# Permalink.create Not working with Arabic slug!
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509
**Category:** Migration
**Tags:** bbpress
**Created:** [May 10, 2023, 8:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509 "2023-05-10T08:48:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hiccup](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hiccup)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2023, 8:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509/1 "2023-05-10T08:48:20Z")
Hi
Simply my old bbpress used only slugs within Arabic characters no id only ` /post-title`
Therefore, when trying to use `Permalink.create(url: '/Arabic-title', topic_id: 3708),` Permalink is being created, but the link is not working, and it gives the link that it does not exist
The problem is that I have more than 12,000 links spread across the Internet that use Arabic slugs, I don’t need to lose all these backlinks.
I am currently using `htaccess` on the old server `to redirect 301(/Arabic-title TO newdiscourse/t/topic_id ),` but with 12,000 links, the file size has become 2MB, and I am worried that it may make the redirect 301 slow, but everything works fine
Any suggestion, please?
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509/2 "2023-05-10T15:44:46Z")
What I would do is start with a trivial example with just a character or two. I can’t remember if the URL is supposed to start with a leading `/`/ or whether it matters (it likely does not, but it’s the first thing I’d try).
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### Author:  [@hiccup](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hiccup)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509/3 "2023-05-10T15:57:33Z")
Indeed, I have tried Permalink.create with 2 or 3 links, and I have tried `with // and without`, but the same Permalink.create for English links works, but if the link uses Arabic slugs, it does not work..
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509/4 "2023-05-10T23:38:01Z")
> [@hiccup](#):
>
> am currently using `htaccess` on the old server
So the old server and the new one have different host names? I’d probably stick with that. It can’t matter much if the 301s are slow on the old server since only 301 are going there.
If no one from team chimes in, the next thing you could do would be to try to add don’t debugging to core to see exactly what it’s looking for. It’s conceivable that it is a bug, as Arabic may not be tested and rtl could play in some way. (That’s all speculation.) Maybe try a 3 character slug backward?
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### Author:  [@hiccup](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hiccup)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/permalink-create-not-working-with-arabic-slug/264509/5 "2023-05-11T00:10:27Z")
I really appreciate your reply. @pfaffman
Sure, the old server have different host name and only host htaccess file with 12k old links redirect 301 and work fine. Like I said am only worried about the redirect speed.
I believe should I skip use permalink option