URL Aliases & Redirects

URL Aliases & Redirects

Every page on your Drupal site has an internal system path assigned by the database (for example, /node/42). Because those paths are hard for visitors to remember and less ideal for search engines, ITS sites use URL aliases and redirects to provide clean, readable web addresses.

What is a URL alias?

A URL alias is the friendly path visitors see. Instead of /node/42, they might visit /academics/undergraduate-programs.

Automated aliasing (Pathauto)

By default, Drupal generates aliases when you save content, using the page title and position in the menu tree:

  • Spaces become hyphens.

  • Letters are lowercased.

  • Special characters are removed for browser compatibility.

Customizing an alias on the editing page

You may override the automatic alias—for example, a short path for print materials.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Edit the page.

  2. Expand URL alias in the sidebar.

  3. Uncheck Generate automatic URL alias.

  4. Enter your custom path in the URL alias field.

Critical rules for manual aliases

  • Leading slash: Start with / (for example, /apply, not apply).

  • No domain: Enter only the path after your subdomain, not the full https:// address.

  • Clean formatting: Use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only.

Impact on menus and submenus

Manual aliases on nested pages can disrupt breadcrumbs and sidebar navigation. If your hierarchy is /academics/undergraduate, flattening a child to /degrees may break how Drupal maps the page to its menu parent. When you must customize an alias, mirror the full directory pattern (for example, /academics/degrees) or request a vanity redirect instead. See Menus & Subpages.

Understanding automatic redirects

When you change an alias and save, Drupal usually creates a 301 redirect from the old path to the new one. Visitors and bookmarks using the old URL are forwarded automatically.

Requesting manual shortened redirects (vanity URLs)

For marketing, you do not have to change a page’s structural alias. ITS can create a short redirect (for example, /apply) that points to a deeply nested page while the real alias and menu structure stay intact. Submit an IT Service Desk ticket with the target page URL and your desired short path.

Best practices for URL management

Use redirects for promotional materials

Prefer vanity redirects for print and social campaigns rather than flattening aliases on nested pages.

Avoid frequent URL changes

Even with automatic redirects, changing URLs often can slow search engine re-indexing. Choose a logical structure early and keep it when possible.