to test your pages to ensure that everything is working correctly. Check the source code of your site to confirm that the shortlink tag is no longer present in the <head> section. You should also test your site’s performance to ensure there are no negative effects on loading speed or functionality. If you use Google Search Console, monitor for any crawl errors that may arise after the changes. By performing these tests, you can ensure that removing shortlinks hasn’t inadvertently caused any issues on your site.
Summary
Removing shortlinks from your WordPress site can improve your site’s performance, SEO, and overall code cleanliness. Whether you choose to use a plugin, edit code manually, or modify your theme files, there are several ways to achieve this goal. By streamlining your WordPress site and eliminating unnecessary tags, you can enhance user experience and make your site more efficient for both visitors and search engines. Remember, whether you’re looking to improve SEO or simply clean up your site, every optimization counts.
If you found this guide helpful, share it with fellow WordPress users who might be dealing with similar issues. Let’s continue the conversation about WordPress optimization, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or on social media. By working together, we can improve our WordPress sites and ensure they run smoothly and efficiently. Have you already removed shortlinks from your site? Let us know how it worked for you.