# URL / Folder name not changeable for homepage **URL:** \ **Category:** RapidWeaver Classic\ **Created:** [July 20, 2021, 8:15am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027 "2021-07-20T08:15:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:15am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/1 "2021-07-20T08:15:36Z")
Hi everyone, I made a website with the kiki theme but am having problems with the homepage. For some reason I am not able to change the URL because a folder name can’t be added for this specific page. It is possible for any other pages. This is an issue because it is significantly lowering my google ranking. Would anyone know what to do about this? [www.pianolessons-london.co.uk](https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk) (this is the homepage) Best, Natasha ---
**Author:** ![Ruyton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ruyton](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Ruyton)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:45am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/2 "2021-07-20T08:45:14Z")
Your home page needs to be the root directory of the site, otherwise browsers will not find it unless directed to the specific URL. So, if you were to change your home page to [https://yourdomain.com/myhome/index.html](https://yourdomain.com/myhome/index.html) Then a browser going to [https://yourdomain.com](https://yourdomain.com) will come up with a 404 error page not found and it won’t see an index.html (or index.php) at that URL. ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/3 "2021-08-07T15:28:27Z")
Thanks, Ruyton. So do you mean to say that it is impossible to change the URL of the homepage? It used to be possible before when I was writing with another software and so I wondered. ---
**Author:** ![instacks](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/instacks/32/23339_2.png) [@instacks](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/instacks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 3:49pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/4 "2021-08-07T15:49:05Z")
> [@Natasha2](#): > > change the URL of the homepage Why would you do so? What is your intention? ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/6 "2021-08-07T15:51:43Z")
To have the keywords twice as in the previous version. ---
**Author:** ![joemart1951](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/joemart1951/32/1193_2.png) [@joemart1951](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/joemart1951)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/7 "2021-08-07T15:57:01Z")
Looks like you have your whole site massed into one directory…with a crazy menu…I would love to see how your directory system looks. ---
**Author:** ![instacks](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/instacks/32/23339_2.png) [@instacks](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/instacks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/8 "2021-08-07T16:03:03Z")
> [@Natasha2](#): > > keywords Keywords? > [@Natasha2](#): > > previous version Version of what? I really think you are getting confused about something. ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/9 "2021-08-07T16:11:32Z")
Apologies for this lack of clarity. The previous version of the homepage was this: [https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/Piano\_Lessons\_London.html](https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/Piano_Lessons_London.html) (written with iWeb, originally in 2009) The current version is this: [https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/](https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/) (rewritten with RapidWeaver, originally in 2017) The previous URL was working better for Google. ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:12pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/10 "2021-08-07T16:12:23Z")
Not a pro - I thought it was supposed to be all in one directory? ---
**Author:** ![instacks](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/instacks/32/23339_2.png) [@instacks](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/instacks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/11 "2021-08-07T16:13:43Z")
> [@Natasha2](#): > > The previous URL was working better for Google. Maybe that is your opinion, but frankly speaking, it’s wrong and against every best practices. The home page should always be index.html or index.php, so that you’ll get a clean url. ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/12 "2021-08-07T16:15:05Z")
Well, the previous version was on the first page in Google results, this one is not. Frankly, it does not make any difference to me but it seems to be making a difference to the algorhythm. ---
**Author:** ![joemart1951](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/joemart1951/32/1193_2.png) [@joemart1951](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/joemart1951)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/13 "2021-08-07T16:21:22Z")
All the page names should be index.html or index.php And making the folder names repeat the root name is silly. **Current** `https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/online_piano_lessons_london_nhs_offer/` **should be** `https://www.pianolessons-london.co.uk/nhs_offer/` ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/14 "2021-08-07T16:22:38Z")
I see. Maybe I have been following the wrong SEO tutorials then. Thanks for the advice. ---
**Author:** ![joemart1951](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/joemart1951/32/1193_2.png) [@joemart1951](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/joemart1951)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/15 "2021-08-07T16:23:48Z")
SEO is always a moving target…and not always correct one day to the next. ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/16 "2021-08-07T16:25:14Z")
Well, it seemed to be the 2020 advice. Will rewrite, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![instacks](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/instacks/32/23339_2.png) [@instacks](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/instacks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/17 "2021-08-07T17:03:00Z")
> [@Natasha2](#): > > Well, it seemed to be the 2020 advice. > [@Natasha2](#): > > written with iWeb, originally in 2009 More 2009 than 2020… ---
**Author:** ![instacks](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/instacks/32/23339_2.png) [@instacks](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/instacks)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/18 "2021-08-07T17:05:39Z")
A bit more to read about tidy links: [How to use tidy links](https://instacks.com/blog/how-to-use-tidy-links) And: [Tidy Website Links | RapidWeaver Tutorials | RapidWeaver Community](https://rapidweavercommunity.com/tutorials/advanced-topics/tidy-website-links) You definitely should upload your sitemap into Google Webmaster: [Create a Google Sitemap](https://instacks.com/blog/create-a-google-sitemap) ---
**Author:** ![Natasha2](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/natasha2/32/23726_2.png) [@Natasha2](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/Natasha2)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/19 "2021-08-07T17:13:54Z")
Thanks. I have a sitemap but RapidWeaver does not seem to be generating sitemaps in a supported format. I can’t add it through console. ---
**Author:** ![teefers](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/teefers/32/8173_2.png) [@teefers](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/teefers)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/20 "2021-08-07T22:36:53Z")
> [@Natasha2](#): > > The previous URL was working better for Google. The previous version of your website had been in place since 2009. You probably built up several backlinks from other sites. That will give you a level of what Google calls authority. That “authority” will help your SERP ranking a lot more than having multiple keywords in your URL. Especially if the keywords are duplicated in the same URL. My bet is that your ranking dropped because when you redesigned the site and changed the URLs of each page you didn’t do any redirects from the old pages URLs to the new pages URLs. So you lost a lot of the old site’s SEO “juice”. ---
**Author:** ![joeworkman](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/joeworkman/32/23780_2.png) [@joeworkman](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/joeworkman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027/21 "2021-08-07T22:39:25Z")
I would recommend setting up redirects from your old webpages to your new ones. This way Google will know that the SEO juice should be redirected to a new page. Make sure that the same content and meta tags are on the new pages so that you get all of the SEO benefits. I have some good live streams on SEO on my [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/WeaversSpace/) [Next page](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/url-folder-name-not-changeable-for-homepage/40027.md?page=2)