Craft CMS Save As: Fixing Slug Problems In New Entries

Hey folks! Ever found yourselves in a Craft CMS pickle where the "Save as New Entry" feature throws a wrench into your slug game? Yeah, me too. Let's dive into this little quirk and explore how to keep those slugs squeaky clean when duplicating entries. We'll also look at why it's a pain point for clients and what solutions might be lurking around the corner.

The Save As Saga: Why It's a Client Favorite (and Sometimes a Headache)

So, imagine you're managing a Craft CMS site for a client. They're crafting content, and bam! They need a new entry, but not from scratch. That's where the "Save as New Entry" feature shines. It's like a digital shortcut, letting them clone an existing piece and tweak it. This is a super user-friendly way to get started, especially if the new entry is similar to an old one. It's a major time-saver, and clients love it.

However, this handy feature sometimes has a little hiccup. When you "Save as New Entry," the slug (that part of the URL that's usually auto-generated) doesn't always play nice. Instead of creating a fresh, clean slug based on the new title, you might end up with something like "old-entry-name-2." This is less than ideal. It's not a disaster, but it's not exactly what we want. Ideally, the slug should reflect the new content from the get-go, mirroring the title the client will eventually provide. You know, to keep things tidy and search-engine-friendly.

I've had this conversation countless times with clients. They're busy, they're focused on the content, and the slug often gets overlooked. I've found myself saying, "Hey, don't forget to change the slug!" more than a few times. But, let's be honest, it's easy to miss. It's a small detail, but it can lead to inconsistent URLs, which can mess with SEO and generally make things a bit messy.

This is where the current system falls short. Craft CMS does a pretty good job in many areas, but the "Save as New Entry" slug behavior is an area ripe for improvement. It's a subtle issue, but one that impacts the user experience and can lead to minor headaches down the line. We should focus on making things as seamless as possible, especially for our clients. This is a common workflow, and fixing the slug generation here could be a significant quality-of-life improvement.

Automating Slug Generation: Solutions and Drawbacks

Now, there are definitely workarounds. You could implement automatic slug generation based on the title. You can have Craft CMS create a new slug every time an entry is saved, ensuring it always matches the title. Or, you could use URL formats to define how your slugs should be structured. These approaches can certainly solve the problem of stale slugs.

But, let's be real, these solutions have their own sets of drawbacks. Automatic slug generation can sometimes lead to unpredictable results if the title isn't exactly what you want in the URL. URL formats can get complex and require some technical know-how to set up correctly. These methods might not always fit every use case.

Sometimes, you want to control the slug. Sometimes, you need a little more flexibility. So, while these solutions are valid, they aren't always the perfect fit. We need something that works out of the box, without requiring tons of customization.

So, the core issue here is about making the user experience smoother and more intuitive. It's about preventing a minor annoyance that can add up over time. It's about ensuring that the "Save as New Entry" feature does exactly what the client expects, without extra steps or gotchas.

Reproduction Steps and Expected Behavior

Let's break down exactly how this slug situation plays out. Here’s how you can recreate the issue, step by step:

1. Pick an Existing Entry: Find a content entry already published or in draft form in your Craft CMS. This will be the source entry for the duplication.
2. Use the Red Drop-Down Menu: Locate the red drop-down menu (usually near the "Save" button or entry options) and choose the "Save as New Entry" option. This initiates the duplication process.
3. Examine the New Entry: After saving the new entry, go and check the slug. You'll likely find that the slug is copied from the original entry, potentially with a suffix like "-2" added to it. This is not what we're hoping for.

Expected Outcome

The ideal scenario is pretty simple: when you save an entry using "Save as New Entry," the slug should automatically match the title upon the first save. So, if your new entry is titled "Awesome New Article," the slug should, ideally, be "awesome-new-article." No extra digits, no carryover from the old entry. It should be fresh, clean, and reflective of the new content.

Actual Outcome

Unfortunately, the actual outcome often differs. Instead of a fresh slug, you're likely to see the old slug, maybe with a slight modification. This is the pain point we're addressing. This can lead to confusion and requires you to edit the slug manually, which is an extra step that could be avoided.

The Core of the Problem and Possible Solutions

The heart of the issue is that Craft CMS, when duplicating an entry, doesn't always recognize that the slug needs a reset. The CMS knows this is a draft, a new entry in the making, but it doesn't always act on that information to regenerate a slug. It's like it's saying, "Hey, let's just copy everything over and hope for the best." This is not ideal because, the slug has a purpose and when we are saving as a new entry, we should focus on the new one, and generate a new slug that fit with the new content.

Here’s a few ideas for a fix:

1. Smart Slug Generation: Craft CMS could enhance its slug generation logic when doing a "Save as New Entry." When a new entry is created using this feature, the system could automatically check the slug and title. If the slug doesn't match the title, or if it indicates a duplicate (e.g., "-2"), Craft could silently update the slug to match the title. This would be the cleanest, most user-friendly solution.
2. Visual Cue/Warning: If automatic slug generation is too risky, perhaps Craft could provide a visual cue or warning. Maybe a highlighted slug field, or a prompt saying "The slug might need updating." This puts the onus on the user, but at least makes them aware of the issue.
3. Configuration Option: Another approach could be to add a configuration option within Craft CMS's settings. This option could let you define how slugs are handled during "Save as New Entry" operations. This adds flexibility for developers who want different behaviors depending on their site's needs. Giving the developer control would be beneficial.

Why This Matters

This might seem like a small issue, but fixing it would provide real benefits. Firstly, it would improve the user experience, making content creation smoother and less prone to errors. Clients would have a more intuitive experience, and they wouldn't have to worry about manually updating the slug every time. Secondly, it would lead to cleaner, more consistent URLs, improving SEO and site navigation. Well-structured URLs are crucial for both search engines and users.

Craft CMS Version and Technical Details

The issue has been reported in Craft CMS version 5.8.17, but it’s likely to persist in earlier versions, too. I haven't provided all the technical specs for things like the operating system, PHP version, or database type, since this is a core feature in the CMS itself, not something specific to a particular setup.

Conclusion

So, there you have it, folks. The "Save as New Entry" slug issue in Craft CMS. It’s a subtle problem that can lead to real-world headaches. While there are workaround options, the ideal solution would be a smarter, more intuitive approach within Craft itself. By improving the default slug generation logic, Craft CMS could make content creation even smoother and more user-friendly for everyone. Let's hope the Craft CMS team takes this into consideration and implements a fix that simplifies the workflow. It would make a huge difference to the daily experience of many clients. The small changes can make a big impact on user experience. It's a win-win for everyone!

For further discussion, I recommend you to take a look at Craft CMS Documentation for more technical details and the latest updates. This will ensure that you stay on top of the latest developments and best practices related to this topic.