Redirects

A redirect is a way of automatically transferring the end user from one URL (such as a web page) to another.

Execution order of displaying and redirecting pages:

1. 1. Server side redirects (htaccess).
   These are usually created while publishing the site and are placed on the server
2. 2. Redirects in page settings.
3. 3. Page or other resource is displayed if URL exist in Stage and then any redirects in page code templates.
4. 4. Redirect tool redirects:
   • First normal and query parameter -redirects
   • Next regular expression -redirects

   Redirect tool search matches rules from the longest to the shortest:
   /page/subpage/third, /pagexxyyzz, /page/ ja /pa*.

   Note: The sequence comparison comparison only considers the rule's page path, not the possible domain part of the rule.

   Identical redirects are processed in the order created.

5. 5. Older database -driven redirects.
6. 6. Page not found -message (404 error).

Redirect tool is used only if the browser's URL doesn't match any existing content in the Stage website.

Redirects management

1. 1. Redirects -tool.
   User must have special user level to access redirect tool. Please contact your Crasman's customer contact person if access is needed.
2. 2. Redirects management.
   You can add redirects or export/import them from an Excel spreadsheet.
3. 3. Redirects.
   
   • Edit redirect.
   • Source URL.
   • Target URL.
   • Status code
   • Active. Optional time interval for redirect.
   • Hits. Amount of redirected actions. (The counter is not yet operational).
   • Last updated.
   • Delete redirect.

Redirect

1. 1. Source URL.
   Only public address on your Stage site can be redirected with this tool (Studio files or folders can not be redirected).
   Source can be domain and path, source can not contain http- tai https protocol.
   Not suitable: http://example.com/page, https://example.com/path.
   Can be used: /page, //example.com/path/page or //www.example.com/path*.
   http:// and https:// -protocol is dropped out, // contains both possibilities.
   Asterisk * can be used as a wildcard (0 or more characters). Wildcard can be used only in the source URL's page path, not in the domain.
2. 2. Target URL.
   The destination address is any internet resource (absolute or relative). It can be a Stage web page, external web page or a file in Studio.
3. 3. Status code.
   Permanent and temporary status is the HTTP protocol's own reply code: 302 temporary and 301 permanent redirect. Since 301 is by definition a permanent one, it may be saved in the browser or proxy cache.
   • 302 Temporary redirect (the default).
   • 301 Permanent redirect.
   • 307 Temporary redirect (contains POST data).
   • 404 Page not found.

   It is recommended to make temporary 302 redirects. They may be later changed to permanent 301 redirects.

   307 -redirect is intended for cases when values from user submitted POST data must be relayed to other page.

   404 gives immediately "page not found" -response.

4. 4. Type.
   
   • Normal.
   • Add query string parameters (for advanced users only).
   • Regular expression (for advanced users only).

   Please note the execution order: First normal ja query parameter -redirects from longes to shortest, then regular expression -redirects from longest to shortest. The sequence comparison comparison only considers the rule's page path, not the possible domain part of the rule.

5. 5. Activates/Inactivates (date) / .
   The interval when the redirection is valid.

Examples

Normal redirect:

URL's starting with /page are redirected to the new address. Since the source addresses used for the wildcard * then the following addresses match: /page, /page/, /page/subpage tai /pagexxyyzz

Redirect to PDF document:

www.example.com/sales-pdf is redirected to the sales_presentation.pdf -document. Because the source address is uses domain, www.example.com/sales-pdf is a match but possible parallel domains like www.example.fi/sales-pdf do not mach.

Timing and adding parameters to target URL:

This redirect is in use 01 May 2015 - 31 May 2015.

/rekry is redirected to job application form. Some Google Analytics tags are added to the target url.

Add query string parametrs:

/contest* is redirect to the competition form, and the redirect relays all the parameters after question mark to the target page. This is useful if you want to track links with the Google Analytics (eg. Google Analytics parameters beginning with "utm").

• example.com/contest/
  - >
  example.com/campaigns/2015-summer-campaign/
• /contest?utm_source=web&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=summer2015
  - >
  /campaigns/2015-summer-campaign?utm_source=web&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=summer2015
• /contest?answer=23457432123455
  - >
  /campaigns/2015-summer-campaign?answer=23457432123455