How to set SEO-friendly filenames for topics?

Generation of topic filenames

When you compile a Web Help system, HelpSmith generates the filenames based on the textual IDs of the topics.

To edit the ID value of a topic:

1. In the Project Manager pane, double-click on the topic that you need.
2. In the dialog, in the ID box, set the desired value.
3. Click OK.

Remark: The ID value should have the format like "My_Topic".

Does HelpSmith provide an option to have SEO-friendly filenames for topics?

For topic IDs, it is recommended to use the format like "My_Topic" (as shown on the screenshot above) since this format is compatible with the HTML Help (CHM) and Web Help systems.

SEO-friendly topic filenames in Web Help

In Web Help, HelpSmith can automatically replace the "_" character with the "-" character for SEO-friendly filenames. For example, if the ID value of a topic is "My_Topic", the filename generated for that topic will be "my-topic.htm".

Enabling/disabling this option:

By default, this option is enabled in a new help project, but you can enable/disable it here:

1. On the Project tab, click Project Options.
2. In the Project Options dialog, in the left sidebar, select the Web Help section.
3. Check the option SEO friendly topic file names.
4. Click OK.

Changing the file extension

If needed, you can also change the file extension (for example: .htm, .html, etc.) of the generated HTML files at:
Project tab|Project Options|HTML Export