XF 2.1 vBulletin 4, vbSEO, redirects, htaccess

[WLF]

This weekend I've taken the step to migrate from vBulletin 4.2.1 to the latest Xenforo 2.1 update. The import was smooth and it looks like pretty much everything has come across as expected.

The one issue remains with the vBulletin redirects add-on. I've set the redirects table and attempted a build of redirects, but looking at an old link to the vBulletin forum nothing seems to be happening.

I did use vbSEO, which gave me this type of URL:

http://www.mydomainname.com/forum/showthread.php/65262-This-Is-An-Example-Thread

Therefore, I'm assuming the redirect only works for bog standard vBulletin URLs.

I understand I would have to perhaps edit .htaccess file to correct this. If so, any suggestions on what to put in as .htaccess and all that RegEx stuff confuses me.

 

[AbuGhaith]

take a look here

XenForo Redirects for vBulletin

XF301VB is a XenForo 2 add-on, which extends the XenForo router with the ability to accept URLs pointing to vBulletin content and seamlessly, permanently redirect them to their equivalent content in XenForo after the content has been imported...

xenforo.com

 

[WLF]

take a look here

Thanks for replying. I'd searched the forum, read lots of posts, but much is either too advanced, talking about something called nginx, which I don't think relates to me, or what looks like a solution just doesn't work.

Also looked at route filters, but that doesn't look to be what I'm after.

Concerned about losing incoming links from sites using the example URL....

http://www.mydomainname.com/forum/showthread.php/65262-This-Is-An-Example-Thread

 

[bzcomputers]

Yes, there was is no way to redirect vbSEO links directly. vbSEO hasn't been supported in over 7 years and even at the time had security vulnerabilities, so you should at least be happy to be moving away from it.

There is a solution to your issue that @DragonByte Tech has offered in the past and may still be offering, you will need to check with them:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/vbseo-url-to-xenforo-url-redirect.157688/#post-1305232

If that doesn't work out for you then as a last choice solution you can always setup a generic redirect to your forum home so at least your old urls don't throw 404 errors.

something like...

RewriteRule ^forum/showthread.php/?(.*) https://www.mydomainname.com/community/ [R=301,L]

 

[WLF]

There is a solution to your issue that @DragonByte Tech has offered in the past and may still be offering, you will need to check with them:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/vbseo-url-to-xenforo-url-redirect.157688/#post-1305232

Thanks for your reply. If I've learnt anything from my time with vBulletin (and elsewhere in WordPress) it's that I don't want to be adding too many extra add-ons to the forum for fear of future upgrades rendering non-maintained add-ons useless and perhaps generating new errors and issues.

So I may just take this option:

If that doesn't work out for you then as a last choice solution you can always setup a generic redirect to your forum home so at least your old urls don't throw 404 errors.

something like...

RewriteRule ^forum/showthread.php/?(.*) https://www.mydomainname.com/community/ [R=301,L]

However, looking at the XenForo .htaccess file I don't know where to add that line. Have put it in a couple of locations, but it doesn't seem to capture incoming links to the old forum.

 

[bzcomputers]

However, looking at the XenForo .htaccess file I don't know where to add that line. Have put it in a couple of locations, but it doesn't seem to capture incoming links to the old forum.

That code as written would go in the root .htaccess.

 

[WLF]

Bingo! Thank you.

 

[markoroots]

Also if I have seen that google still try to scan these kind of urls of my old Vb installation

https://www.sigarettaelettronicaforum.com/331815-post4.html

and are really more, these kind of urls reported in the search console as not availale, because aren't redirected as you can see, but google should know where are all these links are been moved.
Do you know what can be added to the htaccess to solve the problem?
If I test this url on my old site it redirect me to the friendlyurls of the thread but in the old site and because now my old Vb site version is closed all these links are not been redirected anymore, but few times ago I'm moved to Xf so it is ggod to solve the problem. Any idea?

 

[briansol]

I highly suggest installing this 404 tracker tool, and then make custom rules when you see stuff missing.

Custom 404 Page by Siropu

Also collecting old vbseo urls. I have the vb301 product installed but it's not working well since 2.1. Is there a mass rule that replaces things like this: https://mydomain.com/nice-old-forum-cat/title-id/ with https://mydomain.com/threads/title.id/ /(.*)\/(.*)\/(.*)\-(\d+)/...

xenforo.com

I added a few of my vbseo rules there, but i used a different format.

 

[markoroots]

Many thanks Briansol, is really useful this mod, I have just installed it.

Then about the code you show me I'm not expert in coding, so do you mean that should be added this part of code in the htaccess?
I have tried adding the same lines shown but it didn't work so I have removed again for now

 

[markoroots]

The mod is useful to discover the links are not working and are really more about these kind of links I have posted.
but I have noted this:

I have moved my forum from Vb4 to Xf2
I let the old Vb4 forum in a folder of the root to let it still accessible by me and I have closed the forum (and I don't know if is it for this but many of these redirection aren't working alone).
Now to access to my old forum I have to add a prefix to the site as this "vb.mysite.com/......"
If to this links not founded from google I add the "vb." prefix (only I that I'm the administrator because the forum is now close for guests) can see to what thread is referred and then, to see to where is been redirected in the new Xf forum I have to remove again the "vb." prefix and see where is been redirected then I'm adding the right urls in the plugin. But is really complicated because the urls are really more.
Is it possible to do this with the httaccess?

 

[briansol]

no, no htaccess involved. all 404s should hit this script and then redirect it a rule matches per your settings.

ignore the old install completely.

in the 404 tool itself, there's an area to add redirects.
admin.php?options/groups/siropuCustom404Page/

that's where those go.

If you enter a rule incorrectly, it will just go away so it's best to write them down somewhere else to copy it back in in case of a future rule failure.

might need to alter this a bit as it's untested.


left side:

/(.*)\/forum\/showthread\.php\/(\d+)-(.*)/

right side:

$1/threads/$3.$2/

 

[markoroots]

Tested but with no luck. It still doesn't redirect those kind of urls

 

[briansol]

is your xf install in root? it's possible you may need to install the root level htaccess from the vb301 tool to point to xf isntall location in the first place

 

[markoroots]

Yes the installation is in the root.

it's possible you may need to install the root level htaccess from the vb301 tool to point to xf isntall location in the first place

this I really don't know how to do if you can give me some help I can try.
Thanks again Braiansol. I have also told this in the thread of the addon used for the VB to XF redirection because maybe is a function that can assolve that addon, but for now it doesn't redirect these kind of links

 

[briansol]

yeah, you basically need to do 2 fold -- redirect vbseo to standard vb, then the standad url can be auto directed to the new xf thread id with the tool

 

[markoroots]

Exactly. The problem is how to do that. Is that mod that should do or I can make in some other way?

 

[JamesAus]

I highly suggest installing this 404 tracker tool, and then make custom rules when you see stuff missing.

Custom 404 Page by Siropu

Also collecting old vbseo urls. I have the vb301 product installed but it's not working well since 2.1. Is there a mass rule that replaces things like this: https://mydomain.com/nice-old-forum-cat/title-id/ with https://mydomain.com/threads/title.id/ /(.*)\/(.*)\/(.*)\-(\d+)/...

xenforo.com

I added a few of my vbseo rules there, but i used a different format.

So glad this thread has popped up. I'm totally stuck with my XenForo test installation as I've been unable to get the re-directs working so have put off upgrading my live forum.

@bzcomputers kindly helped me but was unable to resolve it. I wondered how you managed to get it working @briansol?

This is how my .htaccess files look currently:


forum

root

Quote Reply
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[markoroots]

So glad this thread has popped up. I'm totally stuck with my XenForo test installation as I've been unable to get the re-directs working so have put off upgrading my live forum.

@bzcomputers kindly helped me but was unable to resolve it. I wondered how you managed to get it working @briansol?

This is how my .htaccess files look currently:


forum

root

Quote Reply
Report

Hi James, first of all you need to install this: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/xenforo-redirects-for-vbulletin.6123/
but it doesn't redirect all kind of urls but the most of them. Sure the friendly links and those basically of Vb. Begin with this and make your tests

 

[JamesAus]

Hi James, first of all you need to install this: https://xenforo.com/community/resources/xenforo-redirects-for-vbulletin.6123/
but it doesn't redirect all kind of urls but the most of them. Sure the friendly links and those basically of Vb. Begin with this and make your tests

Thanks for suggesting that Mark, I already have that installed actually and it hasn't worked.