Alias

An alias is an automatically generated short name for articles, categories, or menu items in Joomla. It appears in the URL and ensures pages are SEO-friendly and can be addressed uniquely. The alias is usually based on the title but can be edited manually.

  • Function and purpose

    Joomla uses aliases to turn titles into technical identifiers for URLs. These consist of lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens and are generated automatically when you create a new article, category, or menu item. Example: The title “About us” becomes the alias about-us. That results in a clean, SEO-friendly address like /about-us.

    Use cases

    • Articles: An article’s alias determines the final part of the URL when SEF (search-engine-friendly) URLs are enabled.
    • Categories: Categories also have their own alias. This lets content be embedded into logical, hierarchical URLs (e.g. /blog/travel-tips).
    • Menu items: Menu aliases are used to create unique URLs for site structures and avoid conflicts.
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    Questions about URL structure or SEO in Joomla? We’ll help you make the most of aliases and menu structures.

    Important notes

    • No special characters: Aliases may only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens. Umlauts are converted automatically (e.g. “ä” → “ae”).
    • Lowercase only: Uppercase letters do not work in Joomla aliases. Always use lowercase to prevent errors or unexpected behaviour.
    • Uniqueness: Within the same scope (e.g. a menu or category) each alias must be unique.
    • Manual editing: You can change aliases at any time — just make sure redirects are in place if the URL was already in use.
    • Alias and SEO: A well-structured alias contributes to a clear, readable URL and improves readability and click-through rates.

    See also