Comments on: 6 Steps to a Better 404 Page http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/ Brazenly geek. Brazenly atheist. Brazenly me. Wed, 16 May 2012 22:14:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rob Mustard http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-22489 Rob Mustard Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:42:33 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-22489 Hello, Rick! Thanks for the helpful info with setting up 404-trapping pages. I've been scratching my head over what I'm NOT seeing on my 404 error page: the Google search field (try http://www.daleyranch.info/asdf)! The fix url javascript is in the page, but it just isn't showing the search box. Did I not do something to set up searching in Google's Webmaster tools? Thanks again (and in advance), Rick. I appreciate your help. Hello, Rick! Thanks for the helpful info with setting up 404-trapping pages. I’ve been scratching my head over what I’m NOT seeing on my 404 error page: the Google search field (try http://www.daleyranch.info/asdf)! The fix url javascript is in the page, but it just isn’t showing the search box. Did I not do something to set up searching in Google’s Webmaster tools?

Thanks again (and in advance), Rick. I appreciate your help.

]]> By: Ash Menon http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-6017 Ash Menon Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:40:09 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-6017 Hey Rick, Just wanted to thank you for the code. I tried it, and two things happened. 1) I kept getting the email regardless when I landed on ANY page in the server, and 2) The "Landed on" value was empty. I'm not sure how I fixed the first one, but I removed some of the variables and put them straight into the 'mail' script, to avoid extra burden on the server. The second one I fixed by changing 'SCRIPT_URI' to 'REQUEST_URI'. When I found that that would only output the page's address relative to my site, I added a text string with my site's address before it, so my email notification comes as the full link. Hey Rick,

Just wanted to thank you for the code. I tried it, and two things happened.

1) I kept getting the email regardless when I landed on ANY page in the server, and
2) The “Landed on” value was empty.

I’m not sure how I fixed the first one, but I removed some of the variables and put them straight into the ‘mail’ script, to avoid extra burden on the server. The second one I fixed by changing ‘SCRIPT_URI’ to ‘REQUEST_URI’. When I found that that would only output the page’s address relative to my site, I added a text string with my site’s address before it, so my email notification comes as the full link.

]]> By: Rick Beckman http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-5901 Rick Beckman Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:44:42 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-5901 Looks like it. The plugin is referencing a file which doesn't exist. You can try re-uploading the entire plugin, which may fix the missing the file, or you could contact the plugin vendor to see if the reference is a bug that should be fixed or removed entirely. Looks like it. The plugin is referencing a file which doesn’t exist. You can try re-uploading the entire plugin, which may fix the missing the file, or you could contact the plugin vendor to see if the reference is a bug that should be fixed or removed entirely.

]]> By: Alyssa Suffredini http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-5895 Alyssa Suffredini Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:38:47 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-5895 Hi Rick, I have the preceeding code and a robots.txt file, but I've been getting a ton of these lately: Came from: http://hftp-ne.org/wp-admin/page.php?action=edit&post=9&message=1 Landed on: /wp-content/plugins/events-manager/js/jquery-ui-datepicker/i18n/ui.datepicker-en.js Can you help me figure out why? Is is related to the plugin? Thanks! Hi Rick,

I have the preceeding code and a robots.txt file, but I’ve been getting a ton of these lately:

Came from: http://hftp-ne.org/wp-admin/page.php?action=edit&post=9&message=1
Landed on: /wp-content/plugins/events-manager/js/jquery-ui-datepicker/i18n/ui.datepicker-en.js

Can you help me figure out why? Is is related to the plugin?

Thanks!

]]> By: Alyssa Suffredini http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3676 Alyssa Suffredini Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:16:22 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3676 I understand what you're saying - I was just wondering what the referrer that is generating that link was? According to the email, the referrer is the site itself, but even the old site did not have that address anywhere. Strange right? I understand what you’re saying — I was just wondering what the referrer that is generating that link was? According to the email, the referrer is the site itself, but even the old site did not have that address anywhere. Strange right?

]]> By: Rick Beckman http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3673 Rick Beckman Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:54:32 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3673 The referrer is simply the "came from" page. For instance, of you got to this page from a Google search, the search results page would be the referrer. Now, say you have a link to this page, but something about the link is wrong (you had 405 instead of 404 in the address, for example). The link, when followed, would show a referral from your site to the broken address on my site. Knowing the referring site would allow me to contact you to get the link fixed, which helps my site out. The referrer is simply the “came from” page. For instance, of you got to this page from a Google search, the search results page would be the referrer. Now, say you have a link to this page, but something about the link is wrong (you had 405 instead of 404 in the address, for example). The link, when followed, would show a referral from your site to the broken address on my site. Knowing the referring site would allow me to contact you to get the link fixed, which helps my site out.

]]> By: Alyssa Suffredini http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3670 Alyssa Suffredini Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:20:38 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3670 Ok - I wonder where the referrer is coming from - I have never seen it before? Thanks! Ok — I wonder where the referrer is coming from — I have never seen it before? Thanks!

]]> By: Rick Beckman http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3655 Rick Beckman Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:26:42 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3655 You added the code from one of my comments above? If so, that will pretty much stop 90% or more of the e-mails as it will only send out an e-mail if a referrer is present, which is the "came from" bit. These are the only useful e-mails that this was ever meant to send as it reveals where a broken link to your page exists and should be fixed. You added the code from one of my comments above? If so, that will pretty much stop 90% or more of the e-mails as it will only send out an e-mail if a referrer is present, which is the “came from” bit. These are the only useful e-mails that this was ever meant to send as it reveals where a broken link to your page exists and should be fixed.

]]> By: Alyssa Suffredini http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3649 Alyssa Suffredini Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:12:19 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3649 Hi Rick, I added the code above to one of my sites and the emails have stopped. I am still getting a few from one of the others, but it's a bit different as there is a "came from" part now: Came from: http://hftp-ne.org/meetings/Topics/HFTP%25252525252520HDTV%25252525252520discussion.ppt Landed on: /meetings/Topics/HFTP%25252525252520HDTV%25252525252520discussion.ppt Any suggestions? Thanks! Hi Rick,

I added the code above to one of my sites and the emails have stopped. I am still getting a few from one of the others, but it’s a bit different as there is a “came from” part now:

Came from: http://hftp-ne.org/meetings/Topics/HFTP%25252525252520HDTV%25252525252520discussion.ppt
Landed on: /meetings/Topics/HFTP%25252525252520HDTV%25252525252520discussion.ppt

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

]]> By: Rick Beckman http://www.rickbeckman.org/6-steps-to-a-better-404-page/#comment-3564 Rick Beckman Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:20:05 +0000 http://rickbeckman.com/?p=243#comment-3564 Yeah, it definitely will. You won't get e-mails due to lost robots anymore. The modification will ensure that you only get e-mails if someone follows a <em>broken link</em> to your site, which will allow you to track down that link and try to get it fixed. :D Yeah, it definitely will. You won’t get e-mails due to lost robots anymore. The modification will ensure that you only get e-mails if someone follows a broken link to your site, which will allow you to track down that link and try to get it fixed. :D

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