Have you noticed that some website URLs are clear and easy to understand, allowing you to see the content of the page at a glance, while others are filled with complex question marks and numbers, making it hard to figure out?This difference largely comes from the 'pseudo-static' settings of the website.In AnQi CMS, pseudo-static is a very practical and powerful feature that can profoundly affect the display structure of your website URL, thereby having an important impact on the website's search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience.

What is pseudo-static, and why is it important?

First, let's understand what pseudo static is simply.usually, the content of web pages is dynamically generated, especially in content management systems (CMS).This means that when you visit a page, the server will extract data from the database based on the request (such as the article ID) and dynamically assemble it into a web page.example.com/index.php?category_id=1&article_id=123.

While pseudo-static, as the name implies, is to make these dynamically generated URLs look as simple and friendly as static HTML files, for example,example.com/news/tech-innovation-123.htmlorexample.com/products/smart-phone.html.It is not really generating a static HTML file, but on the server side, through URL rewrite technology, the 'static' links accessed by users are internally mapped to the actual dynamic pages.

Why do we go to such trouble to make such settings? The main reasons are three:

  1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)：The search engine's crawler prefers URLs that are structured clearly and contain keywords.An English-friendly URL rewrite makes it easier for crawlers to understand the relevance of page content, improving inclusion efficiency and keyword ranking.example.com/news/anqicms-tutorial.htmlObvious thanexample.com/?p=123More descriptive for search engines.
  2. User Experience (UX)：For visitors, a concise and clear URL is easier to remember, share, and understand.Users see meaningful keywords in the browser address bar, which will increase their trust in the website's content and professionalism.
  3. Aesthetics and brand：A clear URL structure also enhances the overall aesthetics and professional image of the website, which is beneficial for brand building.

How to implement and manage pseudo-static pages in AnQi CMS?

The Auto CMS takes URL static management as one of its core functions, allowing you to easily control the URL structure of your website.Implementing pseudo static usually requires the cooperation of the server (such as Nginx or Apache), but the security CMS provides an intuitive interface, allowing you to define the rules, and then you just need to add the corresponding rewrite rules to the server configuration file according to the system prompts.

In the Anqi CMS backend, you can find the 'Static Rules' option under the 'Function Management' menu. Here, you will see several preset static rules modes for quick selection:

  • Number PatternThis pattern usually uses an ID as the identifier for the URL, for example/article/123.html. It is concise and direct, but lacks semantic information.
  • Model naming patternThis pattern will include the alias and ID of the content model in the URL, for example,/archive-123.htmlor/product-456.htmlMore suitable for distinguishing content types on multi-model websites.
  • Categorization naming patternsThis pattern integrates the alias or ID of the category into the URL, for example/category/tech/123.html. It better reflects the relationship between the content.

In addition to these preset patterns, Anqi CMS also provides powerfulcustom modeEnglish translation: , allowing you to flexibly combine variables to create a unique URL structure. In the custom mode, you will use some special variables to build the rules:

  • {id}：represents the unique ID of the content, such as article ID, category ID, etc.
  • {filename}This is the custom link name for the content (such as articles, single pages).When you edit an article or a single page, AnQi CMS will automatically generate a pinyin alias based on the title. You can also manually modify it to a more SEO-friendly English or pinyin phrase.
  • {catname}：represents the custom link name of the category. With{filename}similar, you can customize the alias of the category when editing it.
  • {catid}：represents the unique ID for categories.
  • {module}：represents the URL alias of the content model, such as the article model may bearchive, the product model may beproduct.
  • {page}: is used to indicate the pagination page number, usually enclosed in parentheses, such as(-{page})，indicating optional pagination parameters.}

By combining these variables flexibly, you can design various URL formats, for example:

  • Article detail page:/{module}/{filename}.html(For example}]}/news/anqicms-feature.html)
  • Category list page:/{catname}/list(-{page}).html(For example}]}/tech-news/list-2.html)
  • Single page:/{filename}.html(For example}]}/about-us.html)
  • Tag detail page:/tag-{filename}.html(For example}]}/tag-cms.html)

In content management, whether you are adding articles or categories, you will see the item 'Custom URL' to fill in. This is exactly{filename}and{catname}The place where it plays a role, you can enter descriptive and keyword-rich aliases to make your URL more friendly to search engines and users.

The impact of pseudo-static URL on website operation

Once you have reasonably set up pseudo-static in Anqi CMS, your website operation will bring about a positive impact in many aspects:

  • Improve keyword ranking：Integrating the target keyword into the URL can effectively improve the relevance of the page in search engine results.
  • Improve click-through rate：The user is more likely to click through to your website when they see a clear, keyword-rich URL on the search results page.
  • Convenient for data analysis：Simplified URL structure also makes it more intuitive to track specific content or categories through analysis tools.
  • Maintain brand image：A unified and professional URL format is an important part of the overall brand image of the website.

It is worth mentioning that Anqi CMS not only provides pseudo-static settings, but also built-in 301 redirect management features.When you change the URL structure, or need to redirect an old page to a new one, 301 redirect can ensure that traffic and SEO weight are not lost, which is an indispensable tool for the long-term operation of a website.

A few reminders when setting up pseudo-static pages:

  • Choose the mode that suits you best.There is no best rule for URL rewriting, only the one that is most suitable for your website content and user group.English site may prefer English aliases, while Chinese sites may use pinyin aliases or IDs more often.
  • Ensure the uniqueness of the URL：No matter which mode is used, make sure that the final generated URL is unique to avoid issues such as duplicate content or inaccessible pages. The security CMS in your custom{filename}or{catname}When, it will automatically perform a uniqueness check.
  • Be cautious when modifying the URLs that have already been included.If your website has been launched and is heavily indexed by search engines, be cautious when modifying the URL structure, and combine it with the 301 redirect function of Anqi CMS to permanently redirect the old URL to the new URL to avoid generating a large number of dead links and SEO weight loss.
  • Modify it and test it afterwards：Each time the pseudo-static rules are changed, it is essential to visit all pages of the website (including article details, category lists, single pages, pagination, etc.) to ensure that all links can be accessed normally.

Through the powerful pseudo-static settings of AnQi CMS, you will be able to build a set of URLs that are both beautiful and efficient for your website, laying a solid foundation for the long-term development of your website.

Common Questions (FAQ)

1. I have set up the rewrite rule in the AnQi CMS backend, but the website URL does not seem to have changed, why is that?

This is usually because you still need to configure the corresponding URL rewrite rules on your web server (such as Nginx or Apache).The autoCMS is responsible for generating and managing the internal URL structure, but the web server needs to know how to correctly map the "pseudo-static" URLs of external requests to the dynamic addresses handled by the autoCMS.Please check the installation documentation or the server configuration examples provided on the pseudo-static rules page of the Safe CMS, and add them to your Nginx or Apache configuration file, then restart the web server.

2. If my website has been online for a while, what impact will changing the rewrite rules have on SEO?

Changing the URL structure of the websites already included may have a certain impact on SEO in the short term, such as a decrease in page crawling frequency and fluctuations in keyword rankings.This is because the search engine needs time to rediscover and understand the new URL structure.