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> the implementation is so simple that I am surprised that more websites do not implement it I might be wrong but for me it’s because IRL this isn’t an issue.
by conductr 2y ago
> the implementation is so simple that I am surprised that more websites do not implement it
I might be wrong but for me it’s because IRL this isn’t an issue. Users shouldn’t be finding/using random URLs to navigate the site. Where is this broken URL traffic coming from anyway? Are you trying to solve for people that randomly edit the URL and expect it work, most people don’t care about those users getting 404 because they should expect 404. They’re not real users they’re just playing around.
However, If you purposely changed the URL format after a lot of people have the old format bookmarked or indexed on the web, then do a 301 redirect to the new URL.
I’m not sure of the SEO implications of the described solution, however it seems like only risk and no upside.
- kxrm 2y agoAgreed, when I have done a mass migration of old format urls I started with 302s to ensure that things worked then moved to 301s. I actually wrote a script that would capture and collect all urls that led to a 404 (just in case I missed an old format link). 301s also serve to inform search engines that your URL should be different and they update their index accordingly. My transition went very smoothly but it took prep work on my part to understand that 404s were inevitable and that I needed a plan to migrate that traffic.
- dylan604 2y agoLink rot is a thing. Scroll around some older reddit threads with links and see how many of them are still active. Site redesigns are often the cause of older links rotting to become no longer valid.