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IPB_Refugee
PR0
Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 53
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 Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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Hello,
I tested a non existing URL of my board with web-sniffer.net, e.g.
example.com/topic-that-never-existed-t45645645656.html
And I got a page with HTTP code 200. Content of the page was, that the topic doesn't exist. I think a 404 response would be better in this case.
The same problem exists with non existing forums.
Regards
Wolfgang |
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dcz
Administrateur - Site Admin
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 15242
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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That's phpBB's default behaviour, our SEO mod will though output proper headers (404) for forum without id that does not exist : http://phpbb3.phpbb-seo.net/404/
To fully provides with 404 headers for forums and topics that do not exists, you can add :
| Code: | | header('HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found'); |
before :
| Code: | | trigger_error('NO_FORUM'); |
in viewforum.php, two times, and before all occurrences of :
| Code: | | trigger_error('NO_TOPIC'); |
in viewtopic.php (occurs many times).
Will as well work for posts by the way 
Only this occurrence :
| Code: | if (!$topic_data['topic_approved'] && !$auth->acl_get('m_approve', $forum_id))
{
trigger_error('NO_TOPIC');
} |
can be left as is, since the topic could be considered as exisitng in such case (un approved). |
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IPB_Refugee
PR0
Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 53
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:23 am Post subject: Re: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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Thanks a lot, dcz!
I will try it soon and will give you some feedback.
If it works as expected, you should consider adding this to the code of your MOD as it seems to be really important for me.
Bye for now! 
Wolfgang
BTW: phpBB's default behaviour is not always really good... But it is free software and we can improve it. |
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HB
phpBB SEO Team
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Posts: 831
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| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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I used to return 404 and a link to a search page, but I switched to returning 301 Permanently Moved to the forum index. My thinking was that topics get deleted or mistyped in incoming links (especially from newsgroups) and it's better to return the forum index than a not found page. The other reason I decided to return 301's is because search engines appear to take them into consideration very fast. According to Google's Webmaster Tools, googlebot would ask again and again and again and again about long ago deleted topics. Returning 404 or even 410 Gone didn't seem to matter. Googlebot would continue to ask, probably assuming that the webmaster goofed and the server would change its mind. 
Anyway, it's a small usability concession that I'm not entirely pleased with, but at least the bots stop nagging about dead threads. |
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Dan Kehn |
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SeO
Administrateur - Site Admin
Joined: 15 Mar 2006
Posts: 4006
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:31 am Post subject: Re: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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True, and it's pretty easy to implement, just add :
| Code: | | $phpbb_seo->seo_redirect($phpbb_seo->seo_path['phpbb_url']); |
instead of :
| Code: | | header('HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found'); |
In the above suggestion.
And if you want to only redirect guest (thus bots) and leave the topic does not exist message (with 404 header for sanity) for registered users on dead threads and forums, you can use :
| Code: | if ($user->data['is_registered']) {
$phpbb_seo->seo_redirect($phpbb_seo->seo_path['phpbb_url']);
} else {
header('HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found');
} |
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IPB_Refugee
PR0
Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 53
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:22 am Post subject: Re: 404 instead of 200 for non existing topics |
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I prefer when non existing topics and non existing forums send a 404 header.
@dcz: Your solution works fine - thank you!
@SeO: Your code seems to miss an "!" in
| Code: | | if ($user->data['is_registered']) { |
Regards
Wolfgang |
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dcz
Administrateur - Site Admin
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 15242
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