Provide alternate paths to your page.
Last reviewed: February 7, 2025
Visitors can be automatically switched from one URL to another, using server redirects, UBCMS 'vanity URLs' or redirect pages, or third-party URL shorteners. These solve problems from previously published links or help to promote a alternate path to your pages.
Unlike server redirects, a Vanity URL is set up in the UBCMS and can be created and managed by your own Web team.
A Vanity URL will redirect visitors to a page on your site; e.g. from www.buffalo.edu/abc to www.buffalo.edu/yoursite/somepath/targetpage.
The URL people start at can be fictional and does not need to correspond to a real, published page, but the final target page does need to be an actual page in the UBCMS.
You can create a Vanity URL to direct visitors to any site you manage, but the URL you provide to your visitors must be one of the domains that the UBCMS controls, such as www.buffalo.edu or one of the subdomains already established within 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 and sphhp.buffalo.edu are already handled specially, which will complicate how the Vanity URL is built. Please also see the additional restrictions and exceptions that are noted below.
Actual Desired URL | Equivalent UBCMS Path |
---|---|
www.buffalo.edu/abc | /content/www/abc |
www.buffalo.edu/brand/abc | /content/www/brand/abc |
nursing.buffalo.edu/abc | /content/nursing/abc |
Vanity URLs can handle many URLs including a variety of filename extensions, if needed, such as:
Do not include the file extension in the path of the Vanity URL. For the above examples, all would simply be "/content/www/home/academics" (no slash, no ".", no extension).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Server redirects are created and managed by UBit.
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.
A server redirect is the only method to handle:
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
A final 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.