University at Buffalo (UB)
Transforming UB’s digital communications.
Redirects and Vanity URLs
Provide alternate paths to your page.
On this page:
Last reviewed: February 2, 2022
Overview
Visitors can be automatically switched from one URL to another, using webserver redirects, UBCMS 'vanity URLs' and redirect pages, or third-party URL shorteners. These solve problems from previously published links or help to promote a alternate path to your pages.
Server Redirects
These higher order paths guide how people access any UB website, not just those in the UBCMS, provided UB manages that domain or server. Set for a temporary (one-year) or persistent (three year renewable) period, they must be supported by a good business case.
If you would like to request a server redirect, please assemble your business case and contact the DCT Help Team.
After you retire this tactic, or as an alternative, consider implementing a custom 404 error page. This will load when the ‘wrong’ URL is requested, with your unit’s branding and additional clarification how to find the content that is sought. > Read more about custom error pages
Temporary Redirect
- Purpose: To support a short-term business need such as a website migration, or marketing campaign (hard copy or sent email).
- Duration: One year. Normally non-renewable.
- Requires a business case.
- Examples:
- geology.buffalo.edu -> arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/geology.html
- facilities.buffalo.edu -> buffalo.edu/administrative-services/managing-facilities.html
Persistent Redirect
- Purpose: To support user expectations, industry standards, or institutional needs (including brand, legal requirement or contract).
- Duration: Three year, renewable on request.
- Requires a strong business case.
- Examples:
- education.buffalo.edu -> ed.buffalo.edu
- news.buffalo.edu -> buffalo.edu/news
- cas.buffalo.edu -> arts-sciences.buffalo.edu
UBCMS Vanity URLS
These are set by Authors in the UBCMS to redirect traffic from one UBCMS page to another. Any vanity URLs or redirect pages or redirect values set in page properties on UBCMS pages will never expire on their own.
You can create Vanity URLs in the UBCMS for any sites that you manage, provided the domain falls within what the UBCMS controls (e.g. www.buffalo.edu/abc) or one of the decanal or divisional subdomains already established in the UBCMS (e.g. nursing.buffalo.edu). If your URL is already being adjusted by a server redirect, speak to the DCT Help Team for advice. For example, cas.buffalo.edu is handled specially, and they must use /content/www/cas... instead of /content/cas...
Please observe the following precautions.
- Do not create top level Vanity URLs without permission; i.e. that start with ABC.buffalo.edu or www.buffalo.edu/ABC .
- Test your Vanity URL first to be sure it does not hijack someone else's page.
- Only use wording that falls within your own area of authority; e.g. Dining Services should not use "UB Bulls" without authorization.
Contact the UBCMS Help Team with any questions.
It is not possible to add a working Vanity URL to an authenticated page unless your Vanity URL also ends in '-pw.' If a short URL without '-pw' is desired for outreach or to handle common usage, we suggest you use a separate Redirect Page instead.
Create a new page using the Redirect Template, set the URL through the UBCMS to the actual secure page (/content/www/etc/page-pw), and then add any desired Vanity URLs to the Page Properties of the redirect page, and NOT in the secure page itself.
Before you start, check the desired Vanity URL in your browser to ensure it is not already in use.
- Open the page you want visitors to land on (e.g., /content/www/your-site/the-preferred-page.html).
- Open the Properties:
- In the Sites Console, select the page then click Properties in the Command Menu that displays.
- In the Edit Console, click the Equalizer button then select Open Properties (shortcup p).
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Scroll down to Vanity URL and click the triangle button to display the settings.
- Click the plus sign (+) and enter the reference path of the page from which you are redirecting traffic -- this is the page location if it existed in the UBCMS, NOT the live URL;
e.g., /content/www/site/page
NOT https://www.buffalo.edu/site/page
NOT www.buffalo.edu/site/page
NOT buffalo.edu/site/page - To enter more than one Vanity URL – each must be on its own line.
- Select Redirect Vanity URL so the browser shows the actual location in its location bar (not the link that was clicked or entered to reach your page). While this is currently optional, we suggest you always select it.
- Click OK.
- Activate the page to enable it on your published site. (The Author environment should redirect immediately.)
- Be sure to test the redirect in your published site.
The option to Redirect Vanity URL causes the browser to update the location bar so that it shows your preferred URL path instead of the URL that the visitor entered or clicked to arrive on your site.
Changing the URL in the location bar may be confusing to visitors, since they may not notice that the URL has changed, or appreciate why it has changed. However, this setting will encourage visitors to remember (and bookmark) your preferred URL.
While this is currently optional, we suggest you always select it. (Not selecting it may cause your page to load without some of its images or styling.)
While the Redirect Vanity URL setting is currently optional, we suggest you always select it. Not selecting it may cause your page to load without some of its images or styling.
- Send visitors to a different page in the SAME directory of your site.
- e.g. www.buffalo.edu/home/about.html redirects to www.buffalo.edu/home/about-us.html
- The Page Properties for /content/www/home/about-us include a Vanity URL "/content/seas/home/about."
- This can assist when a popular or heavily promoted page needs to be moved.
- Send visitors to a page in a DIFFERENT directory of your site or another site.
- e.g. www.buffalo.edu/abc redirects to www.buffalo.edu/home/engagement/abc_program.html
- The Page Properties for /content/www/home/engagement/abc_program include a Vanity URL "/content/www/abc."
- This method allows publication of a 'short link' for one of your pages.
- Adding a second Vanity URL, e.g. "/content/www/ABC," would allow a capitalized link to be promoted as well, or to prevent confusion. (UBCMS page names are case sensitive.)
- Do not use a Vanity URL on a Shared Content page.
- Do not use the same URL as your actual page. Doing so can produce a loop that locks you and your visitors out of the page!
- If higher level redirects or URL mapping already exist for your site, the Vanity URL may not act as expected. If you believe this is happening, contact the UBCMS Help Desk.
- For technical reasons, we request you always select Redirect Vanity URL.
- Each Vanity URL will only redirect one page and will not affect links to pages beneath that location. For example, it is not possible to redirect all requests under "/content/www/about_ub/*" (.../about_ub/at-a-glance, .../about-ub/visit-ub, etc.) to a single new page. If you would like to request this functionality, contact the UBCMS Help Desk.
- All URLs in UBCMS including Vanity URLs are case sensitive, so "/content/www/UBCares" will not match "/content/www/UBcares" (lower case 'c'). Add additional Vanity URLs for common variations.
- A Vanity URL will only work for pages with certain file extensions. It will definitely work for no extension as well as .html. In most sites, depending on specific site configurations, it will also work for URLs ending in: /, .asp, .apsx, .php, .php3, .shtml, .htm, .jsp, .cgi, .cfm. For example, a Vanity URL of "/content/www/about/test"
- will match a request for /content/www/about/test.html
- will match /content/www/about/test
- will match /content/www/about/test/ (in most sites)
- will match /content/www/about/test.php (in most sites)
- will match /content/www/about/test.asp (in most sites)
- but will NOT match /content/www/about/test.pdf - Vanity URLs may interact with other rules only in effect on your published site (such as to transform URLs from /content/www/about to www.buffalo.edu/about), so it is recommended that you test Vanity URLs after activating them, and pay special attention to testing Vanity URLs when your site is first launched.
- Vanity URLs cannot be applied to files in digital Assets. To get around this limitation, create a regular website page using the Redirect Template.
UBCMS Redirect Pages
The UBCMS supports a special type of page that simply serves as a built-in redirect from its apparent location to the actual page on your site. These can be built in Shared Content or as a regular Web page, using the appropriate template.
- Click Create and Page and choose the Redirect template.
- Open the page and then open the single editable spot on the page: Redirect to.
(NB. because no components can be added to this page, your Sidekick will look empty.) - In the settings dialog box, choose between:
- Redirect to file - Provide an asset from the DAM or uploaded from your desktop.
- Redirect to page - Enter an external URL, with the 'https://' prefix, or use the magnifying glass chooser to select an internal UBCMS page.
- Redirect to file - Provide an asset from the DAM or uploaded from your desktop.
- Click OK and activate this page.
Create Page process with available templates
A redirect page, opened for editing.
Redirect page settings.
For standard UBCMS pages, while you can set a redirect in page Properties, we do not recommend this solution, because nothing in Author shows that the page is being used as a redirect.
Known Issue
Redirect pages cannot have working children. You can create a child page, but will not be able to edit its contents, because the UBCMS knows that its parent will effectively block access to that child page. Read more about this known issue.
URL Shorteners
A third option is to use a 'URL shortener' service, like Bit.ly or TinyURL.com. These free services allow you to choose a specific URL, if it's not already taken, such as http://bit.ly/UBCareerFair, as an equivalent to one of your Web pages. And if you register, you can track the clicks on the link, which is very handy for assessing the effectiveness of links sent out in emails.