"File Not Found" requests handling?

I would like to redirect this to my custom 404 page, which is:

http://www.fireblades.org/index.php?page=404

But, I don't see a way to do this with the vbSEO CP. Any way to do it?

Hi,
you can do the following:
1. Create a new "page404.php" script (filename is an example ) that includes:

Code:

<?php
$_GET['page']='404';
include 'index.php';

(you can also just fill this script with content you'd like to display on 404 requests)
2. Enter vbseocp and set "File Not Found" handler to "Include custom script: " with a filename specified.

Updates on this?

Any chance you could just add another 404 option for "redirect to URL"?

Originally Posted by ConqSoft

Any chance you could just add another 404 option for "redirect to URL"?

A 404 status-code is needed to let search engines know that in fact the server has not found anything matching the request. If we redirect, then, search engines might not drop the page(s) in question from the index.

Wouldn't the "Redirect to homepage" option cause the same problem?

Yay!! absolutely -- hmm... although it's a 301 (moved permanently)redirect. I'm not sure what the SEO impact would be though. I'll research it further and let you know.

Update:

If you have this option set to Redirect To Home Page, your Google Sitemap won't verify. It says that it received an HTTP 200 and shows this information:

We've detected that your 404 (file not found) error page returns a status of 200 (OK) in the header.
This configuration presents a security risk for site verification and therefore, we can't verify your site. If your web server is configured to return a status of 200 in the header of 404 pages, and we enabled you to verify your site with this configuration, others would be able to take advantage of this and verify your site as well. This would allow others to see your site statistics. To ensure that no one can take advantage of this configuration to view statistics to sites they don't own, we only verify sites that return a status of 404 in the header of 404 pages.

Please modify your web server configuration to return a status of 404 in the header of 404 pages. Note that we do a HEAD request (and not a GET request) when we check for this. Once your web server is configured correctly, try to verify the site again. If your web server is configured this way and you receive this error, click Check Status again and we'll recheck your configuration.

And I have the following vBulletin option set to No, as it always has been:

Add Standard HTTP Headers
This option does not work with some combinations of web server, so is off by default. However, some IIS setups may need it turned on.

It will send the 200 OK HTTP headers if turned on.

ConqSoft,

the verifications step at your google webmaster account is NOT required to submit sitemap, it is only needed to see stats provided by google.

However, to proceed with this step, you may:
1. upload the file as requested by Google,
2. *temporary* disable "Redirect To Home Page" at vbseocp (set it to "Send 404 code" instead)
3. confirm file uploading at your google page
4. set "Redirect To Home Page" back again, as verification is completed now

Good to know. Thanks.