Shop using sessions how to make Google compliant

Do I have to cloak?

[Ruben]

I have built a shop using php/mysql and especially the technique sessions. Now I was wondering how I can get my products listed in Google. I have read some about the fact that pages using sessions can't be indexed by Googlebot, because of the sessions. Do I have to cloak now doing something like

if (Googlebot) {
// session_start() not included
etc..
} else {
session_start();
etc
}

Or doesn't it make sense at all? So does Googlebot only have problems if I propagate the session id with .SID after every url. (I don't use .SID)

[Birdman]

One way would be to only start the session when a user adds an item to the shopping cart. Use a form for your "add to cart" link and then Googlebot will never see session ids because it doesn't submit forms.

Birdman

[mincklerstraat]

I like Birdman's idea best. Next possibility, if this doesn't work for you - use ini_set() and set the value of the php configuration option to use *only* cookie-based sessions, and put a notice on your shopping cart that they've gotta have cookies enabled (shoppers should be used to this kind of thing). You'll find this in the main php.net page on sessions.

[ergophobe]

If Birdman's method doesn't work for you, you could also try checking the user agent and only start sessions if it doesn't look like an important search engine bot.

It's a bit more complex as you would have to keep a list of user agents for which you don't start a session, but it would allow users who block cookies to shop without issues.

[Ruben]

So Googlebot doesn't have problems with cookies? Then this is maybe an option.

And is there a website where I can see how Google reacts at my site with this option set?