404 / 301 Tool After Import Redirect on ImpEx imported forums

**Mert Gökçeimam** · 10-06-2008 10:43 PM

One of vBulletin's biggest advantages is Impex. ImpEx is a tool which allows you to easily import content from most of the other popular forum systems to vBulletin, allowing you to upgrade your forum software to vBulletin/vBSEO.

The downside of ImpEx was that if you had a single thread or post deleted, ImpEx could not keep the IDs same. This would have negative impact on the SEO for the site after transfer.

Fortunately, Jerry created a 404 script which grabs importedid from the database and correctly redirects to the new vBulletin ID. This is a great tool for imported boards. Since it is such an important feature, we requested Jerry's permission to modify his script and supply it to vBSEO owners. Jerry kindly gave us permission to do so.

The system currently supports phpBB, SMF, IPB 2 and MyBB

Note: If you have a board that is not listed here and you are interested in using this script after your Impex import, please supply us your example URLs so that we can prepare valid .htaccess redirect rules for you.

Please follow these instructions how to correctly redirect your old URLs to new versions.

You need to create vbseo301.php file with the following content:

PHP Code:


<?php
/**
* 404 /301 for external and internal link redirect.
*
* @package            ImpEx.tools
* @version            $Revision: 1902 $
* @author            Jerry Hutchings <jerry.hutchings@vbulletin.com>
* @modified by             Oleg Ignatiuk 
*/
$standard_404     = 'http://www.example.com/not_found.html';     // The usual 404 that this script replaces
$new_domain     = 'example'; // Including domain extension such as www.example.com , donot include http://
$new_folder        = 'vBulletin/';    // Put the trailing slash if you installed your forum in a folder, otherwise leave the option empty, without any slash or charatters between quotation marks
$ext_type        = '.php';         // File extension type that vBulletin is using, i.e. index.php including the preceding dot

// Database
// This is the vBulletin database, needed for import id look up and logging
$server         = 'localhost';
$user             = 'user';
$password         = 'password';
$database         = 'forum';
$tableprefix     = '';


$old_id         = intval($_GET['oldid']);
$page            = intval($_GET['page']);
$postcount        = intval($_GET['postcount']);
$action         = $_GET['action'];
$sql             = null;

switch ($action)
{
    case 'forum':
        $sql = "SELECT forumid FROM {$tableprefix}forum WHERE importforumid={$old_id}";
        $new_url = "http://{$new_domain}/{$new_folder}forumdisplay{$ext_type}?f=";
    break;

    case 'thread':
        $sql = "SELECT threadid FROM {$tableprefix}thread WHERE importthreadid={$old_id}";
        $new_url = "http://{$new_domain}/{$new_folder}showthread{$ext_type}?t=";
    break;

    case 'post':
        $sql = "SELECT postid FROM {$tableprefix}post WHERE importpostid={$old_id}";
        $new_url = "http://{$new_domain}/{$new_folder}showpost{$ext_type}?p=";
    break;

    case 'user':
        $sql = "SELECT userid FROM {$tableprefix}user WHERE importuserid={$old_id}";
        $new_url = "http://{$new_domain}/{$new_folder}member{$ext_type}?u=" ;
    break;
}


if( $sql )
{
    $link = @mysql_connect($server, $user, $password);
    if ($link)
    {
        $db_selected = @mysql_select_db($database, $link);

        if ($db_selected)
        {
            $result = @mysql_query($sql);
            $row = @mysql_fetch_row($result);

            if (!$row[0])
            {
                $action = 'Original data missing';
            }
            @mysql_free_result($result);
        }
    }
}

if (!$sql || !$old_id || !$row[0])
{
?>
    <html>
    <head>
        <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="<?php echo $refresh_speed; ?>; URL=<?php echo $standard_404; ?>">
    </head>
    <body>
    </body>
    </html>
<?php
    // Got nuffink
    die;
}

$new_url .= $row[0];

if($page)       
    $new_url .= "&page={$page}";
        
if($postcount)
   $new_url .= "&postcount={$postcount}";

@mysql_close($link);

header( "HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently" );
header( "Location: {$new_url}" );
?>

You need to edit the file and make sure you have the correct database info for your vBulletin installation. The lines you need to edit are:

PHP Code:


$standard_404     = 'http://www.example.com/not_found.html';     // The usual 404 that this script replaces
$new_domain     = 'example';
$new_folder        = 'vBulletin';    // Without trailing slash
$ext_type        = '.php';         // File extension type that vBulletin is using, i.e. index.php including the preceding dot

// Database
// This is the vBulletin database, needed for import id look up and logging
$server         = 'localhost';
$user             = 'user';
$password         = 'password';
$database         = 'forum';
$tableprefix     = '';

Then you need to add the following rewrite rules to your .htaccess file just after the RewriteEngine On line. Please select the code based on the software you were running on your old forum:

Phpbb Users

Code:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} f=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewforum\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} t=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewtopic\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^p=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewtopic\.php vbseo301.php?action=post&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} u=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule profile\.php vbseo301.php?action=user&oldid=%1 [L]

SMF Users

Code:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} board=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} topic=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} .msg([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=post&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=profile;u=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=user&oldid=%1 [L]

IPB 2 Users

Code:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} showforum=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} showtopic=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} view=findpost&p=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=post&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} showuser=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule index\.php vbseo301.php?action=user&oldid=%1 [L]

MyBB 1.2 / 1.4

Code:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} pid=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule showthread\.php vbseo301.php?action=post&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} tid=([0-9]+)\&page=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule showthread\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1&page=%2 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} tid=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule showthread\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} fid=([0-9]+).*page=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule forumdisplay\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1&page=%2 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} fid=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule forumdisplay\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} action=profile\&uid=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule member\.php vbseo301.php?action=user&oldid=%1 [L]

Download:

http://www.vbseo.com/attachments/f83...s-vbseo301.zip

**FightRice** · 10-07-2008 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Mert Gökçeimam

Phpbb Users

Code:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} f=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewforum\.php vbseo301.php?action=forum&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} t=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewtopic\.php vbseo301.php?action=thread&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^p=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule viewtopic\.php vbseo301.php?action=post&oldid=%1 [L]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} u=([0-9]+)
RewriteRule profile\.php vbseo301.php?action=user&oldid=%1 [L]

This is awesome, My client is going to be thrilled for this as he was not wanting to convert due to not being able to redirect all the URL's efficently, hopefully he converts all his phpBB sites over to vBulletin and vBSEO now.

I'm going to go install phpBB and then import it to vBulletin and test this out and see how it works. This just made my day

**Johnny5** · 10-08-2008 07:39 AM

Thanks so much, Mert! It's working perfectly on my board and I plan to use it on another board I am converting soon.

**marco1** · 10-10-2008 07:36 AM

Excellent Information mert thanks.

**webexit** · 12-26-2008 05:41 AM

With this script the old phpBB URLs will be redirected twice? the first one performed by vbseo301.phpscript and the second one performed by vBSEO?

**Mert Gökçeimam** · 12-26-2008 09:33 AM

Hello Jordi ,

The script will redirect old phpbb links to showthread and forumdisplay pages and vBSEO will rewrite them. Unfortunately there is no other way to do this.

**Joe Ward** · 12-26-2008 12:47 PM

However, when using the vBSEO sitemap as well Jordi, you will find that the update gets accelerated.

**webexit** · 01-03-2009 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mert Gökçeimam

Hello Jordi ,

The script will redirect old phpbb links to showthread and forumdisplay pages and vBSEO will rewrite them. Unfortunately there is no other way to do this.

With vBSEO Functions for Extensibility can't be done?

**Mert Gökçeimam** · 01-04-2009 06:49 AM

Unfortunately no. In order to achieve correct redirection you need have the above setup. I also fail to understand what worries you that much.

**thealpha** · 01-06-2009 01:27 AM

I recently merged 2 vbulletin forums both of which had vbseo installed. Is there a way to properly redirect the old urls?

**Mert Gökçeimam** · 01-06-2009 10:08 AM

Unfortunately no , because .htaccess rules will conflict with your existing installation.

**brandonroy** · 02-09-2009 12:10 AM

I tried this (did it all correctly) but get the following errors when visiting one of my old smf url's

Code:

Warning: Unexpected character in input: '\' (ASCII=92) state=1 in /my/absolute/path/vbseo301.php on line 2

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /my/absolute/path/vbseo301.php on line 2

**Mert Gökçeimam** · 02-09-2009 04:55 AM

You donot have a vBSEO license asigned to your username. If you purchased vBSEO please supply me your purchase id and forum adress via PM so i can correct your license.

**Alwahsh** · 02-12-2009 03:21 AM

Thanks so much for the information .

**dascrow** · 02-13-2009 09:19 PM

What is the difference between this and the 404.php included with Impex?

404 / 301 Tool After Import Redirect on ImpEx imported forums

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