Change the link/path of a category/page

Related: https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Using_Permalinks

For pretty URLs ??

Start there, then come back when you have more questions. To have any idea of what you’re asking you’ll need to have at least some basc understanding of what permalinks are and what they do (imho).

I’ve already read that, the “Pretty URLS” made no sense to me whatsoever ??

Ok, well first let’s establish what kind of server you have your website on, is it a Windows server or Linux server?

Linux servers usually come with cPanel, if you have cPanel it’s likely a linux server. The options for using mod_rewrite (required for pretty URLs) are slimmer under Windows.

I use Hostmonster, and that is only Linux.

Use this code in custom structure

/%category%/%postname%/
under categories edit the downloads and change the slug to download as simple as that..

Alright that works, however, now I can’t access https://www.kesutu.com/private when it has a .htaccess file inside, I reverted back to default for permalinks and I could access it (it gives me a popup asking for username and password).

So:

Default Permalinks + with .htaccess = Access, no 404 error
Default Permalinks + without .htaccess = Access, no 404 error
Custom Permalinks (/%category%/%postname%/) + with .htaccess = 404 error
Custom Permalinks (/%category%/%postname%/) + without .htaccess = Access, no 404 error.

private was a page or category?

Neither, it was an entirely separate folder in my FTP it had no categories or pages linking to it.

Without the htaccess the rewrite rules don’t apply, so your logic above is a little off.. IE. You can’t have custom permalinks without a .htaccess file (with exception to IIS configs – of course)..

If you use a post/page or category, or anything that resembles your “real folder” , in this case “private” , then you’ll not be able to access it as you’d expect… because something else resides there virtually – at least as far as WordPress is concerned – your given WordPress page/post/cat is holding a symbolic link for that location.

Ohh…kkayyy… I wish I was less incompetent but sadly that won’t be happening anytime soon.

What do you mean I can’t have custom permalinks without a .htaccess file? I just know that when I set my permalinks to custom links, and then delete my original .htaccess (which had a username/password setting on it) I would be able to access the directory, if I left it there I wouldn’t be able to access as it would display “page not found”

If you attempted the visit the page before you would have seen that it displayed a “page not found” error, try visiting it now (I deleted the .htaccess file) You can now access the directory.

Well yes that will happen, when you remove the htaccess file you’re essentially removing the ability for the symbolic links, so your directory will then operate “normally” ..

It will operate normally anyway, providing “as i said before” you don’t have a page/post or category whose symbolic link conflicts with that directory name.. if you do, then there’s no guarantee which link will take priority.

eg.
yoursite.com/test/

Cannot exist both as a WordPress page and a real directory. Well they can, but the URL will only ever point to either “the real directory” or “the symbolic link” … but not both .. (of course)..

Symbolic links are URLs that look like real locations but are actually pointing somewhere else.. (this is what the htaccess and rewrite rules do).