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How to handle 'broken links and reupload' issue?

How do you handle broken file links?

  • Ignore. Not worth the effort.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Reupload files manually on user request.

    Votes: 2 100.0%

  • Use some fancy automation tool.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
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Samura1Jack

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7
2017
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0
Hey everyone!

I work with filehostings and they remove uploaded files from time to time. That wasn't a big deal on low volume, but recently I noticed I spend more and more time reuploading.

On one hand, I haven't really measured the actual financial impact of those removed files. Maybe it isn't worth the effort indeed. But on the other hand I don't really like leaving demanding users unsatisfied.

So, could you share some wisdom on how do you handle the problem?
 
6 comments
[FONT=q_serif]No need for a roundabout answer here. You have two good options:

  1. Fix the broken link
  2. If it’s your site, redirect the broken link to a relevant page. Do not just redirect people to your home page. Think about the user experience. Get them to something similarly useful.
If the broken link doesn’t get much traffic, by the way, you might consider leaving it there and letting it age out.
If this is purely a Google problem, you can disallow the broken link in robots.txt, but I do not recommend that. It’s not the purpose of robots.txt.


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It would be a good idea to have an online backup, a 1Gbit port VPS/Dedicated server maybe so you can just reupload any removed files in a few seconds whenever needed.
 
The best way is to use 301 redirect for those broken links. 301 redirect is the most efficient and Search Engine Friendly method for webpage redirection. It's not that hard to implement and it should preserve your search engine rankings for that particular page. If you have to change file names or move pages around, it's the safest option. The code "301" is interpreted as "moved permanently".
 
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