8 replies to this topic

[geordief]

my webpage is
membres.lycos.fr/clifden/ and I want to put in a 301 redirect.It is the first time I have tried to do this and I am only getting an error message from the server(500).I suspect that it is because I am only using a freehost account.Can anyone tell me that this is so?

I created the .htaccess file and filled it with

redirect 301/index.html

www.crocnaraw.co.uk/french.html

I wonder if it would work if I knew the name of the folder my page is in?It is not apparent when I look at it in my FTP program.Or is it just not possible unless you have your own domain name?

[Connie]

I will be interested is seeing an answer to your question. I have never been able to redirect index.htm to www.domain.com. In my case the header check fine, but browsers do not accept the redirect. FireFox finally give me a pop up window about cookies. IE just never loads the page.

I have tried
redirect 301/index.html http://www.domain.com

I have also tried to do this with mod rewrite but either way I have the same issue.

I wonder if it would work if I knew the name of the folder my page is in?It is not apparent when I look at it in my FTP program.Or is it just not possible unless you have your own domain name?

Not really sure what you mean by the above. Do you meant that you don't know where to upload the .htaccess file or something else? All 3 files should be in the same root (same directory) If you mean you can't see the .htaccess file most ftp programs will not show it. It is like a hidden file on your pc. If that is what you mean some ftp programs can be set to show the hidden files. Also you should be able to see them through your site CP.

[geordief]

Ido not feel like I have control over the directory where I have uploaded the .htaccess file as it is a freehost site and I don't know what the owners (Lycos) are doing with it .For example my webpage is cluttered with their advertisments and popups which is why I want to move the content to my own site at www.crocnaraw.co.uk I think I should upload the .htaccess file to the same folder as that which contains all my other files :but I cannot see what the folder they are in is called.I think I may need to know this in order to write the information into the .htaccess file which I have created myself.Maybe you are right and their is another .htaccess file already there which is hidden and that is why the redirect does not work.I suspect that you may need to have your own domain name and a proper hosting service to be able to use the 301 redirect but I just don't know.

[Connie]

All web host do not allow individual sites to use .htaccess files. If you are on a free host I'm pretty sure you will not have .htaccess available.

The .htaccess file would be uploaded to the same folder that your index page is located in.
You need control. Get your site moved to a host that gives you control. Otherwise you will always be at the mercy of your host. For example you mention pop ups etc. That will drive most visitors away.

Is your site worth spending $120.00 per year for hosting and $13.00 per year for a domain name?

How do you upload files to your site? Do you use a controll panel and do everything with your browser, or do you use a FTP client?

[cyanide]

most likely this option is disabled for you. most free hosts do this

[geordief]

It seems to be as feared.I do have a proper host with a domain name also.The content I want to redirect is from a prexisting web site and I was hoping to make the transfer seamlessly.It looks as though I will have to resubmit the old site to various directories giving them my new address and wait for Google etc to acknowledge the passing of the old address before I let it see the new url with otherwise duplicate content.
thanks for all your replies and help

[chrishirst]

welcome to HR geordief

simply remove the content on the free hosted site and just leave a "this page has moved click here" with a link pointing to the new site. That will show the new site to the SEs and tell visitors where it has gone.

[geordief]

thanks
I think I need to wait untill the Search Engines have realised that the content on the free hosted site has been changed/deleted before going ahead and copying it onto the new site as I have noticed before that ,when 2 or more sites have identical content, only one is returned in the lists.My fear is that ,if my new site appears to have duplicate content at first ,it may be blacklisted and perhaps never recover.Maybe I could start off by telling the robots not to visit ,wait until the old site isdelisted and then finally do as you suggest
thanks again

[chrishirst]

there is no "blacklisting" or penalty for exact duplicates, it's simply that only one will be shown and if one disappears the other will be shown instead.
It also takes a few weeks of indexing to identify and filter out mirrors.