LibGuides: TCC Library LibGuide Best Practices: Friendly URLs

Why Friendly URLs Matter

Friendly URLs help make websites easier to use, easier to find, and easier to measure.

User-Friendly: Clear, readable URLs (like /books or /studyroom) help users quickly understand where they’re going.
Accessible: They’re easier to read aloud, remember, and use with assistive technology.
Searchable: Descriptive URLs improve search engine visibility and support TCC’s SEO goals.
Trackable: Clean URLs make Google Analytics and reporting clearer, so we can better understand what’s working.

What is a Friendly URL?

A Friendly URL is a shortened, human-readable web address that makes links easier to remember, type, and share.

Example:

• Default: https://libguides.tulsacc.edu/guide_home.php?g=123456

• Friendly:

https://libguides.tulsacc.edu/english

What is a Redirect URL?

Redirect URLs point to an external resource (such as a database or external site) using a custom Friendly URL.

Example:

• Friendly Redirect: https://libguides.tulsacc.edu/catalog

• Destination: https://tcclibrary.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/49 Note:

Only Admin users can create and manage Redirect URLs.

General Friendly URL Naming Guidelines

**General Friendly URL Naming Guidelines**
Rule	Best Practice	Example
Use lowercase	Keeps URLs consistent	/math-tutoring
Use hyphens	Improves readability and accessibility	/writing-resources
Avoid spaces, underscores, and punctuation	Ensures proper function and clarity	/nursing-guide not /nursing_guide
Be concise	Avoids long or overly specific URLs	/business not /businessguide-fall2025
Use plain language	Matches search terms and user needs	/study-skills
Choose unique slugs	Prevents conflicts in the system	Only one /biology is allowed

Default URLs

Even after creating a friendly URL, a guide page's default URL will still exist. The friendly URL will take users to the same location, but the "real" URL is the one with the g=guide number and p=page number.

Both of the following will work:

Default URL - https://springylib.libguides.com/c.php?g=20&p=76

Friendly URL - http://https://springylib.libguides.com/folklore

If an instructor is using the default URL in their courses, there is no problems adding friendly URL to the guide.

Warning: if you are already using a friendly URLs and plan to change them, note that there will be no redirect from the old friendly URL to the new one.

For example, if you change /folklore to /american-folklore, and an instructor had the /folklore link in a course, it would show an error and not forward to the guide.

How-To

The friendly URLs can be set in the following ways:

Guide: click the pencil next to the URL label
Page: click the pencil icon in the bordered box next to the Page URL label. This must be set for every page.

Be Strategic

Be strategic when choosing Friendly URLs so you won't need to change them later on. SpringShare recommends taking into account the relative importance of guides and pages as we additionally decide upon friendly URLs for groups, subjects, and databases.