$HTTP_REFERER and Custom 404 error pages

Anon

We are about to release a new website that is set up totally different than the current one. Many of our customers bookmark pages and we have hundreds of listings in search engines that will soon pull up 404 errors.

It would be really helpful if we had a script that would capture the name of the file that they were trying to go to, query our page database, and pull up similar matches.

Problem:
$HTTP_REFERER pulls up the page they were on before they hit the 404.

$REQUEST_URI displays the file name of the custom 404.

Is there a way to get the URL that they were trying to go to before they hit the custom 404?

rswami

I too facing same problem and posted this on PHP Builder but no suitable reply yet received.

If you got the solution of your problem please let me know.

thanx.

trungie__

on a 404 redirection to a php script can be done via the .htaccess file if you are using apache as your web server. just add the following line to your .htaccess file

ErrorDocument 404 /handle404.php

change the filename to whatever your script you wish to process. then using the HTTP_REFERER, you can determine what they were trying to access and perhaps give them suggestions and the update on the new layout on the website.

cheers. i hope it helps =D
trungie*!

devarticles

trungie*! that wont work, the HTTP_REFERER var, brings up the last page they visited

try using this REQUEST_URI

jamie_kerwick

I have just done some custom 404s i used,

getenv('REDIRECT_URL')

to get the requested page.

note this doesn't include the domain, so if someone requested, http://my.domain.com/dir/file, the value would be '/dir/file'.

Jamie