Skip UCSF navigation|About accessibility UCSF University of California, San Francisco
About UCSF
Search UCSF
UCSF Medical Center
End of UCSF navigation
Web Developer's Guide
Overview |
Step 1: Resources |
Step 2: Goals |
Step 3: Minimum Skill Require-
ments |
Step 4: Key decisions |
Step 5: Hardware and software |
Step 6: Domain name |
Step 7: Connection |
Step 8: Build |
Step 9: Redirects
Step 10: Publicize |

End of section-level navigation

School of Pharmacy•

UCSF School of Pharmacy

Step 9: Set up redirects

If your site is not a redesign of an existing site, you may skip this step and go to Step 10: Publicize your site.

If you redesigned an existing site, the URLs to each page in your site may have changed. If you don't set up redirects from the old URLs to new ones with corresponding information, it will frustrate your site's visitors and decrease their productivity. Links to your site could be bookmarked on hundreds of computers or printed in print publications. It is your responsibility to redirect -- no one but the site owner has the power to make redirects happen successfully.

Before making your site available to the world:

  1. Check For Broken Links - Use a link checking utility which automates the tedious process of checking links to ensure they are working properly. School of Pharmacy Web developers, see Link Checking. Others, see Linklint or Google Directory: Link Management.
  2. Warn Others About Changing Links - Provide advance warning to other Web developers in the University when the new site shall be launched and what URLs are changing. For example, provide a list of old URLs and their corresponding new URLs to Web developers in the University so that they can update their own sites that link to yours.
  3. Set Up Redirects - Not everyone who links to you will be able to update their sites right away. And you still have to worry about people who have old bookmarks to your site. Implement server redirects for phased-out or changed URLs so that all your site's visitors are directed to an appropriate notice ("The information formerly at the URL you requested is no longer available because...") or still able to get the information they need even though it may be in a new location. If you don't know how, review the documentation or contact technical support for your Web server software.
  4. Provide Contact Information - Few things are more frustrating about Web sites than not being able to reach someone in charge of one when you have a problem. Provide a way to contact the site owner or developer on every page in your site.

Go To: Step 10: Publicize your site or Web Developer's Guide