extended info pages 404 errors

[Guidepost]

Hello,

A number of my extended info pages are showing as 404 errors in stats. They appear to be OK when I view them, but after running a link checker, it seems that the errors occur when people who do not have Javascript enabled attempt to view the extended info pages.
I have searched the forum, as see that javascript is used to create the pop up - is there anything I can do to prevent these errors, while keeping the extended info in a new window?

Thanks,
Rosalyn

[Duncan Rounding]

Having javascript disabled will stop the script from running to bring up the extended info pages, and as a result shouldn't show 404 errors.

Have you got a specific page we can see that has the problem?

[Guidepost]

Hello,

After closer inspection, I'm not sure this is the main problem, although it is definitely causing some errors - eg:
/javascript:ShowPopUp('info%5fOSO001%2ehtml',470,550)
is showing as a page not found - it is the extended info page on:
http://www.guidepost.uk.com/shop/aca...SURE_1_26.html

However....I have now realised that the majority of the info pages showing as not found are old pages which are no longer available - as I updated them, I think I changed the page names as I did not think they would be linked to from anywhere other than my product pages, and I did not think they were picked up by search engines. How can I find out where these clicks are coming from?

Thanks,
Rosalyn

[Duncan Rounding]

Your hosting stats may show the referring pages. They are probably just sitting in Google's index and then show in the seatrch results and hence get a link to your site. If you know the page names you could set up redirection so that the links come in to the new page names, otherwise just leave it and it should slowly disappear.

[pinbrook]

It might be worth using google analytics although i am not sure you will get a fuller answer.

the best solution is either to set up 301 Permanant redirect (use your control panel for this - Redirect URL) for each page you've dropped and make sure your 404 error page contains a message and navigation to allow visitors to choose somewhere else on your site to visit. (Again 404's can be configured on your control panel (Error Pages icon).

If you are short on time then a good 404 error page can negate the necessity to do 301s for every page.

[Guidepost]

Hello,

I do usually set up redirects when I delete a page, but did not think the extended info pages were picked up by search engines - is this not the case?

Thanks,
Rosalyn

[Guidepost]

preventing search engines from looking at extended info pages?

Hello,

I have (as above) been looking at 404 errors, and (of course) they come from a number of sources.

One of the sources of errors seems to be search enging spiders trying to access extended information pages, but not being able to (I think because of the javascript issue mentioned above). Is there any way of preventing them from trying the links?

Thanks,

Rosalyn

[leehack]

Don't use extended info pages is one way, use subsections instead, much better method of setup.