Chris A. a11n

Backwards Compatible Permalinks helps prevent 404 errors when switching between permalink structures.
It achieves this by appending a set of backwards compatible post rewrite rules. This ensures posts are still accessible at their previous permalink after the permalink structure is updated.
<h4>Example</h4>
Let’s say your permalink structure is set to “Month and name” and you have a post titled “I Love WordPress.” That particular post would live at <code>https://example.com/2019/03/i-love-wordpress/</code>.
But what if you wanted to switch to the “Post name” permalink structure and have your post live at <code>https://example.com/i-love-wordpress/</code> instead?
You could but this would result in the existing post permalink 404ing when visited. Which is problematic if the previous URL was bookmarked or shared on social media.
With Backwards Compatible Permalinks installed your post would be accessible at both the old and new permalink structures:
<ul>
<li><code>https://example.com/2019/03/i-love-wordpress/</code></li>
<li><code>https://example.com/i-love-wordpress/</code></li>
</ul>
<h4>Caveats</h4>
<ul>
<li>This plugin does not work retroactively. i.e. you must have the plugin installed and activated prior to switching permalink structures before backwards compatibility will work.</li>
<li>Currently only standard posts are supported.</li>
<li>Backwards compatibility is not supported between certain permalink structure updates. This is due to a clash between permalink structure regex matching.</li>
<li>Backwards compatibility is only provided between the most recent permalink structure update. i.e. you cannot change your permalink structure 3 times and have backwards compatibility across all 3 structures.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Deactivate or uninstall</h4>
After deactivating or uninstalling this plugin please ensure you visit Settings > Permalinks in the WordPress admin area to flush your rewrite rules.
<h4>Contributing</h4>
Contributions are <a href="https://github.com/aprea/backwards-compatible-permalinks" rel="nofollow ugc">welcomed on GitHub</a>.
<h3>From within WordPress</h3>
<ol>
<li>Visit ‘Plugins > Add New’.</li>
<li>Search for ‘Backwards Compatible Permalinks’.</li>
<li>Activate Backwards Compatible Permalinks from your Plugins page.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Manually</h3>
<ol>
<li>Upload the <code>backwards-compatible-permalinks</code> folder to the <code>/wp-content/plugins/</code> directory.</li>
<li>Activate the Backwards Compatible Permalinks plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.</li>
</ol>

Backwards Compatible Permalinks

Provides a degree of backwards compatibility when switching between permalink structures.

KaizenCoders

Mike L

<h4>Important Note</h4>
<blockquote>
This plugin is a fork of a <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/velvet-blues-update-urls/#description" rel="ugc">Velvet Blues Update URLS</a>. Since, Velvet Blues Update URLS plugin is not actively maintained and not tested with the latest version of WordPress, We decided to maintain and continue to improve.
So, if you are already using Velvet Blues Update URLS plugin, simply download this plugin and start using it.
</blockquote>
If you move your WordPress website to a new domain name, you will find that internal links to pages and references to images are not updated. Instead, these links and references will point to your old domain name. This plugin fixes that problem by helping you change old urls and links in your website.
<h3>Features</h3>
<ul>
<li>👉 Users can choose to update links embedded in content, excerpts, or custom fields</li>
<li>👉 Users can choose whether to update links for attachments</li>
<li>👉 View how many items were updated</li>
</ul>
<h3>🚀 Time-Saving Features in Update URLs PRO</h3>
Upgrade to PRO and unlock powerful tools designed to give you complete control, safety, and efficiency while performing database search & replace operations.
<blockquote>
👉 Select Specific Tables for Search/Replace 
 Choose exactly which WordPress database tables you want to update. No unnecessary changes — only modify what truly matters.
👉 Perform a Safe Dry Run 
 Preview the changes before applying them. The Dry Run feature shows exactly what will be updated, helping you avoid costly mistakes.
👉 Choose Which Results to Apply 
 After running a Dry Run, you can either apply all changes or selectively execute specific search/replace results. Full precision. Full control.
👉 One-Click Database Export & Import 
 Always backup before making database changes — and now you can do it instantly. PRO includes a built-in one-click database backup and restore feature, so you’re always protected.
👉 Complete Search/Replace History 
 Keep track of every operation performed. View detailed history logs to monitor changes and maintain accountability.
👉 One-Click Undo (Rollback) 
 Made a mistake? No problem. Instantly undo or roll back a search/replace operation with a single click.
👉 Save & Load Custom Profiles 
 Frequently repeat the same search/replace tasks? Save custom profiles and reload them anytime to streamline recurring workflows.
👉 Priority Email Support and updates 
 Your success matters to us. PRO users receive priority support and ongoing updates to ensure a smooth and reliable experience.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://kaizencoders.com/update-urls" rel="nofollow ugc">Update URLs PRO</a> is built for developers, agencies, and site owners who want speed, safety, and total confidence while managing their WordPress database.
Spread The Love ❤️
If you like Update URLs, please leave a <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/update-urls/reviews/#new-post" rel="ugc">five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</a> and also spread the word about it via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://wordpress.org/plugins/update-urls/" rel="nofollow ugc">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://wordpress.org/plugins/update-urls/" rel="nofollow ugc">Twitter</a>. That helps fellow website owners assess Update URLs easily and benefit from it!
What’s Next
If you like this plugin then consider checking out our other solutions:
<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/url-shortify/" rel="ugc">URL Shortify</a> – Simple, Powerful and Easy URL Shortener Plugin For WordPress.
<blockquote>
URL Shortify helps you beautify, manage, and share any URL on or off of your WordPress website. Create links that look how you want using your domain name! It’s a Simple, Easy & Elegant self hosted alternative to Bitly, TinyURL, Cuttly, Pretty Links, URL Shortener By My Theme Shop, Rebrandly, BL.Link, Short.io, and many other SaaS URL Shortener services.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/social-linkz/" rel="ugc">Social Linkz</a> – Lightweight and fast social media sharing plugin
<blockquote>
Easily place social share icon on your posts, pages etc..
</blockquote>
<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/utilitify/" rel="ugc">Utilitify</a> – Supercharge Your WordPress Site With Power Pack WordPress Utilities
<blockquote>
It’s a simple & neat plugin which helps you to customize your WordPress setup in a very elegant way.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/logify/" rel="ugc">Logify</a>
<blockquote>
Logify is a comprehensive logging and monitoring plugin for WordPress that helps you keep track of various activities and events on your website. It provides detailed logs of user actions, system events, and errors, allowing you to monitor and troubleshoot your site effectively.
</blockquote>
<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/magic-link/" rel="ugc">Magic Link</a>
<blockquote>
Magic Link is a passwordless authentication plugin for WordPress that allows users to log in securely via email links. It eliminates the need for traditional passwords, enhancing both security and user convenience.
With Magic Link, users simply enter their email address, receive a unique login link, and gain instant access to their accounts. This plugin is perfect for improving user experience while maintaining strong security standards.
</blockquote>

Search & Replace Everything – Quick and Easy Way to Find and Replace Text, Links

We used to use the Velvet one but it seems to have been abandoned. Glad to see that they took over development.

We tried this one on a few websites and it has changed the URLs successfully. Saved us lots of time. Tested the websites after and they're fine.

Works well


I come from Velvet Blues plugin that used to do the same job, but abandoned with a serious security flaw (and ultimately banned from downloaded again from wp.org). I was looking for that plugin and found your fork. Thanks again for keeping it up-to-date.


Thanks for keeping it updated

Quick and Easy way to search all URLS, Content and replace them with new links and content in WordPress website.

Backwards Compatible Permalinks vs Search & Replace Everything – Quick and Easy Way to Find and Replace Text, Links