WordPress | Function | Simplify URL

simple_url.php

<?php
// Simplify the URL for display purposes. Remove http(s) the www and any queries.
function url_simplify( $url ) {
    if ( $url ) {
        $url_parse = wp_parse_url( $url );
        if( $url_parse ) {
            $url_host = $url_parse['host'];
            $url_host = str_replace( 'www.','',$url_host );
            $url_simple = $url_host;
            if( array_key_exists('path', $url_parse) ) {
                $url_path = $url_parse['path'];
                if ( $url_path != '/' ) {
                    $url_simple = $url_host . $url_path;
                }
            }
            return $url_simple;
        } else {
            return $url;
        }
    }
    return null;
}
?>

Simplify a URL for display

I use this where a client is adding URLs to external sites. I use the full URL within the href but pass the same URL through this function before displaying so it's shorter and more straightforward.

It basically extracts the host element and then removes any traces of www.

So, for example http://www.website.com becomes www.website.com after being parsed. Then str_replace swaps any instances of www. for nothing, so it finally returns website.com.

Hope it's useful. Big love from Cornwall, UK. x