Problem redirecting file names with spaces

error caused when using .htaccess 301 redirect

[newexample]

A website I'm updating has file names with spaces, such as:

i am a good cook.htm

These pages have a high page rank despite the naming convention problem, so I decided to implement a simple 301 redirect using .htaccess. The following command creates an internal server error when I post the .htaccess file (I assume it's the spaces):

Redirect 301 /i am a good cook.htm http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html

I also tried, to account for the server-side formatting of the file name when the page with spaces is requested:

Redirect 301 /i%20am%20a%20good%20cook.htm http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html

The previous method doesn't create an error, but it also doesn't redirect the file. I'm at a loss for how to resolve this problem.

[edited by: jdMorgan at 4:16 pm (utc) on July 11, 2007]
[edit reason] example.com, please. See Terms of Service. [/edit]

[jdMorgan]

Try the following. One or both should work, and please post your results:

RedirectMatch 301 ^/i\%20am\%20a\%20good\%20cook\.htm$ http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html
RedirectMatch 301 ^/i\ am\ a\ good\ cook\.htm$ http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html

If neither work, then there is a more complex solution using mod_rewrite. But since you appear to prefer mod_alias directives, let's hold off on that unless it's necessary.

Jim

[edited by: jdMorgan at 4:40 pm (utc) on July 11, 2007]

[newexample]

Thanks for the suggestions Jim.

The first tactic did not affect the redirect; pages still resolve to the %20-htm pages. The second suggestion caused an internal server error.

I'm up for trying the mod_rewrite plan.

[g1smd]

Can you find any way to get rid of spaces and use either hyphens or dots to separate the words?

Spaces and their %20 equivalents are bad news every time; and underscores aren't much better.

[vincevincevince]

Just quote the string you want to match with ' ' or " "

[newexample]

@g1smd

My plan is to replace the files with spaces in the name with files that have dashes to separate the words. However, some of the %20-htm file names already have a high page rank assigned by the searched engines.

Starting over with a fresh naming convention works for the internal website linking; the 301 redirects are so that external links, from followers of the site, won't be broken.

@vincevincevince

When using the quotes, would this be an example of the proper format:

 
RedirectMatch 301 ^/"i am a good cook.htm$" http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html 

[igorberger]

Use this, it works.

RewriteRule ^hotels/Sylvestorx(.+)The(.+)Cat.html$
/hotels/Sylvestorx-The-Cat.html [r=301,nc]

[jdMorgan]

newexample,

I believe vincevincevince is suggesting:

Redirect 301 "/i am a good cook.htm" http://www.example.com/i-am-a-good-cook.html

Jim

[newexample]

Thanks Jim.

The solution from vincevincevince did the trick.

- Tony