Cache-Busting Tags?

Explanations and Solutions?

[soquinn]

We’re running a PPC campaign for a client using their url link out (we are not tracking on our side or redirecting as yet - another topic) and they are asking us about using Cache-Busting Tags? Can anyone elaborate on this and possible solutions? JavaScript or php?

Thanks.

[jatar_k]

do they mean no-cache? So that engines don't cache the pages or stoppping the browser cache?

I don't know what specifically they are talking about.

[soquinn]

I believe they are talking about our server tracking vs. their server tracking. We are not using a redirect on our side to their url but their url (Atlas) redirects to the client...

Atlas DMT recommends that cache-busting tags (a time/date stamp or randomly generated number used to defeat proxy caching) be applied to all redirects. Insert the cache-busting tag after the final forward slash ("/").

[jatar_k]

so I assume some random string so thre is no confusion

you could use php to create a unix timestamp and append that

$extraparam = mktime();
$uniqueurl = $previousurl . '&ts=' . $extraparam;

no idea of how the url is presently constructed so that code doesnt make much sense but the mktime is what you could use

[soquinn]

the url would be:

ht*p://something.something/something/direct/01/

[jatar_k]

$url = 'ht*p://something.something/something/direct/01/';
$url = $url . '?' . mktime();
echo $url;

that should be what they mean, I can only offer a pointer in the right direction not the exact answer.

[soquinn]

Thanks for your help... we'll give it a shot.