Is Root Relative URLs free?

Yes, Root Relative URLs is free to use. It is available as a free plugin on WordPress.org.

How many websites use Root Relative URLs?

Root Relative URLs has 6.0K+ active installations as tracked by WordPress.org.

What are the best Root Relative URLs alternatives?

Popular alternatives to Root Relative URLs include Custom Post Type Permalinks, Custom Permalinks, Featured Image from URL (FIFU). You can compare them side-by-side on our comparison pages.

Does Root Relative URLs work with the latest WordPress?

Root Relative URLs has been tested up to WordPress 3.5.2. It requires WordPress 3.2.1+ and PHP false+.

PluginSift

Root Relative URLs

Name: Root Relative URLs
Rating: 2.9 (20 reviews)
Author: MarcusPope

Converts all URLs to root-relative URLs for hosting the same site on multiple IPs, easier production migration and better mobile device testing.

By MarcusPope·URL·Free

2.9(20 reviews)

·6.0K+ active installs·Updated 8 years ago

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As of April 2026, Root Relative URLs is a WordPress url plugin with 6.0K+ active installations and a 2.9/5 rating from 20 reviews. It has been downloaded 77K+ times in total. Requires WordPress 3.2.1+ and PHP false+. Available on WordPress.org since 2011. Last updated 8 years ago — may have compatibility concerns. Downloads are up 13% this week. Top alternative: Custom Post Type Permalinks.

2.9/520 reviews

6.0K+active installs

77K+total downloads

15 yearssince 2011

Overview

A WordPress plugin that converts all URL formats to root-relative URLs to enable seamless transitioning between staging/production host environments and debugging/testing from mobile devices, without the use of hackish tactics like textual find-replace strategies or risky hosts/NAT spoofing strategies.

With Root Relative URLs you can browse your development site from http://localhost/ or http://127.0.0.1/ or from a named network resource like http://mycomputername/ without worrying about links redirecting you back to your site’s URL.

This plugin also modifies the tinyMCE hooks so links and media embedded with built-in tools will only insert URLs from the first forward slash after the domain (i.e. the root of your site.) This means when you push content changes to a staging or produ…

Read full description on WordPress.org

Ratings & Reviews

2.920 reviews

5 ★

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1 ★

Recent Reviews

Love the idea BUT

by casper·6 years ago

Unfortunately this is incompatible with Ninja Forms’ recaptcha; it breaks the Ajax call.

I would personally love to see WordPress adopt a root-relative philosophy because I think absolute URLs are stupid and having to search-and-replace URLs when switching domains should not be needed. But at least there are options out there that make that relatively easy to do.

This is wrong…

by Nurgiel·8 years ago

You shouldn’t use this plugin, it will break everything. Enjoy the hell.

This is not a good strategy for site deployment

by nickkeenan·9 years ago

This is just not a good idea for the long term health of a site’s database. There’s a number of great database migration tools – including hosting tools – that should be used when transitioning a site from a staging address to a live address that don’t break a whole bunch of other plugin functionality by messing with how get_permalink() works.

Not compatible with Store Locator Plus

by bga-agb·9 years ago

Not compatible with Store Locator Plus. Causes the plug-in to fail.

Not compatible with Google Analytics Dashboard for WP

by vletroye·9 years ago

Google Analytics Dashboard for WP does not work (it’s pane is empty in the Dashboard) when Root Relative URls is enabled.