Custom Posts Per Page User Setting

DeltaHF

DeltaHF

Well-known member
While going over XenForo's configuration options, it suddenly occurred to me that users cannot configure their own custom "posts per page" setting, and with only one global default.

Considering I've been using vBulletin for about 10 years now, I know some my users are going to be absolutely livid when they realize they can no longer change this on their own. :unsure:

I'd like to see it in XF soon.
 
Upvote 15
FWIW, IGN has added posts per page and threads per page as a user choice, with the result that permanent post links break (i.e. they are no longer permanent but depend on the user's settings).

Snap3.webp

This is the permanent link of post #71 of a random thread given the setting from above:

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/b...cer-cure-test.452782252/page-2#post-468402358

If I change the setting back to let's say 20, the permanent link won't work anymore and it'll merely point to the top of page 2 (i.e. post 20).

So while it's easy to add this as a user configurable parameter, unless xF changes the way it generates canonical links for posts, it is not advisable to make it a user choice. Not only for SEO reasons, but also because post links posted by members will always depend on their individual settings and most likely not work for others whose settings differ.
 
AlexT said:
FWIW, IGN has added posts per page and threads per page as a user choice, with the result that permanent post links break (i.e. they are no longer permanent but depend on the user's settings).

View attachment 45164

This is the permanent link of post #71 of a random thread given the setting from above:

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/b...cer-cure-test.452782252/page-2#post-468402358

If I change the setting back to let's say 20, the permanent link won't work anymore and it'll merely point to the top of page 2 (i.e. post 20).

So while it's easy to add this as a user configurable parameter, unless xF changes the way it generates canonical links for posts, it is not advisable to make it a user choice. Not only for SEO reasons, but also because post links posted by members will always depend on their individual settings and most likely not work for others whose settings differ.
Click to expand...
You can use http://www.ign.com/boards/posts/468402358 for the permanent URL. The translation of posts -> thread URL may require some hackery to get it to the correct position for an individual user.
 
AlexT said:
I know, and you know, but must regular forum members probably don't. :)

The link above is the regular link someone would quote using "Permalink" from the post number link.
Click to expand...
My comment was more on the hackery that it may take to properly translate the /posts/ URL to the proper page, and anchor. User settings > Default Settings. It'd be an interesting experiment for an add-on author.
 
King Kovifor said:
My comment was more on the hackery that it may take to properly translate the /posts/ URL to the proper page, and anchor. User settings > Default Settings. It'd be an interesting experiment for an add-on author.
Click to expand...
I am sure it would be possible by recalculating the post location depending on the user's settings, but you'd still end up with multiple links pointing to the same post/location which isn't advisable from a SEO point of view.
 
AlexT said:
I am sure it would be possible by recalculating the post location depending on the user's settings, but you'd still end up with multiple links pointing to the same post/location which isn't advisable from a SEO point of view.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily: As long as /posts/# returns a 301 and Google only gets one link, you'd only have one point directly at it. If people chose the anchor, Google would only index it once really. Google would get the "guest" treatment and get the site's default. Any signed in user would get a personalized 302 redirect. Shouldn't really bother SEO at all.
 
King Kovifor said:
Not necessarily: As long as /posts/# returns a 301 and Google only gets one link, you'd only have one point directly at it. If people chose the anchor, Google would only index it once really. Google would get the "guest" treatment and get the site's default. Any signed in user would get a personalized 302 redirect. Shouldn't really bother SEO at all.
Click to expand...

The canonical link is actually /page-xyz#post-1234 and not /post/#, and page-xyz would always differ depending on the user's setting. Personally there'd be too much hackery involved for my taste (plus the page number in the URL would lose its semantic value). I'd rather wait until (if ever) xF changes the way it denotes canonical links for posts.
 
AlexT said:
It's actually /page-xyz#post-1234 and not /post/#, and page-xyz would always differ depending on the user's setting. Personally there'd be too much hackery involved for my taste (plus the page number in the URL would lose its semantic value). I'd rather wait until (if ever) xF changes the way it denotes canonical links for posts.
Click to expand...
I realize that. If XF changed it, any permalinks around the web would be /posts/#. Google would find those, and when its indexed as 301/302, Google won't penalize you or "double index" it. I agree it loses semantic value and all that jazz. /page-x#post-1234 would remain constant for post #1234 in google's eyes. X would only change per user.
 
I just had a user complained today about not having this as a user option. I hope in future XF versions, there will be an option without compromising SEO.
 
Currently, only the number of posts per page can be set via the Admin CP.

Would it possible to add a function that would let users control how many posts per page they want depending on the what's set in the Admin CP?

For example, 15 posts per page could be the default, but then there's another option in the Admin CP for users' choice: the range to choose from could be 15 - 100. If I wanted 85 posts per page, I could do that.

Thoughts?
 
AlexT said:
FWIW, IGN has added posts per page and threads per page as a user choice, with the result that permanent post links break (i.e. they are no longer permanent but depend on the user's settings).

View attachment 45164

This is the permanent link of post #71 of a random thread given the setting from above:

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/b...cer-cure-test.452782252/page-2#post-468402358

If I change the setting back to let's say 20, the permanent link won't work anymore and it'll merely point to the top of page 2 (i.e. post 20).

So while it's easy to add this as a user configurable parameter, unless xF changes the way it generates canonical links for posts, it is not advisable to make it a user choice. Not only for SEO reasons, but also because post links posted by members will always depend on their individual settings and most likely not work for others whose settings differ.
Click to expand...

I would love to know how that was achieved. Is there any documentation around on this?
 
DeltaHF said:
I'd like to see it in XF soon.
Click to expand...

+1

I suggested something similar here. IMO, the vbulletin solution does some, but not all, of what an [all] link would do. I'm happy enough with the vbulletin solution, however--it's just that I have to set the maximum posts per page option to something like 100 or 200.
 
Apologies for reviving an old thread, but I've had a number of users on Smashboards ask about this functionality.

Given the fact IGN has hackishly added the functionality, and many Smashboards users are interested in it too, I really feel like the developers should be considering something in demand by at least two of the largest XenForo forums around.
 

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