Add unique_url_title functionality option to the CP

[nep]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
When an entry is submitted with a title that is the same as another entry, the URL Title that's generated is also a duplicate, and the form is returned with a URL Title error message that the user has to resolve.

Several of our clients use EE to manage content and collect entries where the URL Title's SEO is not critical, and where the frequency of URL Title overlap is common. EE2 used to automatically add "1," "2" etc. to the end of the URL Title to ensure uniqueness. This was tremendously helpful .. and saved manual guessing and re-saving.

But EE5 simply gives an error and requires the user to guess at the next valid available URL Title. Channel Form has a parameter that activates this behavior, but it isn't active in the CP.

Describe the solution you'd like
Add a setting for each channel to allow automated unique_url_title in the CP, or just to bring back the original default behavior where the computer figured out the uniqueness automatically.

Describe alternatives you've considered
EllisLab has a long history of rejecting this request, but I have seen no feedback from any other developer who likes it better the way it is now.

I also think the EllisLab-suggested solution -- to rely on a third-party add-on -- is not a good long-term solution to a problem that is fairly common -- and which other CMSs do solve automatically:

https://expressionengine.com/support/bugs/21683/duplicate-url-titles-still-prevented-even-in-different-channels
https://expressionengine.com/forums/topic/251006/allow-duplicate-url-titles-again-in-4.x
https://expressionengine.com/support/bugs/21902/adding-a-new-entry-with-the-same-title-as-an-existing-one-does-not-auto-gen

Teachability, Documentation, Adoption, Migration Strategy
Doesn't require any significant change to UI or documentation.

• [ x ] I am capable and would like to work on implementation of this feature if it is considered.

  However, I don't want to work on it unless I know first that it'll be accepted, so can I get confirmation of that?

[jmathias]

Hi Travis,

Thanks for taking the time, we appreciate it. However, we still feel that this is not the right behavior for this field.

And as Derek has said in a couple of the linked threads above we have plans for an improved UI around this issue, that doesn't auto-append a number to URLs, but still solves the issue.

For the time being we feel that the Willow Light plugin mentioned is the right choice for folks that require this functionality in the interim. https://willowlightstudio.com/news/2016/willows-smart-url-title-for-expressionengine-released

[blairliikala]

+1, having issues in front-end forms and in the DataGrab add-on for importing entries. I don't use url titles.

[tidy]

+1 - just ran into this with a channel form. It's unfortunate that the way EE2 magically avoided duplicate URLs was dropped & it would be great if if could return. Thanks

[HopStudios-Development]

Hi folks. I see this was closed with issue #3046, but I feel that is not a solution to the problem raised here.

This request is for the user to be able to control the url_title BUT the system would create a valid one if that user choice is not available. #3046 only allows you to either a) give full control to EE without having any way to modify it, or b) give full control to the user, but without any way of knowing what a valid URL might be.

I would welcome a chance to brainstorm the specific implementation in a way that makes the most sense for EE, but what's in 7.3.0 isn't it.

[TomJaeger]

Re-Read this thread, and Re opened this issue.