Free URL Rewriting Tool
A URL rewriting tool converts a dynamic address with query parameters into a clean static URL and writes the server rules that make it work. Paste a URL such as page.php?id=12&cat=seo and this free tool returns static URLs like /page/12/seo, Apache and Nginx rewrite rules, and a 301 redirect from the old address.
URL Rewriting Tool
Technical SEO
About this tool
The tool offers two static patterns. Values only, such as /page/12/seo, is the shortest, but the position of each value carries its meaning, so every link must list the values in the same order. Name and value pairs, such as /page/id/12/cat/seo, are longer but describe themselves and are easier to extend later. In the generated rules, numeric values get a digits-only pattern and other values match anything except a slash.
Rewriting is only half the job. The rewrite rule makes the new URL work, while the 301 rule sends visitors and search engines from the old address to the new one, so you keep the links and rankings the old URLs earned. After switching, update your internal links, canonical tags and XML sitemap to the new format, or search engines will keep discovering the old URLs.
Static-looking URLs are not a ranking factor on their own, because Google crawls parameters well. The gain is readability: a clean URL tells a searcher what the page is before they click, and it is easier to share and to type. This is a rebuilt version of the URL rewriting tool that ran on this site for years; it generates the same kind of rules, now for Nginx as well as Apache. SEO SMO HUB plans these moves for clients as part of site migrations, always with a redirect map tested on a staging copy before anything goes live.
Frequently asked questions
What does a URL rewriting tool do?
It takes a dynamic URL whose values live in the query string, such as product.php?id=42&color=red, and produces a static-looking URL such as /product/42/red together with the server rule that maps the new address back to the original script. Visitors see the clean URL; your application still receives the same parameters.
Do static URLs rank better than dynamic URLs?
Not by themselves. Google can crawl and rank URLs with parameters, and it has advised against disguising important parameters. Clean URLs help people more than algorithms: they are easier to read, trust and share. Switch when you are already restructuring a site, and always pair the change with 301 redirects and updated internal links.
Where do I put the .htaccess rules?
Place them in the .htaccess file in your site's root folder, after RewriteEngine On and before any catch-all rules such as the WordPress block, because Apache applies rules from top to bottom. On Nginx, put the rewrite lines inside the matching server block and reload Nginx. Test on a staging copy first.
Will rewriting my URLs break existing links?
Not if you keep the 301 redirect the tool generates. The rewrite rule makes the new address work, and the redirect sends anyone using the old ?id= address to the new one, so bookmarks, backlinks and search results keep working. Test both the old and the new address in a private window before you rely on it.