Page Paths Not Updating

[MasterOfNone]

I'm trying to update the paths to some forum channels that got moved around and the paths will not update. I get an error that the URL is already in use. I've tried switching to node ID to edit the paths, but that did not help. I get the same error that the URL is already in use.

The error I get in the UI:

Any ideas on how to get the path corrected?

[Wayne Luke]

It means there is a record for this URL in the database. Switching to Route by Node isn't going to delete records in the database or resolve this issue. It could be a redirect from a previous URL change.

What was the URL before you tried to make this change?

[MasterOfNone]

It means there is a record for this URL in the database. Switching to Route by Node isn't going to delete records in the database or resolve this issue. It could be a redirect from a previous URL change.

What was the URL before you tried to make this change?

The path is using the current URL still: https://www.htguide.com/forum/forum/...n-possible-diy

[MasterOfNone]

If I try to go to https://www.htguide.com/forum/diy-mi...n-possible-diy I'm sent to https://www.htguide.com/forum/forum/...n-possible-diy. I'm not sure how this is used then, I would think it would allow me to go to the first URL and not send me to the current URL if that new URL is already there in use?

[Wayne Luke]

The first URL is being used as a 301 redirect so that you don't lose search engine indexing. While it is being used as a 301 redirect, it cannot be reused.

[MasterOfNone]

The first URL is being used as a 301 redirect so that you don't lose search engine indexing. While it is being used as a 301 redirect, it cannot be reused.

Does that mean the URL will not change then? Why doesn't the path update though for the page and stays with the old path name?

[Wayne Luke]

It is a limitation of the system. The path cannot be reused because it already exists in the database. There is currently no tool to remove these redirects. There is a request to add a tool to remove these. https://tracker.vbulletin.com/vbulle...sues/VBV-18990

[LazyPooky]

I experienced the same thing a few months ago. I had searched the vbulletin website for the same problems but could only find a few threads that didn't go into it any further. So I thought it was my forum, and because I'm still using vb5.6.4. Like Wayne Luke said, it's a 301redirect problem but perhaps it's deeper than that (not sure if it's a bug of the system though or indeed limitations):

I wrote down in detail what went wrong by looking in the database to see what happens when changing a subforum URL, and
- problem 1: I saw that 2 entries were not created or updated - so the subforum URL (and subforum/topics URLs) remained the same.
- problem 2: Repeating the same renaming proces as above (changing the subforum URL again) an error message was given: URL is already in use. (explained by Wayne)

As a workaround for problem 1 (and therefore not having the problem 2): Manually correcting the database worked (that is: creating new 301redirect for the subforum, or updating the routeid, and a new entry with 301redirect for subforum/topic), but it wouldn't have been necessary if the process had done what it was supposed to do.

I will post the detail in the next message, I hope you can follow me.

[LazyPooky]

In sitebuilder I changed the name of a subforum (nodeid=80) and I changed the URL (category/subforum) like this:


forum/miscellaneous-website-downloads/website-print-downloads

to

forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazine-content


In the database it created 301 redirects for the old links.
subforum routeid=200 >> 301redirect=664 / topics routeid=201 >> 301redirect=665

Subforum
TABLE node > nodeid=80
urlident=website-books-and-magazine-content
routeid=664

TABLE routenew > routeid=200 >> 301redirect=664
prefix=forum/miscellaneous-website-downloads/website-print-downloads
class=vB5_Route_Channel

TABLE routenew > routeid=664
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazine-content
class=vB5_Route_Channel

Topic (as an example: topic 4131)
TABLE node > nodeid=4131
urlident=website-book-1
routeid=665

TABLE routenew > routeid=201 >> 301redirect=665
prefix=forum/miscellaneous-website-downloads/website-print-downloads
class=vB5_Route_Conversation

TABLE routenew > routeid=665
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazine-content
class=vB5_Route_Conversation

But, I wanted to correct the URL of the subforum (I wanted to add the letter 's' to magazine in the URL), like this
forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazines-content

The database made a new entry routeid=666 and
updated the 301redirect routeid=200 >> 301redirect=666

TABLE routenew > routeid=200 >> 301redirect=666
prefix=forum/miscellaneous-website-downloads/website-print-downloads
class=vB5_Route_Channel

TABLE routenew > routeid=666
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazines-content
vB5_Route_Channel

However, in the node TABLE it did NOT update the nodeid=80 routeid from 664 to 666,
so the URL I see on the subforum is still the same (magazine without the 's').
Though only the urlident was updated:

Subforum
TABLE node > nodeid=80
urlident=website-books-and-magazines-content
routeid=664

Also it did nothing to the subforum URL in the topic URLs.
No new routeid entry was made for the topics, it still uses routeid=665 and the redirect: routeid=201 >> 301redirect=665

TABLE routenew > routeid=665
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazine-content
class=vB5_Route_Conversation

As a test:
I renamed the subforum twice again to something else, and new routeid entries for only the subforum were made in the database,
and it updated the old link 301redirect routeid=200 >> 301redirect=667 , and the second time to routeid=200 >> 301redirect=670
However:
The routeid in the node TABLE is still using routeid=664..
There were no new routeid entries created for the topics.

TABLE routenew > routeid=667
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-book-and-magazine-content
vB5_Route_Channel

TABLE routenew > routeid=670
prefix=forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-book-and-magazines-content
vB5_Route_Channel

Subforum
TABLE node > nodeid=80
urlident=website-books-and-magazines-content
routeid=664

So, the subforum URL , and subforum URL in the topics URL, do not change - it's the same or redirecting to the old URL:
forum/the-website-books-and-magazines/website-books-and-magazine-content (magazine without the 's').


For the subforum URL:
- a 301redirect should have been made in the previous entry to the next entry (664->666, 666->667, 667->670)
- or the routeid in the node TABLE should have been updated to the last one, in this case routeid=670

For the subforum/topics URL:
- a new entry should have been made with a 301 redirect in the previous entry (665->...), nothing was made now.

I fixed that in the database and the URL was updated.

[MasterOfNone]

Thank you for sharing this info LazyPooky. What I did was move sub forums up to main forums. I have had enough people ask for this as they wanted to see what updates there were without having to go to the sub forum every time. I will play around with this some more in the coming week.