get_headers question

[kbc1]

Hi all

I am using get_headers() to check for broken links on a comparison website however the affiliate has recorded each link check as a click through and it is screwing up the stats and have told me to cease and disist this method. (were talking about hundreds of thousands of URL's)

Now, my undersstanding of HTTP requests is that if you want to check to see if a URL returns a 404 error (i.e. if it is broken) then a HTTP request must be done?

Is it my process of checking the links that is incorrect or the affiliate system that is recording the requests as a click through that is wrong??

Very frustrating!!

Any thoughts?

Ta
Kris

[NogDog]

Just a guess: if there's a URL query string element that is used to identify the affiliate account, you could strip that out of the URL before submitting it for checking. E.g. if it's something like "http://example.com/index.php?product=1234&referrer=abcd1234", and the referrer is what identifies your affiliate account (or whatever it is), then strip that out of the URL before submitting it.

[bradgrafelman]

I would try using [man]cURL[/man] (or [man]file_get_contents/man with a stream context) to send a HEAD request. Despite common sense, [man]get_headers/man doesn't (I believe) send a HEAD request - it actually sends a GET request.

If a HEAD request still triggers their link tracking code... then you should tell them to learn how HTTP works and to cease and desist their method of link tracking. 😉