CMS: Creating Unique Dynamic Page URLs

The URL slug structure of your dynamic pages determines both the type of dynamic page (list or item) and the actual URL slugs used by each version of a dynamic item page. 

A URL slug represents the exact web address of a specific page on your website. It's the part of the URL that follows your main domain name and helps humans and search engines know what the content is about. 

You may need to add variables to your dynamic item page's URL slug structure to ensure each collection item gets its own unique web address. These variables act as placeholders that are replaced by the actual field values of your collection items.

URL slugs are the characters in the URL (web address) that appear after your domain name. They help humans and search engines understand what the page's content is about. URL slug structures determine how the actual URL slugs are constructed and what 'type' of dynamic page is used (list or item).

For example, in the URL: www.your-domain.com/felines/large/bengal

In the SEO tab of your page settings, you can edit the following default URL slug structures:

In your collection, the Page Link fields have the same name as their corresponding dynamic pages. A Flag icon appears next to your primary field and SLUG appears next to the name of each field used in a URL slug. 

Whenever you create a dynamic page, its Page Link field is added to your collection. The Page Link field generates the URLs for each item by combining the characters and variables used in the dynamic page's URL slug structure. By default, dynamic item pages add the collection's primary field to the URL slug structure. Fields used in the URL slugs are converted to lowercase letters with dashes replacing any spaces. 

When you add a variable to the slug structure, you choose a collection field that the variable represents. Any variables that exist in the slug structure are replaced by the actual field values for each item. This allows you to use field values from collection items in their dynamic page URLs.

From your collection, you can also modify the URL slug used by a specific item's dynamic item page version. This gives you more control over the exact URLs of your items. If your site is connected to a domain, when you modify the URL slug for a specific item, the old URL automatically redirects to the new one. This ensures that when visitors and search engines go to the old links, they're taken to the new links. If you do not have a connected domain, the old URLs will no longer work and a 404 error page loads instead. 

Each Page Link field in your collection represents a specific dynamic page and each value in the field represents an item's URL slug. When you add variables to change a dynamic page's URL slug structure, the Page Link field values adjust accordingly. 

If multiple collection items have the same value in this Page Link field, the CMS determines that these items should share the same dynamic item page. So, if this was a dynamic list page, the page converts to a dynamic item page. 

This dynamic item page will have a different version for each unique Page Link value (URL slug). Each version will list the items that share the same URL slug if the page has a repeater, gallery, or table connected to the dynamic page dataset.

For a dynamic item page to have a dedicated version for each collection item, the page's Page Link field needs a unique URL slug. Otherwise, the page cannot exist for each item. You may need to add variables to the URL slug structure, to ensure each item has a unique URL slug.

If multiple items in your collection have the same value in their primary field, and you do not add a variable to the dynamic item page's URL slug structure, only 1 URL is generated for multiple items. This is because the primary field is used in the dynamic item page's URL slug structure by default. Since only 1 URL is created for both items, only 1 item will have a dedicated version of the dynamic item page, the other will not. 

The URL slug structure cannot already be used by other existing pages on your site. To be unique, the URL slug structure cannot have the same prefix (e.g. {Collection name}) and the same number of variables as another page on your site, even if the variables are different. 

The CMS will not allow you to save changes to the URL slug structure if it conflicts with an existing one. So, when updating the URL slug structures of your dynamic pages, make sure they do not have the same number of variables after the same prefix. 

Go to the SEO tab of the relevant dynamic page in your editor to check the URL slug structure. You can then manually edit the structure and add variable fields that change based on each collection item's actual field value. 

From your collection, you can customize the end of the URL used by specific dynamic item pages. If your site has a domain connected to it, when you change the URL slug, the old URL will automatically redirect to the new URL. If you haven't connected a domain to your site, the old URL will no longer work after you change it and a 404 page will load instead. 

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