Title: No Category Base (WPML)
Author: DigitalME
Published: <strong>December 2, 2011</strong>
Last modified: June 10, 2026

---

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# No Category Base (WPML)

 By [DigitalME](https://profiles.wordpress.org/digitalmeactivecampaign/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/no-category-base-wpml.1.5.6.zip)

 * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/#reviews)
 *  [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/#installation)
 * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/)

## Description

### The Cleanest WordPress Category URL Plugin

WordPress adds a mandatory `/category/` prefix to all your category URLs by default.
No Category Base removes it completely — no setup, no code changes, no broken links.

By [TRS Plugins](https://nocatwp.com/) | [Pro ⭐](https://nocatwp.com/pricing/) 
| [Docs](https://demo.nocatwp.com) | [Privacy Policy](https://trsplugins.com/privacy-policy/)

### What It Does

Turn URLs like this:
 mysite.com/category/my-category/

Into this:
 mysite.com/my-category/

The plugin works automatically the moment you activate it. No settings to configure,
no WordPress core files to modify. It also handles 301 redirects from old URLs so
your SEO is never impacted.

### Who Is It For?

No Category Base is ideal for bloggers, store owners, agencies, and anyone who wants
cleaner, more professional WordPress URLs.

It is especially useful for:

 * Stores using WooCommerce product categories
 * Content sites with deep category structures
 * Multilingual sites running WPML
 * Agencies managing multiple WordPress installations

### Main Features

 * Removes `/category/` base from all category permalinks automatically
 * No setup required — works out of the box
 * Handles 301 redirects from old category URLs
 * Compatible with subcategories and nested structures
 * Works with WordPress Multisite
 * Compatible with sitemap plugins
 * Zero overhead — barely affects site performance

### Admin Settings Page

The plugin adds a settings page under **Settings  No Category Base** with the following
tabs:

 * **Settings** — View plugin status and flush rewrite rules
 * **Help** — Access the live demo and quick-start guide
 * **⭐ Go Pro** — Unlock advanced permalink management features
 * **URL Control** (Pro) — Remove base slugs from tags and custom taxonomies
 * **Conflict Handler** (Pro) — Detect and resolve slug collisions
 * **Redirects & 404** (Pro) — Manage redirects and track 404 errors
 * **Dashboard** (Pro) — Overview of URL changes, redirects, and SEO status
 * **WPML Advanced** (Pro) — Translated slugs and hreflang management
 * **Import / Export** (Pro) — Save and restore settings across sites

### Compatible With

 * WooCommerce
 * Elementor
 * SureCart
 * EasyCart
 * WPML
 * WordPress Multisite
 * All major sitemap plugins

### Pro Version

Upgrade to [No Category Base Pro ⭐](https://nocatwp.com/pricing/) to unlock:

 * Custom taxonomy base removal (tags, product categories, and more)
 * Conflict detection and one-click resolution
 * Redirect manager with hit counts and 404 tracking
 * Preview mode and rollback
 * WPML translated slug management and hreflang audit
 * Import/export settings across multiple sites

### External Services

This plugin optionally sends usage data to TRS Plugins
 when the site admin explicitly
opts in. No data is collected without consent. Data sent may include: admin name,
email, site URL, WP/PHP version, and plugin/theme list depending on the options 
selected. Privacy policy: https://trsplugins.com/privacy-policy/

## Screenshots

[⌊Look Ma, No Category Base!⌉⌊Look Ma, No Category Base!⌉[

Look Ma, No Category Base!

## Installation

 1. Upload the no-category-base-wpml folder to the ‘/wp-content/plugins/’ directory
 2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
 3. That’s it! You should now be able to access your categories via mysite.com/my-category/

## FAQ

### Why should I use this plugin?

Use this plugin if you want to get rid of WordPress’ “Category base” completely.
The normal behavior of WordPress is to add ‘/category’ to your category permalinks
if you leave “Category base” blank in the Permalink settings. So your category links
look like ‘mysite.com/category/my-category/’. With this plugin your category links
will look like ‘mysite.com/my-category/’ (or ‘mysite.com/my-category/sub-category/’
in case of sub categories).

### Will it break any other plugins?

As far as I can tell, no. We have been using this on several sites for a while and
it doesn’t break anything.

### Won’t this conflict with pages?

Simply don’t have a page and category with the same slug. Even if they do have the
same slug it won’t break anything, just the category will get priority (Say if a
category and page are both ‘xyz’ then ‘mysite.com/xyz/’ will give you the category).
This can have an useful side-effect. Suppose you have a category ‘news’, you can
add a page ‘news’ which will show up in the page navigation but will show the ‘news’
category.

### Do I need WPML to use it?

No, you can use this plugin without having WPML installed.

### Can you add a feature X?

Just ask on the support forum. If its useful enough and we have time for it, sure.

### I get 404 errors when I deactivate the plugin. What can I do?

When you deactivate the plugin, you need to tell WordPress to refresh its permalink
rules. This is easy to do.

Go to Settings -> Permalinks and then click on Save Changes.

### Will removing the category base hurt my SEO?

No. The plugin automatically sets up 301 redirects from old URLs to the new ones,
preserving your SEO rankings.

### Does it work with WooCommerce product categories?

Yes, it is compatible with WooCommerce.

### Does it work with custom taxonomies?

The free version handles WordPress categories only. Custom taxonomy base removal
is available in the Pro version.

### Will it work with my caching plugin?

Yes. After activating, simply clear your cache and the new URLs will work correctly.

### Does it work with Yoast SEO or Rank Math?

Yes, No Category Base is compatible with major SEO plugins including Yoast SEO and
Rank Math.

### Do I need to reconfigure anything after updating WordPress?

No. The plugin maintains its rules automatically across WordPress updates.

## Reviews

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/bc75dca535456c6758370fb37c49cb3838a96d0ae8967752daa56a328a1e3d32?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Adware](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adware-23/)󠁿

 [gabbsmo](https://profiles.wordpress.org/gabbsmo/) April 12, 2026 1 reply

Since the latest updated a modal popup is shown in the dashboard to prompt you to
opt-in to personal data collection for marketing purposes.

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c27ec425eeb70515e787520b05bc9af402332de7c5f38d3be48145fd956d8f63?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Perfect !](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/perfect-10569/)󠁿

 [mengeco](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mengeco/) November 6, 2024

I had tested with Yoast but my pages were in 404. With this plugin, no problem since
it ensures the redirection. Thank you very much!!

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c6de0d682c7c8eb227267455a2533dcc06d54d567bbca6fca21cd80d527c1554?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Life saving plugin](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/life-saving-plugin-22/)󠁿

 [delrod](https://profiles.wordpress.org/delrod/) December 7, 2023

This plugin works well. Light and does the job as described.

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2e19d3fe4d8fbc5a20a3b0e6bc3aa5cdaebdd6c79b91cbbd6d0ab63af13b1021?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Good!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/good-7992/)󠁿

 [Jakob Helmer](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jakobuz/) June 3, 2023

Thanks for this plugin!

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/78c6911c6036722e38ad1e714eb5f2e1b7357055a5b9079d5f76693e9f4137bc?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[Working](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/working-210/)󠁿

 [Web Building](https://profiles.wordpress.org/webbuilding/) January 24, 2023

Working!

![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3e29c684700ff9ae1e8c840db450fe98663e422ba0e26894586495bc71305c10?
s=60&d=retro&r=g)

### 󠀁[It does not work with custom taxonomies and custom post type.](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/it-does-not-work-with-custom-taxonomies-and-custom-post-type/)󠁿

 [ricardofrdrc](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ricardofrdrc/) March 27, 2021

It does not work with custom taxonomies and custom post type.

 [ Read all 34 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/)

## Contributors & Developers

“No Category Base (WPML)” is open source software. The following people have contributed
to this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ DigitalME ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/digitalmeactivecampaign/)
 *   [ YMP ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ympno/)

“No Category Base (WPML)” has been translated into 9 locales. Thank you to [the translators](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/no-category-base-wpml/contributors)
for their contributions.

[Translate “No Category Base (WPML)” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/no-category-base-wpml)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/no-category-base-wpml/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/no-category-base-wpml/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/no-category-base-wpml/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/no-category-base-wpml/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

#### Version 1.5.6

 * Fixed: Admin categories page “View” link now uses correct permalink without /
   category/ prefix
 * Fixed: WPML compatibility issue where flush_rewrite_rules returned different 
   category counts per language, causing 404 errors
 * Improved: Enhanced get_categories filtering for better multilingual support

#### 1.5.5

 * Fixed: Frontend stylesheet now only loaded for logged-in users, improving performance
   for guests
 * Maintenance and stability improvements

#### 1.5.4

 * Updated: Refreshed plugin description with full feature overview and admin menu
   documentation
 * Added: Pro version feature highlights

#### 1.5.3

 * Updated: Plugin homepage and branding to TRS Plugins
 * Added: Privacy policy link
 * Added: Compatibility notes for WooCommerce, Elementor, SureCart, and EasyCart
 * Maintenance and stability improvements

#### 1.5.2

 * Added: Optional usage analytics to help improve the plugin (opt-in, disabled 
   by default)
 * Maintenance and stability improvements

#### 1.5.1

 * Maintenance release

#### 1.4

 * Plugin ownership transferred to DigitalME
 * Updated author information and links
 * Confirmed compatibility with latest WordPress versions

#### 1.3

 * Bug fix provided by Albin.

#### 1.2

 * Plugin transferred to Marios Alexandrou. Support and development resumed.
 * Confirmed compatibility with WordPress 4.4.2.

#### 1.1.5

 * Added support for custom pagination_base.

#### 1.1.0

 * Fixed compatibility for WordPress 3.4.

#### 1.0.0

 * Initial release.

## Meta

 *  Version **1.5.6**
 *  Last updated **2 months ago**
 *  Active installations **100,000+**
 *  WordPress version ** 5.0 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **6.9.5**
 *  Languages
 * [Chinese (Taiwan)](https://tw.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/), 
   [Dutch](https://nl.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/), [Dutch (Belgium)](https://nl-be.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/),
   [English (UK)](https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/), [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/),
   [German](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/), [Russian](https://ru.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/),
   [Spanish (Chile)](https://cl.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/), [Spanish (Spain)](https://es.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/),
   and [Swedish](https://sv.wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/).
 *  [Translate into your language](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/no-category-base-wpml)
 * Tags
 * [category base](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/category-base/)[category slug](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/category-slug/)
   [category url](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/category-url/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/no-category-base-wpml/advanced/)

## Ratings

 4.5 out of 5 stars.

 *  [  29 5-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/?filter=5)
 *  [  1 4-star review     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/?filter=4)
 *  [  0 3-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/?filter=3)
 *  [  1 2-star review     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/?filter=2)
 *  [  3 1-star reviews     ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/?filter=1)

[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ DigitalME ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/digitalmeactivecampaign/)
 *   [ YMP ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ympno/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/no-category-base-wpml/)

## Donate

Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin?

 [ Donate to this plugin ](https://nocatwp.com)