Forces blank category base for clean URLs in multisite permalink structure.

Overview

Location: /inc/core/rewrite.php

The theme removes the /category/ prefix from category archive URLs, making them appear at the root level.

URL Structure

Without Rewrite:

https://extrachill.com/category/news/
https://extrachill.com/category/music-festivals/

With Rewrite:

https://extrachill.com/news/
https://extrachill.com/music-festivals/

Implementation

function extrachill_force_category_base() {
    return '';
}
add_filter( 'pre_option_category_base', 'extrachill_force_category_base' );
add_filter( 'pre_update_option_category_base', 'extrachill_force_category_base' );

How It Works

Pre-Option Filter

pre_option_category_base intercepts WordPress’s attempt to retrieve the category base option, returning an empty string instead.

Effect: WordPress treats category base as blank when generating URLs

Pre-Update Filter

pre_update_option_category_base prevents updates to the category base setting.

Effect: Admin cannot change category base setting (it’s always blank)

Benefits

Clean URLs

Cleaner, more readable category URLs:

/news/article-title/          # Clean
/category/news/article-title/ # Cluttered

SEO

• Shorter URLs
• More keyword-focused
• Better user experience
• Improved readability

Consistency

Maintains consistent URL structure across multisite network.

WordPress Permalink Settings

In WordPress Admin > Settings > Permalinks, the "Category base" field has no effect – theme enforces blank category base regardless of setting.

Hierarchical Categories

Child categories still maintain hierarchy:

/music-festivals/              # Parent category
/music-festivals/colorado/     # Child category

Conflict Avoidance

Theme handles potential conflicts between:

• Category slugs
• Page slugs
• Custom post type slugs

WordPress Priority: Categories use WordPress’s built-in conflict resolution where pages take precedence over categories when slug conflicts occur.

Multisite Compatibility

Works seamlessly across WordPress multisite network:

• extrachill.com uses clean category URLs
• community.extrachill.com (if categories used) uses same structure

Permalink Flushing

After activating theme or changing category slugs, flush permalinks:

Admin Method:

1. Go to Settings > Permalinks
2. Click "Save Changes" (no changes needed)

Code Method:

flush_rewrite_rules();

WP-CLI Method:

wp rewrite flush

Category Base in Templates

When linking to categories, use WordPress functions (they automatically generate correct URLs):

// Correct - uses theme rewrite rules
$category_link = get_category_link( $category_id );

// Correct - uses theme rewrite rules
$category_url = get_term_link( $category_term );

Archive Links

Archive links automatically use clean URLs:

// Generates: /news/
echo get_category_link( $news_category_id );

// Generates: /music-festivals/colorado/
echo get_term_link( $colorado_term, 'category' );

Breadcrumb Integration

Breadcrumb system respects clean URLs:

// Breadcrumb output
Home › News › Article Title

// Links:
// Home: /
// News: /news/  (not /category/news/)
// Article: /news/article-title/

Technical Details

Filter Priority

Both filters use default priority (10), ensuring they run before WordPress generates URLs.

Option Bypass

Filters run on pre_option_* which intercepts option retrieval before database query, improving performance.

Update Prevention

pre_update_option_* filter prevents database writes for category base setting.

Limitations

Custom Category Bases

Cannot use custom category bases like /topics/ or /categories/. Category base is always blank.

Workaround: Use custom taxonomies if custom URL structure needed.

Slug Conflicts

If page slug matches category slug, page takes precedence:

Example:

• Page: /news/
• Category: /news/
• Result: Page displays (WordPress default behavior)

Solution: Use unique category slugs or rename conflicting pages

Testing Clean URLs

After theme activation, test category URLs:

# Test category archive
curl -I https://extrachill.com/news/

# Should return 200 OK
# Should NOT redirect to /category/news/

Reverting to Default

To restore default /category/ prefix:

1. Remove filters from /inc/core/rewrite.php
2. Flush rewrite rules
3. Category URLs will include /category/ prefix

Not Recommended: Theme designed for clean URLs

Why Clean Category URLs

User Experience: Shorter, cleaner URLs easier to read and share
SEO Benefits: More keyword-focused URLs
Professional: Cleaner look for content site
Consistency: Matches other modern WordPress themes
Multisite: Uniform structure across network sites