WordPress.org

With 3.0s new menu structure, isn't your plugin now obsolete?

Yes, and No. Mostly No. Here is why - with WordPress 3.0, comes the new menu structure, but only a handful of themes actually have the menu structure already integrated into theme. This means that there are tons of themes out there that still need to use the the old way until they can update their theme template pages and functions to turn on the menu capability. Additionally, the Quick Redirects option still allows you to create redirects for any url on your site, so that is very much not obsolete (until WP makes something to do that as well). And as a final note, the plugin is still compatible with WP's new menu functionality using the standard page/post creations - only custom menu items will be out of the plugin's realm of redirects - and you could set the URL in the new WP menu anyway, so that would be covered.

I still can't get the OPEN IN NEW WINDOW option to work... why?

Some themes put custom links in the menu, like RSS and other similar items. Many times (an this is usually the main reason why), they do not use the WP hook to add the menu item to the list - they literally just put it there. Unless the theme uses the internal WordPress hooks to call the menu, redirects, open in a new window and rel=nofollow features just will not work. ADDITIONALLY - Links in page/post content and Permalinks will not open in a new window or add the rel=nofollow. That is because the theme template actually sets up the links by calling "the_permalink()" function so add these elements is not consistently possible so it has been excluded from the functionality. The links will still redirect just fine but without that feature.

Do I need to have a Page or Post Created to redirect?

There is a Quick Redirects feature that allows you to create a redirect for any URL on your site. This is VERY helpful when you move an old site to WordPress and have old links that need to go some place new. For example, If you had a link on a site that went to http://yoursite.com/aboutme.html you can now redirect that to http://yoursite.com/about/ without needing to edit the htaccess file. You simply add the old URL (/aboutme.html) and tell it you want to go to the new one (/about/). Simple as that.

The functionality is located in the REDIRECT MENU under Quick Redirects. The old URL goes in the Request field and the to new URL goes in the Destination field. Simple and Quick!

Can I add 'rel="nofollow" attribute to the redirect link?

YES, you can add a ' rel="nofollow" ' attribute for the redirect link. Simply check the "add rel=nofollow" box when setting up the redirect on the page/post edit page. Note - this option is not available for the Quick Redirects method or for permalinks and link within post content.

Can I make the redirect open in a new window?

YES, you can make the redirect link open in a new window. Simply check the "Open in a new window" box when setting up the redirect on the page/post edit page. Note - this option is not available for the Quick Redirects method or for permalinks and link within post content.

I want to just have the link for the redirecting page/post show the new redirect link in the link, not the old one, can I do that?

YES, you can hide the original page link and have it replaced with the redirect link. Any place the theme calls either "wp_page_links", "post_links" or "page_links" functions, the plugin can replace the original link with the new one. Simply check the "Show Redirect URL" box when setting up the redirect on the page/post edit page. Note - this option is not available for the Quick Redirects method.

I have Business Cards/Postcards/Ads that say my website is http://something.com/my-name/ or http://something.com/my-product/, can I set that up with this?

YES! Just set up a redirect (see above) and set the Request field to /my-name/ or /my-product/ and the Destination field to the place you want it to go. The destination doesn't even need to be on the same site - it can go anywhere you want it to go!

Why is my Page/Post not redirecting?

FIRST - make sure it is active. Then, check to make sure the global option to turn off all redirects is not checked. If your page or post is still not redirecting, then it is most likely because something else like the theme functions file or another plugin is outputting the header BEFORE the plugin can perform the redirect. This can be tested by turning off all plugins except the Quick Page/Post Redirect Plugin and testing if the redirect works. 9 out of 10 times, a plugin or bad code is the culprit - or the redirect is just simply turned off.

We have tested the plugin in dozens of themes and a whole lot more plugins. In our experience, (with exception to a few bugs) most of the time another plugin is the problem. If you do notice a problem, please let us know at plugins@fischercreativemedia.com - along with the WP version, theme you are using and plugins you have installed - and we will try to troubleshoot the problem.

Does the Page/Post need to be Published to redirect?

YES... and NO... The redirect will always work on a Published Post/Page. For it to work correctly on a Post/Page in DRAFT status, you need to fist publish the page, then re-save it as a draft. If you don't follow that step, you will get a 404 error.

Can I do a permanent 301 Redirect?

Yes. You can perform a 301 Permanent Redirect. Additionally, you can select a 302 Temporary or a 307 Temporary redirect or a Meta redirect.

What the heck is a 301 or 302 redirect anyway?

Good question! The number corresponds with the header code that is returned to the browser when the page is first accessed. A good page, meaning something was found, returns a 200 status code and that tells the browser to go ahead and keep loading the content for the page. If nothing is found a 404 error is returned (and we have ALL seen these - usually it is a bad link or a page was moved). There are many other types of codes, but those ore the most common.

The 300+ range of codes in the header, tells the browser (and search engine spider) that the original page has moved to a new location - this can be just a new file name a new folder or a completely different site.

A 301 code means that you want to tell the browser (or Google, bing, etc.) that your new page has permanently moved to a new location. This is great for search engines because it lets them know that there was a page there once, but now go to the new place to get it - and they update there old link to is so future visitors will not have to go through the same process.

A 302 or 307 code tell the browser that the file was there but TEMPORARILY it can be found at a new location. This will tell the search engines to KEEP the old link in place because SOME day it will be back at the same old link. There is only a slight difference between a 302 and a 307 status. Truth is, 302 is more widely used, so unless you know why you need a 307, stick with a 302.

So, which one do I use?

Easiest way to decide is this: If you want the page to permanently change to a new spot, use 301. If you are editing the page or post and only want it to be down for a few hours, minutes, days or weeks and plan on putting it back with the same link as before, then us 302. If you want to hide the responses code from the spiders, use the no code option, and if you are having trouble with the redirects, use a meta redirect. The meta redirect actually starts to load the page as a 200 good status, then redirects using a meta redirect tag.

Still not sure? Try 302 for now - at least until you have a little time to read up on the subject.

Should I use a full URL with http:// or https:// ?

Yes, you can, but you do not always need to. If you are redirecting to an external URL, then yes. If you are just redirecting to another page or post on your site, then no, it is not needed. When in doubt, use the entire URL.