The free version of Remove Special Characters From Permalinks (URLs) for WordPress cleans a post’s permalink each time you save it. Pro adds a one-click tool at Tools > Remove Characters that cleans every existing published permalink, plus Settings > Special Characters for forced redirects from old URLs and a completion email.
Feature comparison #
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Remove special characters from a slug when a post, page, product or custom post type item is published or updated | Yes | Yes (Pro includes the free code) |
| Convert accented Latin letters to plain letters | Yes | Yes |
| Record each post’s previous permalink path before cleaning | Yes | Yes |
| Clean all existing published permalinks with one click (background process) | No | Yes, Tools > Remove Characters |
| Force Redirection: 301 redirect from old URLs that return a 404 error | No | Yes, Settings > Special Characters |
| Email when the bulk cleanup finishes | No | Yes, Notification Email setting |
| Settings page | None | Settings > Special Characters |
Which one do you need? #
- New site or small site: the free version is enough. New and updated content gets clean URLs automatically, and you can update the few older posts that need it by hand.
- Established site with many affected URLs: Pro saves you from opening and updating each post, and Force Redirection covers old links that WordPress does not redirect on its own. See How to Bulk Clean Special Characters from All WordPress Permalinks and How to Redirect Old Permalinks After Removing Special Characters.
Running free and Pro together #
Pro bundles the free plugin’s code, so you do not need both. After activating Pro you can deactivate and delete the free version. Posts cleaned while you used the free version already have their previous path recorded, so Pro’s Force Redirection works for them too.
Note: both versions currently load only when WooCommerce is active. See Troubleshooting if the plugin appears to do nothing.
Ready to upgrade? #
Pro takes a couple of minutes to install and brings the bulk cleanup, forced redirects and completion emails. Get Remove Special Characters Pro.
Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the Remove Special Characters support forum.