How can I create custom SEO-friendly URLs in OpenCart?

Question

How can you customize system URLs in OpenCart? For example, I would like http://example.com/index.php?route=checkout/cart to be displayed as http://example.com/cart

I know OpenCart provides SEO URLs for products, categories, manufacturers and information pages, but it doesn't look like there is anything built-in (at least prior to version 1.5.0) for anything else.

Answer 1

It turns out this can be done with a relatively simple change to a single file. No .htaccess rewrite rules, simply patch the catalog/controller/common/seo_url.php file and add your pretty URLs to an existing database table.

---

The patch to seo_url.php:

Index: catalog/controller/common/seo_url.php
===================================================================
--- catalog/controller/common/seo_url.php   (old)
+++ catalog/controller/common/seo_url.php   (new)
@@ -48,7 +42,12 @@
                $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/manufacturer/product';
            } elseif (isset($this->request->get['information_id'])) {
                $this->request->get['route'] = 'information/information';
-           }
+           } else {
+                $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE keyword = '" . $this->db->escape($this->request->get['_route_']) . "'");
+                if ($query->num_rows) {
+                    $this->request->get['route'] = $query->row['query'];
+                }
+           }

            if (isset($this->request->get['route'])) {
                return $this->forward($this->request->get['route']);
@@ -88,7 +87,15 @@
                        }

                        unset($data[$key]);
-                   }
+                   } else {
+                        $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE `query` = '" . $this->db->escape($data['route']) . "'");
+
+                        if ($query->num_rows) {
+                            $url .= '/' . $query->row['keyword'];
+
+                            unset($data[$key]);
+                        }
+                   }
                }
            }

There are two edits required. The first extends the index() function to look in the url_alias table for any keyword matching $this->request->get['_route_'] .

The second extends the rewrite() function to look in the url_alias table for all routes, not just those for products, manufacturers, and information pages.

---

Adding entries to the database:

INSERT INTO `url_alias` (`url_alias_id`, `query`, `keyword`) VALUES
(NULL, 'checkout/cart', 'cart');

---

That's it. http://example.com/cart should return the same thing that http://example.com/index.php?route=checkout/cart does, and OpenCart should recognize $this->url->link('checkout/cart'); and return a link to the pretty URL http://example.com/cart

Answer 2

I'm using Opencart version 1.5.5.1 and this is the exact code that worked for me:

<?php 
class ControllerCommonSeoUrl extends Controller {
    /* SEO Custom URL */
    private $url_list = array (
        'common/home'       => '',
        'checkout/cart'     => 'cart',
        'account/register'  => 'register',
                    'account/wishlist'  => 'wishlist',
                    'checkout/checkout' => 'checkout',
                    'account/login'     => 'login',
                    'product/special'   => 'special',
                    'affiliate/account' => 'affiliate',
                    'checkout/voucher'  => 'voucher',
                    'product/manufacturer' => 'brand',
                    'account/newsletter'   => 'newsletter',
                    'account/order'        => 'order',
                    'account/account'      => 'account',
                    'information/contact'  => 'contact',
                    'account/return/insert' => 'return',
                    'information/sitemap'   => 'sitemap',
        );
    /* SEO Custom URL */

public function index() {
    // Add rewrite to url class
    if ($this->config->get('config_seo_url')) {
        $this->url->addRewrite($this);
    }

    // Decode URL
    if (isset($this->request->get['_route_'])) {
        $parts = explode('/', $this->request->get['_route_']);

        foreach ($parts as $part) {
            $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE keyword = '" . $this->db->escape($part) . "'");

            if ($query->num_rows) {
                $url = explode('=', $query->row['query']);

                if ($url[0] == 'product_id') {
                    $this->request->get['product_id'] = $url[1];
                }

                if ($url[0] == 'category_id') {
                    if (!isset($this->request->get['path'])) {
                        $this->request->get['path'] = $url[1];
                    } else {
                        $this->request->get['path'] .= '_' . $url[1];
                    }
                }   

                if ($url[0] == 'manufacturer_id') {
                    $this->request->get['manufacturer_id'] = $url[1];
                }

                if ($url[0] == 'information_id') {
                    $this->request->get['information_id'] = $url[1];
                }   
            } else {
                $this->request->get['route'] = 'error/not_found';   
            }
        }
                    /* SEO Custom URL */
                    if ( $_s = $this->setURL($this->request->get['_route_']) ) {
                            $this->request->get['route'] = $_s;
                    }/* SEO Custom URL */

        if (isset($this->request->get['product_id'])) {
            $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/product';
        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['path'])) {
            $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/category';
        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['manufacturer_id'])) {
            $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/manufacturer/info';
        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['information_id'])) {
            $this->request->get['route'] = 'information/information';
        }

        if (isset($this->request->get['route'])) {
            return $this->forward($this->request->get['route']);
        }
    }
}

public function rewrite($link) {
    $url_info = parse_url(str_replace('&amp;', '&', $link));

    $url = ''; 

    $data = array();

    parse_str($url_info['query'], $data);

    foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
        if (isset($data['route'])) {
            if (($data['route'] == 'product/product' && $key == 'product_id') || (($data['route'] == 'product/manufacturer/info' || $data['route'] == 'product/product') && $key == 'manufacturer_id') || ($data['route'] == 'information/information' && $key == 'information_id')) {
                $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE `query` = '" . $this->db->escape($key . '=' . (int)$value) . "'");

                if ($query->num_rows) {
                    $url .= '/' . $query->row['keyword'];

                    unset($data[$key]);
                }                   
            } elseif ($key == 'path') {
                $categories = explode('_', $value);

                foreach ($categories as $category) {
                    $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE `query` = 'category_id=" . (int)$category . "'");

                    if ($query->num_rows) {
                        $url .= '/' . $query->row['keyword'];
                    }                           
                }

                unset($data[$key]);
            }
                                    /* SEO Custom URL */
                                    if( $_u = $this->getURL($data['route']) ){
                                        $url .= $_u;
                                        unset($data[$key]);
                                    }/* SEO Custom URL */       


        }
    }

    if ($url) {
        unset($data['route']);

        $query = '';

        if ($data) {
            foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
                $query .= '&' . $key . '=' . $value;
            }

            if ($query) {
                $query = '?' . trim($query, '&');
            }
        }

        return $url_info['scheme'] . '://' . $url_info['host'] . (isset($url_info['port']) ? ':' . $url_info['port'] : '') . str_replace('/index.php', '', $url_info['path']) . $url . $query;
    } else {
        return $link;
    }
}   
    /* SEO Custom URL */
    public function getURL($route) {
            if( count($this->url_list) > 0) {
                 foreach ($this->url_list as $key => $value) {
                    if($route == $key) {
                        return '/'.$value;
                    }
                 }
            }
            return false;
    }
    public function setURL($_route) {
            if( count($this->url_list) > 0 ){
                 foreach ($this->url_list as $key => $value) {
                    if($_route == $value) {
                        return $key;
                    }
                 }
            }
            return false;
    }/* SEO Custom URL */
}
?>

Answer 3

A simple "no code" method is to install vQmod. Instructions here: vQmod install wiki

And then upload the xml file available in this Opencart forum thread to the vqmod/xml/ folder.

The xml contains a relatively easy to read script that maps the urls similar to the two answers above, but without modifying core files. So site updates will not kill it.

Answer 4

Put this near the top of your index.php file. It was the only solution that worked for me.

switch($_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"])
{
    case '/old-url': $three01 = "/new-url"; break;
}

if($three01)
{
    header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently"); header("Location: ".$three01); exit;
}

Answer 5

vQmod xml file

<modification>
<id>Seo All Alias</id>
<version>1.0</version>
<vqmver>2.1.7</vqmver>
<author>noname</author>
<file name="catalog/controller/common/seo_url.php"> 
    <operation>
        <search position="after" offset="2"><![CDATA[
            $this->request->get['route'] = 'information/information';
        ]]></search>
        <add><![CDATA[
        else {
            $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE keyword = '" . $this->db->escape($this->request->get['_route_']) . "'");
            if ($query->num_rows) {
                $this->request->get['route'] = $query->row['query'];
            }
        }
        ]]></add>
    </operation>

    <operation>
        <search position="after" offset="1" index="2"><![CDATA[
            unset($data[$key]);
        ]]></search>
        <add><![CDATA[
                else {
                    $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE `query` = '" . $this->db->escape($data['route']) . "'");

                    if ($query->num_rows) {
                        $url .= '/' . $query->row['keyword'];
                        unset($data[$key]);
                    }
                }
        ]]></add>
    </operation>

</file>

Answer 6

Depending on the level of customization you need, there are a few extensions available, including free ones.

This one works both on OpenCart 1.5 and OpenCart 2 and seems quite customizable. However it does not support customization of hardcoded URL parts like "checkout/cart" or "account/wishlist".

Here is a vQmod for OpenCart 2.0 (might work with 1.5, not tested) which applies to the forementioned extension and allows to change these hardcoded strings into whatever you want, and support multilanguage websites.

Eg "checkout/cart" will become "cart" for English, "panier" for French, etc.

Answer 7

OpenCart SEO for OpenCart 1.5.X free :)

You can use as you wish. Category Name / ID / ID for quicker SEO resolving

<?php
class ControllerCommonSeoUrl extends Controller {
        /* SEO Custom URL */
        private $url_list = array (
            'common/home'       => 'home',
            'checkout/cart'     => 'cart',
            'account/register'  => 'register',
                        'account/wishlist'  => 'wishlist',
                        'checkout/checkout' => 'checkout',
                        'account/login'     => 'login',
                        'product/special'   => 'special',
                        'affiliate/account' => 'affiliate',
                        'checkout/voucher'  => 'voucher',
                        'product/manufacturer' => 'brand',
                        'account/newsletter'   => 'newsletter',
                        'account/order'        => 'order',
                        'account/account'      => 'account',
                        'information/contact'  => 'contact',
                        'account/return/insert' => 'return/insert',
                        'information/sitemap'   => 'sitemap',
            );
        /* SEO Custom URL */

        public function index() {
                // Add rewrite to url class
                if ($this->config->get('config_seo_url')) {
                        $this->url->addRewrite($this);
                }

                // Decode URL
                if (isset($this->request->get['_route_'])) {
                        $parts = explode('/', $this->request->get['_route_']);

                                                if ( count($parts) > 1 ) {
                                                        if ($parts[1] == 'category'){
                                                                $this->request->get['path'] = $parts[2];
                                                                for ( $i = 3 ; $i < count($parts); $i++) {      
                                                                        $this->request->get['path'] .= '_' . $parts[$i];
                                                                }
                                                        }elseif( $parts[1] == 'item' ) {
                                                                $this->request->get['product_id'] = $parts[2];
                                                        }
                                                }
                        foreach ($parts as $part) {
                                $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE keyword = '" . $this->db->escape($part) . "'");

                                if ($query->num_rows) {
                                        $url = explode('=', $query->row['query']);

                                        if ($url[0] == 'product_id') {
                                                $this->request->get['product_id'] = $url[1];
                                        }

                                        if ($url[0] == 'category_id') {
                                                if (!isset($this->request->get['path'])) {
                                                        $this->request->get['path'] = $url[1];
                                                } else {
                                                        $this->request->get['path'] .= '_' . $url[1];
                                                }
                                        }       

                                        if ($url[0] == 'manufacturer_id') {
                                                $this->request->get['manufacturer_id'] = $url[1];
                                        }

                                        if ($url[0] == 'information_id') {
                                                $this->request->get['information_id'] = $url[1];
                                        }       
                                } else {
                                        $this->request->get['route'] = 'error/not_found';       
                                }
                        }
                        /* SEO Custom URL */
                        if ( $_s = $this->setURL($this->request->get['_route_']) ) {
                                $this->request->get['route'] = $_s;
                        }/* SEO Custom URL */

                        if (isset($this->request->get['product_id'])) {
                                $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/product';
                        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['path'])) {
                                $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/category';
                        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['manufacturer_id'])) {
                                $this->request->get['route'] = 'product/manufacturer/product';
                        } elseif (isset($this->request->get['information_id'])) {
                                $this->request->get['route'] = 'information/information';
                        }

                        if (isset($this->request->get['route'])) {
                                return $this->forward($this->request->get['route']);
                        }
                }
        }

        public function rewrite($link) {
                if ($this->config->get('config_seo_url')) {
                        $url_data = parse_url(str_replace('&amp;', '&', $link));

                        $url = ''; 

                        $data = array();

                        parse_str($url_data['query'], $data);

                        foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
                                if (isset($data['route'])) {
                                        if ( (($data['route'] == 'product/manufacturer/product' || $data['route'] == 'product/product') && $key == 'manufacturer_id') || ($data['route'] == 'information/information' && $key == 'information_id')) {
                                                $query = $this->db->query("SELECT * FROM " . DB_PREFIX . "url_alias WHERE `query` = '" . $this->db->escape($key . '=' . (int)$value) . "'");

                                                if ($query->num_rows) {
                                                        $url .= '/' . $query->row['keyword'];

                                                        unset($data[$key]);
                                                }                                       
                                        } elseif( $key == 'product_id' ) {

                                                $url = '/shop/item/'.$value;
                                                unset($data[$key]);

                                              }elseif ($key == 'path') {

                                                $categories = explode('_', $value);
                                                $url = '/shop/category';
                                                foreach ($categories as $category) {
                                                        $url .= '/'.$category;
                                                }
                                                unset($data[$key]);

                                        }// 
                                        /* SEO Custom URL */
                                        if( $_u = $this->getURL($data['route']) ){
                                            $url .= $_u;
                                            unset($data[$key]);
                                        }/* SEO Custom URL */        


                                }
                        }

                        if ($url) {
                                unset($data['route']);

                                $query = '';

                                if ($data) {
                                        foreach ($data as $key => $value) {
                                                $query .= '&' . $key . '=' . $value;
                                        }

                                        if ($query) {
                                                $query = '?' . trim($query, '&');
                                        }
                                }

                                return $url_data['scheme'] . '://' . $url_data['host'] . (isset($url_data['port']) ? ':' . $url_data['port'] : '') . str_replace('/index.php', '', $url_data['path']) . $url . $query;
                        } else {
                                return $link;
                        }
                } else {
                        return $link;
                }               
        }

        /* SEO Custom URL */
        public function getURL($route) {
                if( count($this->url_list) > 0) {
                     foreach ($this->url_list as $key => $value) {
                        if($route == $key) {
                            return '/'.$value;
                        }
                     }
                }
                return false;
        }
        public function setURL($_route) {
                if( count($this->url_list) > 0 ){
                     foreach ($this->url_list as $key => $value) {
                        if($_route == $value) {
                            return $key;
                        }
                     }
                }
                return false;
        }/* SEO Custom URL */
}
?>

Answer 8

here is a free Extension that adds custom SEO URLs, as well as lets you manage multi-langauge URLs, 404s, export/import, and bulk edit.

SEO Module URL

Hey, before you click down, check the extension. It is my extension, I know that it is coded properly and it does exactly what the user asks for and much more and it is FREE.

I really hope it helps someone.