Django Slugs and Links

How it works

The model stores slug independently from title, so changing the displayed title does not automatically break a shared link. Admin prepopulation is a convenience for entering a new value, not an automatic permanent synchronization rule. Use a unique constraint and handle collisions deliberately. If an established public slug must change, preserve an approved redirect rather than silently losing old links.

Run in the supplied local Django project

This lesson uses Django 5.2.18 LTS with Python 3.12. Download the source downloader and run node download-project.mjs http://127.0.0.1:8000 with Node 22 while previewing locally. It creates a new bhylu-django-lab folder and refuses to overwrite an existing one. After deployment, the default base is bhylu.com; until then use your local preview URL.

Inside that new folder, create a virtual environment, install requirements.txt and run the complete lesson file shown below. Every lesson creates a fresh in-memory SQLite database and temporary upload storage. It does not edit the interactive lab’s db.sqlite3 or Bhylu’s database. The visible listing below is the lesson’s core code; its complete downloaded file includes the shared bootstrap.

Django does not run in Bhylu’s current browser playground. No Apache, MySQL or global PHP configuration change is needed. See the setup lesson for the full project and commands.

Example

Run .venv\Scripts\python.exe lessons\links-slugs.py from the downloaded project root. Download the complete lesson file; keep it under lessons/. The project’s shared models, forms, views and fixture are prerequisites, not a hidden online runtime.

from django.utils.text import slugify
workshop = Workshop.objects.get(slug="lamp-care")
print(slugify("Lamp Care & Small Repairs"))
workshop.title = "Lamp care for beginners"
workshop.save(update_fields=["title"])
print(workshop.get_absolute_url())

Expected result

lamp-care-small-repairs
/workshops/lamp-care/

The helper proposes a URL-friendly spelling, while the existing record retains its original slug. A proposed slug still needs a uniqueness check at the database boundary; two similar titles can produce the same suggestion.