How to remove characters from a redirected URL in .htaccess?
I recently noticed a minor problem in a .htaccess redirect that I can't find a fix for.
I'm redirecting thousands of links of the form
"example.com/tinc?key=mass of random characters, etc"
and repointing them at:
"example.com/search.php"
The following .htaccess command works fine:
"RedirectMatch 301 ^/tinc.*$ example.com/search.php"
...except that I just realised what it actually does is send the user to
example.com/search.php?key=mass of random characters, etc
I thought that the .htaccess script directed the user to the new specific URL, but it's actually just replacing the first part of the original URL with the new one.
Because search.php just responds with the valid response that it can't find a match to the string, it's not disastrous, but it's not pretty in the address bar and I'd like it to work properly just for my own satisfaction.
So - can anyone advise how redirect in a way that loses the random string of characters at end, please? Thanks!
regex .htaccess redirect
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
add a comment |Â
I recently noticed a minor problem in a .htaccess redirect that I can't find a fix for.
I'm redirecting thousands of links of the form
"example.com/tinc?key=mass of random characters, etc"
and repointing them at:
"example.com/search.php"
The following .htaccess command works fine:
"RedirectMatch 301 ^/tinc.*$ example.com/search.php"
...except that I just realised what it actually does is send the user to
example.com/search.php?key=mass of random characters, etc
I thought that the .htaccess script directed the user to the new specific URL, but it's actually just replacing the first part of the original URL with the new one.
Because search.php just responds with the valid response that it can't find a match to the string, it's not disastrous, but it's not pretty in the address bar and I'd like it to work properly just for my own satisfaction.
So - can anyone advise how redirect in a way that loses the random string of characters at end, please? Thanks!
regex .htaccess redirect
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
add a comment |Â
I recently noticed a minor problem in a .htaccess redirect that I can't find a fix for.
I'm redirecting thousands of links of the form
"example.com/tinc?key=mass of random characters, etc"
and repointing them at:
"example.com/search.php"
The following .htaccess command works fine:
"RedirectMatch 301 ^/tinc.*$ example.com/search.php"
...except that I just realised what it actually does is send the user to
example.com/search.php?key=mass of random characters, etc
I thought that the .htaccess script directed the user to the new specific URL, but it's actually just replacing the first part of the original URL with the new one.
Because search.php just responds with the valid response that it can't find a match to the string, it's not disastrous, but it's not pretty in the address bar and I'd like it to work properly just for my own satisfaction.
So - can anyone advise how redirect in a way that loses the random string of characters at end, please? Thanks!
regex .htaccess redirect
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
I recently noticed a minor problem in a .htaccess redirect that I can't find a fix for.
I'm redirecting thousands of links of the form
"example.com/tinc?key=mass of random characters, etc"
and repointing them at:
"example.com/search.php"
The following .htaccess command works fine:
"RedirectMatch 301 ^/tinc.*$ example.com/search.php"
...except that I just realised what it actually does is send the user to
example.com/search.php?key=mass of random characters, etc
I thought that the .htaccess script directed the user to the new specific URL, but it's actually just replacing the first part of the original URL with the new one.
Because search.php just responds with the valid response that it can't find a match to the string, it's not disastrous, but it's not pretty in the address bar and I'd like it to work properly just for my own satisfaction.
So - can anyone advise how redirect in a way that loses the random string of characters at end, please? Thanks!
regex .htaccess redirect
regex .htaccess redirect
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
edited Nov 12 at 11:55
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
asked Nov 10 at 22:51
Gavin W
32
32
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
I can't see where the problem is, but being more explicit, and defining multiple rules might help:
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc?key=.*$ example.com/search.php
If that doesn't work, then assuming that your only GET parameter is key, you could try this RewriteCond.
RewriteCond %QUERY_STRING ^key=.*$
RewriteRule ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php [L,R=301]
Good luck!
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
I can't see where the problem is, but being more explicit, and defining multiple rules might help:
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc?key=.*$ example.com/search.php
If that doesn't work, then assuming that your only GET parameter is key, you could try this RewriteCond.
RewriteCond %QUERY_STRING ^key=.*$
RewriteRule ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php [L,R=301]
Good luck!
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
add a comment |Â
I can't see where the problem is, but being more explicit, and defining multiple rules might help:
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc?key=.*$ example.com/search.php
If that doesn't work, then assuming that your only GET parameter is key, you could try this RewriteCond.
RewriteCond %QUERY_STRING ^key=.*$
RewriteRule ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php [L,R=301]
Good luck!
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
add a comment |Â
I can't see where the problem is, but being more explicit, and defining multiple rules might help:
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc?key=.*$ example.com/search.php
If that doesn't work, then assuming that your only GET parameter is key, you could try this RewriteCond.
RewriteCond %QUERY_STRING ^key=.*$
RewriteRule ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php [L,R=301]
Good luck!
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
I can't see where the problem is, but being more explicit, and defining multiple rules might help:
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php
RedirectMatch 301 ^example.com/tinc?key=.*$ example.com/search.php
If that doesn't work, then assuming that your only GET parameter is key, you could try this RewriteCond.
RewriteCond %QUERY_STRING ^key=.*$
RewriteRule ^example.com/tinc$ example.com/search.php [L,R=301]
Good luck!
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
answered Nov 14 at 2:06
Addison
1,4741734
1,4741734
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
add a comment |Â
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Thanks Addison, much appreciated, and at least I don't feel like I've missed something obvious now! Unfortunately, they result in the same problem; the string of characters persists in the form .../search.php?=original string. As I say, it's as if the rules are simply resulting in replacement of everything up to the searched text, and leaving everything else in place. Thanks anyway!
– Gavin W
Nov 14 at 17:40
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
Do you think maybe something is happening to the URL after the replacement occurs? It's not normal that this is happening.
– Addison
Nov 14 at 23:30
1
1
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
I don't really know - I tried different strings and had the same result....until just now. I made up a link that should have failed and found that it now works as intended. The problem seems to lie in not trapping the "?" symbol. If I try "miramodus.com/tinc_add_any_string" it works as intended, if I try "miramodus.com/tinc?_add_any_string" it includes _add_any_string to the URL. Not clear why it does this, but trapping the ? mark in .htaccess should fix things. Many thanks for your help - you've inadvertently solved this for me!
– Gavin W
Nov 15 at 10:55
add a comment |Â
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