How to Use SlugField in Django to Create SEO-Friendly URLs

When building a web application with Django, creating clean and descriptive URLs is just as important as writing good content. This is where Django’s SlugField comes in handy. Instead of confusing numbers in your URL, slugs make them more readable and SEO-friendly.

What is a Slug in Django?

A slug is the part of a URL that contains a readable identifier, often made up of letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores.

For example:

URL without slug:
127.0.0.1:8000/members/details/1
URL with slug:
127.0.0.1:8000/members/details/emil-refsnes

The second option is easier to read, share, and optimize for search engines.

Why Should You Use Slugs?

Using slugs instead of database IDs improves both user experience and SEO. For developers, IDs might make sense, but visitors appreciate clear, descriptive links.

Benefits of Slugs:

URLs look professional and trustworthy
Better search engine optimization (keywords in slugs help rankings)
Easier for users to remember and share

Step 1: Add a SlugField in models.py

Start by adding the slug field to your Django model. Open your models.py file and include a SlugField:

pythonfrom django.db import models

class Member(models.Model):
    firstname = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    lastname = models.CharField(max_length=255)
    phone = models.IntegerField(null=True)
    joined_date = models.DateField(null=True)
    slug = models.SlugField(default="", null=False)

    def __str__(self):
        return f"{self.firstname} {self.lastname}"

Now, you need to update the database:

bashpython manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

Step 2: Update the Admin Panel

We want Django to generate slugs automatically instead of typing them manually each time. To do this, modify your admin.py.

pythonfrom django.contrib import admin
from .models import Member

class MemberAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    list_display = ("firstname", "lastname", "joined_date",)
    prepopulated_fields = {"slug": ("firstname", "lastname")}

admin.site.register(Member, MemberAdmin)

With prepopulated_fields, Django will auto-generate slugs from the firstname and lastname fields when you save a record. For example, Emil Refsnes becomes emil-refsnes.

Step 3: Update the Template

Next, we update the template so that the member detail links use slugs instead of IDs.

In your all_members.html template:

xml{% extends "master.html" %}
{% block content %}
<div class="mycard">
  <h1>Members</h1>
  <ul>
    {% for x in mymembers %}
      <li onclick="window.location = 'details/{{ x.slug }}'">
          {{ x.firstname }} {{ x.lastname }}
      </li>
    {% endfor %}
  </ul>
</div>
{% endblock %}

Now, when you click a member, the URL will include the slug instead of a numeric ID.

Step 4: Update URLs

We also need to adjust the urls.py file so that it fetches members using slugs. Change the path configuration like this:

pythonfrom django.urls import path
from . import views

urlpatterns = [
    path('', views.main, name='main'),
    path('members/', views.members, name='members'),
    path('members/details/<slug:slug>', views.details, name='details'),
    path('testing/', views.testing, name='testing'),
]

Here, <slug:slug> tells Django to expect a slug instead of an integer ID.

Step 5: Update the View

Finally, update the view function in views.py to fetch member details using the slug.

pythonfrom django.http import HttpResponse
from django.template import loader
from .models import Member

def members(request):
    mymembers = Member.objects.all().values()
    template = loader.get_template('all_members.html')
    context = { 'mymembers': mymembers }
    return HttpResponse(template.render(context, request))

def details(request, slug):
    mymember = Member.objects.get(slug=slug)
    template = loader.get_template('details.html')
    context = { 'mymember': mymember }
    return HttpResponse(template.render(context, request))

Now, instead of retrieving member data by ID, Django will search by the slug field.

Step 6: Run the Server and Test

Once everything is set up, run your server again:

bashpython manage.py runserver

Visit:
http://127.0.0.1:8000/members/

Click a member, and you’ll see a clean, user-friendly slug URL. 🎉

Final Thoughts

Django’s SlugField is a small but powerful feature that transforms the way URLs look and perform. Clean URLs improve trust, usability, and SEO results, making them essential for modern Django projects.

👉 If you’re building blogs, e-commerce sites, or portfolios, using slugs is a must. They make your web app more professional, easier to share, and loved by both users and search engines.

Slug Generator