Redirects and Vanity URLs

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.

On this page:

As You Map Out Your strategy

Consider using custom error pages to help people to update their bookmarks.

Server Redirects

These higher order paths guide how people access any UB website, not just those in the UBCMS; e.g. education.buffalo.edu -> ed.buffalo.edu or news.buffalo.edu -> buffalo.edu/news. They are set for a temporary (one-year), or persistent (three year renewable) period, and must be supported by a strong business case.

If you would like to request a server redirect, please assemble your business case and contact us.

After expiration, or as an alternative to setting up a redirect, we encourage you to 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 up in the UBCMS and 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 that use the URL of any sites that you manage; e.g. for the Forestry School, forestry.buffalo.edu/ABC or www.buffalo.edu/forestry/ABC .

Please do not create Vanity URLs directly off www.buffalo.edu or that use someone else's URL without permission; i.e. a vanity URL that starts with ABC.buffalo.edu or www.buffalo.edu/ABC . Contact the UBCMS Help Team if you have 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.

Creating a Vanity URL

Before you start, test out the Vanity URL in your browser to be sure it is not already in use, or already being redirected.

  1. Open the page you want visitors to land on (e.g., /content/www/your-site/the-preferred-page.html).
  2. In the Sidekick, go to the Page tab (or in the Website console, right click).
  3. Click Page Properties.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Scroll down to Vanity URL and click the triangle button to display the settings.
  6. Click the plus sign (+) and enter the UBCMS path of the page from which you are redirecting traffic;
    e.g., /content/www/your-site/bookmarked-page .
  7. To enter more than one Vanity URL – each must be on its own line.
  8. 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.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Activate the page to enable it on your published site. (The Author environment should redirect immediately.)
  11. Be sure to test the redirect in your published site.
Click the plus sign and enter the URL of the page from which you are redirecting.

When to Use 'Redirect Vanity URL'

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.

Vanity URL Examples

  • 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.)

Vanity URL Restrictions

  1. Do not use a Vanity URL on a Shared Content page.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. For technical reasons, we request you always select Redirect Vanity URL.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. 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.
  9. Vanity URLs cannot be applied to files in the Digital Asset Manager (DAM). 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.

  1. In either part of the UBCMS, create a New Page and choose the Redirect template.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. Click OK and activate this page.

Do not be temped to set the redirect in Page Properties.  This will be ignored for a redirect page. You must use the little redirect box on the page itself.

Dropdown list showing page template choices.

Dropdown list showing page template choices.

A redirect page, opened for editing.

A redirect page, opened for editing.

Redirect page settings.

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.  

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.

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