How do I remove the numbers (IDs) from my URLs?
Content → Articles → Options → Integration: set Remove IDs from URLs to Yes, then check that your links still work.
Why the numbers are there
Older Joomla routing put the article ID in the address (/12-about-us) to find articles quickly. Joomla 4 and later can find them by alias alone, which gives cleaner addresses.
Remove them
- Go to Content → Articles → Options, tab Integration.
- Set URL Routing to Modern and Remove IDs from URLs to Yes. Save.
- Make sure aliases are unique within each category, or Joomla can't tell articles apart.
- Test your important pages, and set up redirects for old addresses that search engines already know (System → Redirects).
Good to know
- Do the same for contacts and other components if their options have the setting.
Sources
- Search Engine Friendly URLs – Joomla User Guide
- Managing 404 Errors – Joomla User Guide
