Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

[loveandlucky]

Hello,

I was looking at my Google Webmaster Tools and found that I have 487 not found errors. These are old products that were discontinued and not active. However, there are linked from external links where I have no control. Should I have to active those products in order to avoid so many not found errors?. Can these 487 not found errors harm my website organic ranking?. What can I do to avoid them?

thanks.

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

As long as your store is up to date and is serving actual 404 response codes (earlier versions of Miva Merchant 5.5 incorrectly served a status code 200 for the NTFD page) you should be fine, however you could redirect those incoming links to something else relevant, if there are other things you'd like people to see if they come in on one of those.

[PicturesqueWeb]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

You can create a custom 404 error page and redirect users through htaccess using the command "ErrorDocument 404 /404.html". One idea might be to have a page of random products with a search box.

[nottheusual1]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

There is also a tool available via the TKSL function of ToolKit that can be enormously helpful.

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

There is also a tool available via the TKSL function of ToolKit that can be enormously helpful.

Can you please tell me how to do a redirect with the toolkit module?

thanks!

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

You can create a custom 404 error page and redirect users through htaccess using the command "ErrorDocument 404 /404.html". One idea might be to have a page of random products with a search box.

Could you please advice me on what is the command I have to use for the redirect on the htaccess?

thanks,

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yourdomain.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=WhatEverYourErrorPageIsCalled

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

ErrorDocument 404 http://www.yourdomain.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=WhatEverYourErrorPageIsCalled

You should not do that. If you use the ErrorDocument directive with a full URL, it results in a status code of 200 being served in response to the 404 request. Only use the directory portion of the URL:

ErrorDocument 404 /mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=WhatEverYourErrorPageIsCalled

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

Thank you David!

[nottheusual1]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

From the docs:

"You can modify the TKSL page even further to make it an error handler ...."

Toolkit #91 (currently) - link to explanation: http://www.emporiumplus.com/v5/tksl.txt

"a. On rare occasions a customer may enter a code for a page that is now obsolete and has been deleted. You can have a page not found handler which will send them to an existing, replacement or similar page. You can even send them to the search page with keywords which will display similar products. If you have not deleted pages, then you can remove this section of the TKSL page template and do not need to make an ARCHIVE page template as described in number 3 in this text file. In the example below, be sure to change the mm55.emporiumplus.com to your actual domain in a couple of places."


We use the archive function for retired products. It's great and requires no futzing with anything outside the store after you've set it up.

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

You should not do that. If you use the ErrorDocument directive with a full URL, it results in a status code of 200 being served in response to the 404 request. Only use the directory portion of the URL:

ErrorDocument 404 /mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=WhatEverYourErrorPageIsCalled

Is there any specific part of the .htaccess where I have to add that piece of code?

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

Is there any specific part of the .htaccess where I have to add that piece of code?

Nope, the ErrorDocument directives can go anywhere.

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

Nope, the ErrorDocument directives can go anywhere.

I put it at the end; however, it is not working. THis is a tipical link that gives not found error

http://www.loveandlucky.com/page/L/P...eye-red-bendel


What I added is
ErrorDocument 404 /mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT

[ILoveHostasaurus]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

Ah, the problem there is from the web server's perspective, you're telling it to replace the requested URL with the store for the purposes of short links. So, for example, the request comes in for what is in the proper short-URL format for Merchant, and since it could be a good request or bad request, it doesn't matter, your other rewrite rules tell the server to send that request to Merchant. Merchant gets the request and serves the NTFD page along with a 404 status code.

So your new error document 404 would work for a request that is for a nonexistent file that does not match the Merchant short-url format, but doesn't work correctly for a request that does match.

It sounds like the toolkit module is the best option currently if you want those requests to be redirected to the storefront page instead of a 404 served since it sounds like it can be installed on the NTFD page as a token and cause a redirect to SFNT or any other URL of your choice.

[loveandlucky]

Re: Google Webmaster Tools-487 errors NOT FOUND

Ah, the problem there is from the web server's perspective, you're telling it to replace the requested URL with the store for the purposes of short links. So, for example, the request comes in for what is in the proper short-URL format for Merchant, and since it could be a good request or bad request, it doesn't matter, your other rewrite rules tell the server to send that request to Merchant. Merchant gets the request and serves the NTFD page along with a 404 status code.

So your new error document 404 would work for a request that is for a nonexistent file that does not match the Merchant short-url format, but doesn't work correctly for a request that does match.

It sounds like the toolkit module is the best option currently if you want those requests to be redirected to the storefront page instead of a 404 served since it sounds like it can be installed on the NTFD page as a token and cause a redirect to SFNT or any other URL of your choice.

Thank you!
Any idea of what is the code is to have the Toolkit module redirecting those 404 errors to my homepage?