Phase 5 · Guide #47

URL Medic: fix URLs, slugs, and link settings

URL Medic is your cleanup center for messy links. Use it to spot problems, choose safe fixes, and keep monitoring on so issues do not pile up later.

10 min read URL cleanup guide Beginner-friendly steps

Where to open URL Medic

In your dashboard, open:

SEO Rank Genius → Tools & Analytics → URL Medic

This screen helps you keep URLs healthy and prevent visitors from landing on dead or confusing links.

What this tool is best at Fast cleanup after URL changes, page moves, content merges, and old slug leftovers.
WordPress Admin · SEO Rank Genius
SEO Rank Genius › Tools & Analytics › URL Medic
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URL Medic

Auto-updates links when slugs change, scans for broken internal links

ON Scan Now

Turn URL Medic ON, then click Scan Now to find broken internal links.

Fixing URLs safely (without breaking old links)

The safest approach is to work from high-impact items down. Do not rush to fix everything at once.

1

Start with top traffic pages

Prioritize URLs that real visitors use often.

2

Pick a clear destination

When a URL changes, send visitors to the most relevant live page, not just your homepage.

3

Apply fixes one at a time

Each broken link shows suggested destinations — click Apply on the best match.

Simple rule The old URL and the new destination should match visitor intent as closely as possible.
WordPress Admin · SEO Rank Genius

Broken Links — Suggested Fixes 3

Pricing Guide 2024

/old-pricing-2023

Anchor: “see our pricing”

Pricing Page Apply

Each fix card shows the broken URL, anchor text, and one-click Apply buttons for suggestions.

Slug guidelines that avoid future problems

Strong slug habits reduce cleanup work later.

  • Keep slugs short and readable.
  • Avoid dates in slugs unless content is date-specific.
  • Use consistent wording patterns for related pages.
  • When renaming pages, always verify old links still reach the right place.
Good /services/seo-audit is clean and clear.
Risky /new-final-seo-audit-page-v2 becomes hard to maintain.
Good One naming style across service pages helps users and search engines.
Risky Frequent slug changes create unnecessary redirect chains.

Settings toggles: what to keep ON

URL Medic includes two core settings that control automatic link maintenance.

Auto-Update Links: ON Automatically update internal links when a post slug changes.
Auto-Create Redirects: ON Create a 301 redirect when a post slug changes.
WordPress Admin · SEO Rank Genius
Fixes Applied
24
Pending Fixes
3
Auto-Update
Active
Auto Redirect
ON

Settings

Auto-Update Links
Automatically update internal links when a post slug changes ON
Auto-Create Redirects
Create a 301 redirect when a post slug changes ON

The KPI row and Settings section show your current status at a glance.

Quick weekly workflow (8 to 12 minutes)

  1. Open URL Medic and click Scan Now.
  2. Review Pending Fixes and work through Broken Links — Suggested Fixes.
  3. Click Apply on fixes you are confident about.
  4. Confirm destination pages load correctly.
  5. Keep Auto-Update Links and Auto-Create Redirects ON.
Small batches win Consistent weekly cleanup is usually safer and more effective than rare large cleanup sessions.
WordPress Admin · SEO Rank Genius

Activity Log

ActionOld URLNew URLPosts Updated
Auto update/old-services/services4
Fix/blog/v1-checklist/blog/checklist2

The Activity Log records every fix URL Medic applies automatically or manually.

Troubleshooting

Same issues keep returning Check whether new content is reusing old broken slugs or links.
Fix applied but page still fails Clear cache and verify the destination URL is published and public.
Too many pending fixes Keep Auto-Update Links ON so future slug changes fix themselves.
Not sure which fixes to do first Start with high-traffic pages, then work through medium and low impact.

Related guides

All Redirections Guide Use the full redirect list for larger URL cleanup projects. Indexing Overview Hub Track whether your URL cleanup improves overall health cards. Link Behavior and External URLs Keep outgoing links consistent with your URL policy. Structured Data AUTO vs MANUAL Choose schema mode that matches your workflow.